“Quiz! How do you insert an image into Microsoft Word 2011!” shouts a shrilled, and over-zealous voice.

I was there, prompt and early for a genius bar appointment at the Apple Store to repair a Mac on the fritz. It just so happens that this particular Apple Store I was visiting is in the much over-hyped Mall of America, also home to one of the few Microsoft stores. (Which just so happens to reside right across the hall from the Apple Store.)

Coincidence? For surely not. Interesting? Of course.

After my extended visit in the Apple Store, and a candid conversation with the Genius bar employee about the iPhone/Android/WP7 smartphone wars, I stuffed my Mac into my cheap tattered bag with stares and headed across the hall.

Upon entering, I must admit, I was a little more than impressed. Reminiscent of the Apple Store, glass pane doors greeted me with a Microsoft employee at the side jumping at the chance to help me. With a respectful declination, met with an over-ecstatic, “let me know if I can help you with anything!” Colored green and blue walls surrounded me, making the Apple Store across the hall look like a dungeon of gray.

After a quick look around, I headed straight for the much discussed Microsoft Surface tables. On my way to the Surface, I couldn’t help but notice that a screen wrapped around 3/4 of the wall of the store was constantly advertising nearly every Microsoft product known to man. I caught myself staring at the neat animations and plethora of products advertised, thankfully realizing that I wasn’t the only person staring mind-numbingly at the screens. A positive thing for my sanity, I reassured myself.

After waiting through hoards of little kids smacking upon the Surface, completely ignorant of the innovative, and expensive, product they were banging on, I had my chance. Smudges and all, I began to play with the Surface, and while I expected greatness, I received only lackluster entertainment. The Surface demo’s were weak, the touch table battered by the many people before me, and lacked the finesse seen in videos a little over a year ago.

“How many of you have used Microsoft OneNote!” shouts the same shrill and overly excited voice as earlier. Four little hands out of thirty shot up in the air. “Not many of you I see, how many of you want to learn what Microsoft OneNote is all about!” Then three Microsoft employees from the floor shouted, “I do! I do!”

To which I promptly responded with a W.T.F.

It turns out that the Microsoft Store will hold events at their store to educate people about their products, and a room full of obnoxious ten-year olds were the clientel of the day. It makes sense, after all, indoctrinate them now so you guarantee there money later, but it did not get rid of the need to smack some of the annoying ones that were banging on 1,000+ dollar signature laptops upside the head.

Thankfully, the event was quickly over, and the employees returned to a normal state of typical retail expected excitement once the children scattered around the store. I then walked up to an employee with confidence and poise, and asked a question that most retailers hate, “May I take some pictures of your store with my iPhone 4?”

My question was met with an odd look, and a slight bit of a smile as he made the ironic connection of me taking pictures of a Microsoft Store with an iPhone. With hesitation, he asked why, of which I responded with so much authority and attitude I shocked myself.

“I am a writer for a Microsoft blog called WinExtra, and I am doing a piece on the Microsoft Store.”

Immediately I was told yes with respect and what I could only take as a slight hint of fear. It turns out making yourself look important does work, and with odd stares from customers/employees, I ventured around the store with my most snarky attitude, whipped out my iPhone, and snapped away. I know karma will bite me in the ass for this one day, but for the moment, it was worth it.

I took pictures of the most interesting looking Microsoft products, discovering that it was hard to not take a picture of something with an XBOX and Kinect hooked up to it.  There was even a dedicated section for the Zune, which disappointed me slightly, due to the fact that there was no dedicated section to Microsoft’s line of new Windows Phone 7′s. When I asked about this, none of the employees would give me a straight answer as to why this was. I concluded that it was probably because of spacing issues, and the fact that Microsoft is very new to retail. Let’s hope that it is not seen as a subliminal sign that Microsoft sees WP7 as a non-player.

Other than that, the Microsoft Store in Mall of America was fairly typical of any other retail outlet that sold computers, with a bit more polish, and employees who seemingly were not beaten down by the retail world as I sometimes am. Having a few conversations with the employees demonstrated that they were knowledgable, and many of them showed a true passion for Microsoft products. If most Microsoft Stores are in the same way with such wonderful (and overly ecstatic) employees, I hope that more stores continually open, because all I see from this are benefits for Microsoft.

All in all, it was a fun experience, and a great showcasing of the best Microsoft has to offer. If you do get a chance to visit one, even as a die-hard Apple fan, you should. Even Apple could learn to take a few notes from their competitor directly across the hall! Now I just hope Google opens a store in Mall of America, that would make my little world complete.

Note: One other fun thing that caught my eye is that the Microsoft Store does not sell Office for Mac, which I find hard to believe is nothing more than an oversight.

[Cross-posted at Winextra]