We already knew that Palm has a whole host of Apple hires, including CEO Jon Rubinstein, and it seems that Microsoft is also following their lead now. Redmond has hired former Apple retail estate chief George Blankenship as a consultant while the company goes about launching its own retail chain.
Blankenship worked for a long time at The Gap before being hired by Apple, where he played a vital part in the launch of Apple’s earliest retail outlets. He’s particularly good at scouting great locations for the stores and, needless to say, has considerable experience on his side.
This finally explains the company’s master plan of opening up a host of stores near Apple’s and enticing customers away from all the shiny aluminum and glass on display there. Now if only Blankenship possessed the ability to somehow make Apple’s stores invisible, Microsoft might really stand a chance.
[via Mac Rumors]