Ask anyone how Michael Dell does business, and you'll hear that he sells directly to the consumer. That's his thing. Or it was, reports PC Pro, until Steve Jobs' Apple Stores pulled in more than $1 billion in sales in a single quarter. Dell has now decided to go bricks and mortar, opening stores in Dallas and New York.

"It's a physical extension of the direct model," said Dell executive Jim Skelding to the Austin-American Statesman. What that seemingly paradoxical statement means is that Dell sees the stores as a place where customers can see and touch machines before buying them direct. Still, the Statesman suggests that the stores are "a step toward full-blown retail for a company that has previously said selling in stores is a money-losing strategy." The chatter on Digg is skeptical, as readers wonder how Dell plans to reconcile its build-to-order dogma with the retail requirement of instant gratification. Commented one Digger: "Personally, I think they are better off increasing their TV advertising budget."