Actually .. Genius’ are also there to help with pre-sales questions. Not to mention that an Apple Solutions Consultant’s (ASC’s) sole purpose is to answer pre-sale questions and to demo products.

I am speaking as an Apple Solutions Consultant myself.

ASC’s can be found around the United States and the program is now expanding in Canada from 8 locations to over 100.

The job description of a Microsoft Guru is a mirror image of an ASC and mimmicks some of the responsibilities of a Genius.

Do not fall for the hype, that they are even remotely the same. This is just another example of Microsoft doing a “me too.” That proves what I always say “Years later and NOT as good.”

That is a good point, though.

of course, windows looks better when newly installed (if lucky not inflected with virus within 30mins after fresh install), but a mess after few months use. AND nothing those “PC Genius” (i call them IT support) can do other than reinstall your whole system.

===
General comment: I most emphatically agree that placing these CSRs in chain stores that sell other equipment from other vendors is a gross conflict of interest. Criminy, Best Buy and Apple have been developing a close relationship over the past couple of years but Apple hasn’t been placing paid shills in the stores. I figure that if my local BB has one of these “translators” on the floor, then I’m going to put on my Apple t-shirt and wander around the computer section with my MB air, discreetly herding buyers over to the Apple display, answering questions about OS X, generally being helpful and not trying to overload customers with M$ techie talk and “translations.” And I am unanimous in that.

How about a recent example… Need to run Sony Ericsson’s cell phone update software? Install, run. Fail.. Needs the latest Adobe Flash software.. Download and install Flash… Fail… Have to go back to a fresh install of Windows and install Flash BEFORE installing Flash.. (no combination of re-installs of Flash or the Sony Ericsson app would work.)

What a pain.

Their main purpose is to show potential customers “the interconnectedness of Microsoft’s Windows products,” according to Microsoft’s general manager of corporate communications, Tom Pilla.

Umm… because discovering the interconnectedness of Microsoft’s Windows products is impossible to figure out on one’s own?

I am not saying that Microsoft hasn’t paved the way for success in the computer world themselves but they need to stop trying to steal idea’s from Apple and other company’s.

Professionally speaking, I do believe in competition but Microsoft needs to think fresh and come up with something original that might help catapult them back into the spotlight.