Well, well! We heard it was happening, but I’d forgotten about it until now. And as I said before, you can laugh about it all you want, but I think it could be great. Having an idealized Microsoft experience available, the way Apple makes an idealized Apple experience available, will be invaluable to Redmond’s interests. After all, they’ve got a hot new operating system, lots of solid hardware, and however you want to slice it, lower prices. That said, having one right next to an Apple store is pretty… well, bold would be a kind word for it, but you know what I mean.

Microsoft told a CNET reporter:

As we progress on our retail strategy there will be scenarios where we have stores in proximity to Apple. We are on track to open stores in the fall time frame.

Bonanza! There are plenty of potholes ahead, I’m sure, but I think having a physical and interactive side will do well to counter Microsoft’s well-worn (and inaccurate) “faceless, monolithic software corporation” image. We’re supposed to “stay tuned” for updates, but if they’re smart, they’ll be opening up stores in Bellevue Square and University Village here in Seattle. If so, I’ll be sure to get the inside story.

Bonanza! I’m afraid it’s a bit like a little kid saying “I ate more hot dogs than ever before!” when they’re up against Takeru Kobayashi, but we’re still proud of little Sprint. Check out what their excited VP of Business Marketing had to say:

We experienced our best one day of sales and single weekend sales for any phone we’ve launched in our history. We sold out of the device over the weekend in most of our store locations. And it happened at a much faster rate than we had planned on.

Independent estimates place the Pre sales at more than 50,000 and less than 100,000 over the weekend, and hey, that’s great, but when your opponent in the race is a rare tortoise-hare hybrid like Apple, slow and steady isn’t going to cut it. I’m still rooting for you, Sprint, but you guys need to go big or you’re not going to have a home to go home to.

Sprint Nextel executives said Monday that the launch of the much anticipated Palm Pre on Saturday hit a new sales record for the company.

Neither Sprint nor Palm is discussing specific sales figures, but Tim Donahue, vice president of business marketing for Sprint, said that the launch exceeded the company’s expectations.

(Credit: CNET )

“We experienced our best one day of sales and single weekend sales for any phone we’ve launched in our history,” he said. “We sold out of the device over the weekend in most of our store locations. And it happened at a much faster rate than we had planned on. “

While the crowds that showed up on Saturday morning to buy the Pre at Sprint stores and other retail locations where the phone was offered were small in number compared to the crowds that have gathered for the past two iPhone launches, analysts are calling the launch of the Pre a success. A J.P. Morgan report estimated that more than 50,000 phones were sold in the first two days the phone was available. The Wall Street Journal cited analysts who said that between 50,000 and 100,000 Pres had been sold.

Now Sprint and Palm must wait to see if the momentum will continue.

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Originally posted at News – Wireless