Will Microsoft Store Debut Next Week?

Will Microsoft open its first store on October 22, the day Windows 7 launches? Or within a few days of the product launch? These are just a few of the questions flying around cyberspace surrounding Microsoft’s anticipated bricks-and-mortar debut.

For now, Microsoft won’t confirm when the first store, in Scottsdale, Ariz., will swing open its doors, despite accounts of insiders and persons familiar with the matter saying the day isn’t too far off. A second location, in Mission Viejo, is expected to soon follow.

While few details about the retail venture are known, this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the stores will sell Windows-based laptops and cell phones and allow consumers to play Xbox 360 games on a 94-inch in-store screen. The two locations are also expected to house a technical assistance counter, much like rival Apple’s Genius Bar.

The Journal says the software maker plans to slowly roll out additional locations if the first ones are successful.