Once again, Microsoft says it’s going to open its own retail stores…and this time the company is planning to plunk a few down right next to Apple Stores.

During his keynote at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner revealed that the Redmond software giant plans to open a series of retail stores this fall—and that some of them will be located quote close to existing Apple Stores. Although Turner did not reveal any specific store locations, opening dates, or any details of what the stores would be like, the timeframe for launching the stores ties in neatly with Microsoft’s formal launch of WIndows 7 on October 22, 2009.