Penn Square Mall

[zookeeper]

Knowing some who worked for there hat has typically been the standard there, completely separate profit centers with little interaction between them.

That goes along with something I read recently. They said as Microsoft was growing in the nineties they used to pride themselves on being the anti-IBM and here in 2012, they are a bureaucratic replica of the old IBM.

[jbrown84]

Is the 2-story Forever XXI still happening?

[Decious]

Is the 2-story Forever XXI still happening?

Currently being renovated. According to the Penn Square FB page it should open later on this month.

[jn1780]

The Microsoft Kiosk has been installed. Its there to sell and promote the Surface tablet. Opening the same day the tablet is released.

[HOT ROD]

That goes along with something I read recently. They said as Microsoft was growing in the nineties they used to pride themselves on being the anti-IBM and here in 2012, they are a bureaucratic replica of the old IBM.

sorry, we're not a bureaucratic replica of IBM - we just like to disclose our news how and when we want.

Nothing wrong with that is there?

[remy11]

I'm shocked that there's no info about the movie theater closing yet. Anyone?? This is probably the best news I've heard. My friend walked by today and the sign out front said that they were closed and thanks for 10 years blah blah blah.

[SoonerDave]

sorry, we're not a bureaucratic replica of IBM - we just like to disclose our news how and when we want.

Nothing wrong with that is there?

Sorry, no disrespect, but you're on the inside looking out. I remember when MS was the counterculture alternative to "Big Iron" from IBM, and IBM just assumed they could push people out with bigger, nastier mainframes. And then these little things called PC's popped up everywhere, and this company called "Microsoft" kept getting more and more relevant.

Now, Microsoft just assumes it can push people out with bigger, nastier versions of Office, superimpose a ghastly touchscreen interface on a platform that doesn't need it, and wonder why these little things from Apple, Samsung, Google, et al are popping up everywhere.

The thing is that MS can't help it. Think its the very essence of being a victim of your own success - MS didn't set out to dominate the world, it just worked out that way, and now the newest mousetrap has come along to displace what MS did twenty years ago. Your company is trying to sort itself out, and define/accept how it will be positioned over the next twenty years. Look at Apple - it was darned near pronounced dead with no life support not that many years ago, and they roared back. I'm not sure, however, that a company still trying to leverage Office as a cash cow necessarily has the DNA to foster that kind of comeback. We'll see.

MS is choosing an interesting path with Windows 8; its main thrust is in leveraging social media sources, but that won't do much to win the hearts and minds of an increasingly security-conscious corporate ethos that is only now starting to roll out Windows 7 en masse. On the flip side, Apple has shown almost zero interest in modifying its ecosystem to address those very security concerns and increase its presence in the business world, meaning that MS is going after Apple in its own front yard - everyday users. Right now, I'd make Apple a 14-point favorite

Like I said, we'll see. Not convinced that Surface with its hybrid Win8 that can't run anything but Windows Store apps has a chance to be much more than DOA, but who knows.

PLEASE forgive the thread hijack, I completely derailed into a Microsoft discussion. My apologies.

[SoonerDave]

Not sure what there is to be "closed" about. It's a cupcake, I think you are correct though, the fad hasn't faded. It's just become "normal". Like the Devon tower, people have gotten used to it, so talk about it isn't as much as when it first started getting going.

Yeah, but read an article not too long ago on some business site that said a lot of the initial momentum in the cupcake fad had faded, early starters were out of business, lots of cupcakery fire/bankruptcy sales. Probably a few high-enders will perpetuate, but I can't see the $5-cupcake-store-on-every-corner business perpetuating itself very long. Someone, at some point, will remember "It's a cupcake."

[jn1780]

I'm shocked that there's no info about the movie theater closing yet. Anyone?? This is probably the best news I've heard. My friend walked by today and the sign out front said that they were closed and thanks for 10 years blah blah blah.

Someone did start a thread about it.

[URL="http://www.okctalk.com/arts-entertainment/32248-dickinson-penn-square-closing-sunday-10-28-a.html[/URL]

[HangryHippo]

Someone did start a thread about it.

