I visited Microsoft and Apple stores this afternoon to comparison shop Windows 10 PCs against MacBooks. Could Windows 10, which has garnered decent reviews, siphon off just a fraction of crowd that usually packs into this the nearby Apple store? The stores I visited are 30 yards apart in the Rockingham Mall in Salem, N.H.

Nothing has changed. The Microsoft store was nearly empty with its handful of floor personnel looking for friends. I jolted one out of his stupor by asking for two minute walk through of Windows 10 (Back to the Future: the first thing he showed is the reconstituted “Start” button). They weren’t exactly lined up for Win 10 demos.

As usual, this busy Apple store was crowded and jumping. I had to wait 10 minutes for someone to answer my questions about MacBook Pro versus MacBook Air. However, the table where iWatches were displayed under glass didn’t have one examiner. Customer disinterest doesn’t lie.

Was this an isolated example and unrepresentative point in time (around 7 p.m. on a Wednesday evening)? I think not. Apparently, taking Macs and iStuff away from the Apple legions is about as difficult as disarming NRA members.

Full disclosure: I own shares of both Microsoft and Apple.