What's the point of a Microsoft retail store?

After the recent announcement of the imminent arrival of Microsoft retail stores, I found myself wondering, why? Not to say that I think it's a bad idea... I just don't understand what they're going to do there. The Apple stores work because Apple makes the computers. Microsoft is just a software company. Sure they could sell Zunes and the MS Surface, but... well, I think we can all agree that they aren't going to take off any time soon.

The big thing is obviously going to be Windows and Office. But that doesn't really get people in the doors. People go to the Apple store to play with pretty computers and ipod and such. Hell, I've even done it, and I can't imagine ever buying an Apple product (other than my iphone). Microsoft needs to have computers and accessories for sale in the store, I think. But who's hardware? It would probably be a mistake to just go with one company. If they're smart, it will be a number of them. They just need to make sure someone is actually taking care of them. I can't count how many times Ive gone into a Best Buy and multiple computers have been either dead, or incorrectly set up. By contrast, the Apple store's computers are always working just as they should. This definitely adds to the perception that Macs just always work better.

The one thing that I think a Microsoft retail store absolutely must do, is allow customers to bring their computers in for help installing Windows 7. You should be able to bring in your PC or laptop, buy a copy of Windows 7, and have them install it right there on the spot. They could easily set some sort of arbitrary hardware requirements for the service, maybe require the PC already be running Vista. I mean lets face it, they can't spend all day dicking around with a computer with 6 year old hardware that doesn't work with 7.

My concern is that people won't understand what the Microsoft store is. A lot of people that aren't very tech-savvy probably don't understand that Microsoft doesn't actually make computers. If something breaks, they'll wander into the Microsoft store, and get all pissed when they get turned away. It's going to be... interesting.