[URL="http://www.okctalk.com/arts-entertainment/32248-dickinson-penn-square-closing-sunday-10-28-a.html[/URL]

Someone asked Steve about this in his chat this morning and that AMC was to replace Dickinson. This would be great. That Dickinson theatre was disgusting and not well run at all.

[remy11]

Someone did start a thread about it.

[URL="http://www.okctalk.com/arts-entertainment/32248-dickinson-penn-square-closing-sunday-10-28-a.html[/URL]

Thank you! I totally missed that!

[HOT ROD]

We'll see how it goes, but I think you might have the players mixed up between Apple and Microsoft.

I like Apple too and have their products, but I don't wear Apple coloured glasses not because I work for MSFT, but because I know they are just as bad as we are when it comes to the sentiments that you speak of. And at least we realize our 'mistakes' and are doing something to fix it.

Apple has an incredible marketing machine which moves the focus away from their protectionistic efforts. The truth is Apple is not held to the same regulation and scrutiny that (so called big/bad corporate) MSFT is, yet in reality Apple is the world's biggest company (over 10 times bigger than MSFT). Perhaps it is time to see Apple for what it is ....

Back to point - I am happy that OKC is on the radar of Microsoft Stores (I was not involved guys, sorry) and I think that is the message that should be taken; OKC is part of the first (or really second) wave of expansion for permanent stores.

Pete, feel free to move these posts to a new MSFT vs Apple type thread. ...

[bombermwc]

I saw the MS kiosk last week. Comparing it to the Apple store right now would be a bit silly. The kiosk is the same size as a sunglass hut, so it's pretty laughable.

[jn1780]

I saw the MS kiosk last week. Comparing it to the Apple store right now would be a bit silly. The kiosk is the same size as a sunglass hut, so it's pretty laughable.

Well, yeah. Its just there to promote the Surface tablet. The big store is opening next year.

[soonerliberal]

Back to point - I am happy that OKC is on the radar of Microsoft Stores (I was not involved guys, sorry) and I think that is the message that should be taken; OKC is part of the first (or really second) wave of expansion for permanent stores.

This is good... there are only about 32 stores in America at this point.
Microsoft Store - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Pete]

A few days ago, I tried to pull the building permit for the Microsoft store but the City is in the process of digitizing that entire department and I was instructed to go to City Hall, fill out a form, blah, blah, blah.

I wanted to photograph the schematic so we could see the layout, confirm the exact location in the mall, etc.

However, I'm very sure this will be a permanent store along the lines of the images already posted.

[bombermwc]

I was just saying it's pretty silly looking right now...not comparing when the real store is built.

[HangryHippo]

Is there a timeline for when the new AMC theatre will be up and running?

[warreng88]

I went to the mall after work and I saw they were putting up the Sara sara cupcakes sign. They also had the door open and I could see in where they had done a lot of work on the inside. There was furniture in there (not set up) and it looked like they were moving right along. I wouldn't be surprised if they opened in the next couple of weeks, if not earlier.

[jn1780]

Is there a timeline for when the new AMC theatre will be up and running?

November 9, with construction going on while the theater is still open.

[catch22]

November 9, with construction going on while the theater is still open.

Uh oh. Final Destination 4 anyone? Or was that 5?

[HangryHippo]

November 9, with construction going on while the theater is still open.

Okay, thanks for that. When do they anticipate construction will wrap up? In about a year?

[OKCTalker]

November 9, with construction going on while the theater is still open.

Just to clarify - AMC will reopen on November 9th?

[jn1780]

Just to clarify - AMC will reopen on November 9th?

Correct, from what I read.

Construction will be completed in May. Their adding stadium seating so I imagine every auditorium is being gutted and completely redone.

[HangryHippo]

Correct, from what I read.

Construction will be completed in May. Their adding stadium seating so I imagine every auditorium is being gutted and completely redone.

Excellent. I really think this is a nice coup for Penn Square as Dickinson's operation was just terrible.