Best Buy: The New Physical Microsoft Store in the USA?

Windows Slates/Detachables
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From /r/Surface on Reddit:

In Store Technical and hardware support is now available for All Surface devices only in the US

Microsoft has recently partnered with Best Buy to offer in-person technical and warranty support, including processing device exchanges. Currently there are 2 stores offering this support, and more are coming this month.

The locations can be found by using the following link:
aka.ms/inpersonsupport

Products supported:

  • Surface (excluding Surface Duo) and Xbox devices
  • Accessories associated with a parent device serial number ( Power supply, surface pen) or have their own serial number ( Surface headset etc…)

And:

There will be at least 25 Best Buy Locations across the US by the end of next month, and appointments can be scheduled online

I guess they are taking Surface slightly more seriously again, but time will tell. We will see just how long this actually lasts, especially if their first-party hardware continues to diminish more and more as but a discardable means to a software and services end.

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This would be awesome.

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They have been "soft piloting’ this since the first of the year. My understanding is that it’s not planned to be all stores, but at the “flagship” store in their major markets. In other words there are three BB within reasonable driving distance of me, but only one, so far anyway has been offering the upgraded service.

An “improved” retail experience is also allegedly coming with the official rollout such as a much broader range of MS peripherals in stock in the store versus needing to get it from the website.

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One of the few advantages to living in the megalopolis.

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I have like 5 best buys within 10 miles of me that I can either drive, ride a bike or take public transit to. Actual not sure which one would be considered the flagship. Maybe the one with the Magnolia inside it? Hmm

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hard to say, but in my area, none of the stores are Magnolia stores, but it’s the one with the visibly largest and best stocked selection of PCs. eg. when I select an in store pickup, the one store is far more likely to have it compared to the other two.

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For me that would be the best buy in the less populated part of town where I got my SP7+ but I doubt that one is a flagship store. I think I have an idea which it might be as this one I have in mind did in the past host a few album release events with the musician. It’s not the one with the Magnolia audio though.

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