Microsoft Store Opens In Oakbrook, Kinect And Windows Phone On Display

Plenty has been said about the opening of the glitzy new Apple store at North and Clybourn: the beautiful glass facade, the elegant plaza, the $3.9 million the company kicked in to renovate the Red Line stop.

But while Apple's been expanding its retail empire in Chicago, its perennial competition is getting into the store game, too.

Microsoft opened its first Chicagoland retail store late last week, timed to coincide with the launch of two new flagship products for the company. It also brought in a few local celebs to celebrate the ribbon-cutting.

The store, located at Oakbrook Center in the west suburbs, opened just in time for the release of Kinect, a new gaming system that serves as an accessory for the Xbox. Rather than detecting a handheld controller, Kinect has cameras that follow the player's movements, enabling him to use his body as a controller.

"We actually timed the opening of this store exactly in time for Kinect. We are so excited about this store and bringing it to Chicago, I thought we'd introduce our new product at the same time and it's been a hit," Microsoft spokeswoman Mika Krammer told NBC Chicago.

On hand at Thursday's opening of the store was Chicago Bears wide receiver and record-setting punt returner Devin Hester, who played Kinect with a lucky few of the assembled customers in the late afternoon. The 79-year-old Ernie Banks, known as "Mr. Cub," got in on the action on Friday.

And starting Monday morning, the store also carried the new Windows Phone, a product launched in direct competition with Apple's iPhone and the insurgent Google Android system.

Microsoft isn't about to overtake Apple in the store world any time soon. The Oakbrook Center location is only its sixth worldwide; Apple already has nine locations in the Chicagoland area alone. But if the Oakbrook Center spot is any indication, Microsoft's not about to roll over in that department, either.

The new Microsoft store is located at 100 Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, Illinois.