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Microsoft to open Windows cafe in Paris

The software maker tells CNET News that the venue is meant to let people sip an espresso while checking out the latest tech from Redmond.

Parlez-vous Windows?

Microsoft confirmed Wednesday that it plans to open a "Windows Cafe" in Paris where people will be able to try out the latest from Redmond while drinking a cup of coffee.

The cafe will open on Oct. 22--the day that Windows 7 launches, Microsoft said.

"This initiative expresses our intention to meet with the general public and show the new Windows experiences on PC, mobile and on the Internet," a Microsoft representative said in a statement to CNET News. "People will be able to discover Windows 7, the Windows phones and the Windows Live services."

Microsoft's statement comes after photos of the cafe appeared on a French technology Web site.

In the United States, Microsoft has announced plans to open a network of retail stores--with the first two opening this fall. More are slated to open next year.

For now, the Paris location is the only cafe planned, Microsoft said.

Others chimed in on Wednesday with some interesting tidbits. TechCrunch observes that, ahead of the opening, the cafe is already offering free Wi-Fi to those on the sidewalk, while Silicon Alley Insider notes that the location was previously home to an eatery called Wet Willie's.