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Microsoft, Sony, and Apple wage retail fight in L.A. (photos)

Apple, Sony, and Microsoft each have stores in Century City's Westfield mall. Apple saw far more shoppers there on Tuesday afternoon but Microsoft appears resolved to challenge Apple by expanding to more locations.

Greg Sandoval
Greg Sandoval covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News. Based in New York, Sandoval is a former reporter for The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. E-mail Greg, or follow him on Twitter at @sandoCNET.
Greg Sandoval
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1 of 7 Greg Sandoval/CNET

Microsoft, Sony and Apple wage retail fight in L.A.

Look familiar? The knock on Microsoft's stores is that they borrowed too much from Apple. The glass and metal store front, the stylish logo are just some of what is reminiscent of Apple stores. Pictured is the storefront of Microsoft's store in the Century City Westfield mall.
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2 of 7 Greg Sandoval/CNET

Where are you PC fans?

On Tuesday, traffic was light in the Microsoft store during the afternoon. Where are all those PC fans that write all those comments about how Apple sucks? Microsoft stores sell computers from Sony, Dell, HP, and others that feature a clean desktop, no "crapware."
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3 of 7 Greg Sandoval/CNET

Xbox is played up big

One of the best features of the Microsoft stores is the massive video screen. Not only does it wrap nearly around the entire store but the screen can be manipulated to operate as one screen or in smaller panels. The screen is put through its paces when Xbox features or games are demonstrated for customers.
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Microsoft is proud of the video screens

One of the trademarks of Apple's stores is the knowledgeable and friendly sales people. At the Microsoft store in Century City, Steve Perkins, a product adviser, can hold his own with Apple rivals. Here he began to demo Windows Phone using the store's video screens. He shoots video of me shooting photos of him using a Windows phone and the wall screen.
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5 of 7 Greg Sandoval/CNET

Microsoft's theater

This is Microsoft's version of Apple's theater and again at the center is a video monitor, but this one is a touch screen that is also equipped with Kinect/Xbox. Steve Perkins throws up one of my previous stories onto the screen to demonstrate. According to Perkins, anyone can walk in and hold a meeting there as long as it is not in use.
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6 of 7 Greg Sandoval/CNET

Sony Style

In Century City's Westfield mall, things were quiet at Sony, which operates more than 20 stores in the United States.
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7 of 7 Greg Sandoval/CNET

The champ

When it comes to competition among Sony, Microsoft, and Apple, there's no disputing that Apple reigns supreme. We'll be able to see how Microsoft stacks up against Apple and Sony more and more. Currently, Microsoft is in six shopping areas that are also home to Apple and Sony stores, including Santa Clara's Westfield Valley Fair and the Houston Galleria.

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