The tech giants Apple and Microsoft have chosen Portland, Oregon as their next field of battle, drawing up their battle lines with retail outlets literally inches apart. Speculation runs rampant as to which store will prevail, but many view Apple as the favorite to win in such a direct-to-user format in what is familiar territory for the Apple store.

A clash of titans is shaping up in downtown Portland as Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. prepare to open retail outlets just a feet away from one another in Pioneer Place.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), the mall’s top performer on a sales-per-square-foot basis, is expanding its footprint by taking over space in the former Saks Fifth Avenue store.

Whether Microsoft (NASDAQ: MFST) can attract similarly enthusiastic crowds to its new store, which will be located in the former Romano’s Macaroni Grill spot, 300 S.W. Yamhill St., remains to be seen. What we do know is that Microsoft, a newcomer to the retail scene, is at a critical junction in its history, and grabbing some of Apple's mobile market share is a piece of its forward strategy (see more on that below).

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