Even so, Baker praised Microsoft for plunging into retail, and said the company would get more out of its stores than just retail sales. "I'm always in favor of manufacturers connecting directly to customers. There are a lot of things you can learn by investing in the customer relationship, a lot of things [Microsoft] can learn that Best Buy or Staples can't provide.

"If nothing else, Microsoft needs that."

Two weeks ago, Microsoft's Turner said as much in a at the company's annual conference with its hardware and software partners. "Every single thing we learn in those Microsoft stores that we put on the street we're going to share that openly and transparently with all of our retail partners, so that they can do the exact same thing," Turner promised. "And we're going to get that customer feedback directly. We're in the game for the long-term here."

Microsoft will need more than just a few stores to make an impression in retail, Turner argued. "If they're going to go after this, three flagship stores won't cut it," Turner said. "They need 100-plus stores for some kind of a critical mass." Some have questioned whether Microsoft's doppelganger of Apple's Genius Bar -- variously called "Answer Bar," "Guru Bar" or "Windows Bar," depending on the PowerPoint slide -- would work, since unlike Apple, Microsoft doesn't build and sell its own computers.

Turner downplayed the problem, but said Microsoft would have to field questions from owners of a wide range of PC makers if it wants its "Bar" to be successful. "If they're going to have a Bar, they can't be sending someone away," Turner said. "If they're going to commit to that, they will certainly have to deal with questions about [PCs] with Windows on them."