Microsoft's crumbling empire

ThraxThrax 🐌Austin, TX Icrontian
edited October 2008 in Science & Tech
There was once a time when Microsoft represented a vast and impregnable domain of users, software and services. To grow their impressive empire, Microsoft relied on their tremendous financial reserves to buy every competitor that excelled in the markets in which Microsoft played or wished to enter. But the Microsoft (NASDAQGS: MSFT) of today looks haggard by comparison, as years of sliding stocks ... Continue reading

Comments

  • WinfreyWinfrey waddafuh Missouri Icrontian
    edited October 2008
    If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I’m certain that Google will forgive Microsoft’s mean words as the antics of a bully unable to express itself.

    Zing! Uncannily accurate metaphor! ;D
  • PuppetoPuppeto Chattanooga, TN New
    edited October 2008
    This is old news. It has been obvious for years that Microsoft's dominance in the industry has been coming to an end. Even though Google is cited often in the article as a possible cause they are by far not the only company that has been twisting the proverbial knife in their back. Being as they were king of the hill for so many years made them a major target of a plethora of developers and innovative companies.

    Some of the most major do seem to be Google, Linux developers (all distributions but I'm looking at you sweet sweet Ubuntu), and also Apple which has had the impact of making millions of Windows XP users reluctant to make the jump to Vista and has converted several others (myself included, but I still run a PC with Vista). If I were in charge at MS I would be taking a few pounds off the marketing department's rear end in the form of a good old fasioned arse chewing. How could they sit back for two or so years and let Apple take pop shots at them left and right slowly eroding the trust of millions of users? Why in the hell did it take them so long to (Finally!) respond?

    I'm not going to say it's time to start carving MS's gravestone just yet. They still have several PC vendors, a large userbase, and a hefty market share. They will continue on slowly fading into obscurity. Perhaps we will see one more major windows release, but it will most likely be the last.

    With Google looking more and more like a software company with the releases of Chrome, Docs, Picasa, Android, etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see a full fledged open source OS come out of Google. Probably a very light install with most of the resources being online. This was an idea kicked around in the early and mid 90's with terminal/dumb client computing and never really took off, maybe it's time has come and if anyone could do it Google would be the one. :)
  • PuppetoPuppeto Chattanooga, TN New
    edited October 2008
    Found another cool article that relates to this if anyone is interested :).

    http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=10303
  • RADARADA Apple Valley, CA Member
    edited October 2008
    How do you figure MS only has one more major release? What data do you base this theory on? I don't agree. Even with the billions they've lost on the Vista and the XBox 360 fiascos, they're still a 1000 times more solvent and fluid than most companies in today's economy.

    Yes, Microsoft has taken a hits over the last few years. But they still generate more yearly income than the GDP of some nations. It's not like they're going to sit back and do nothing until they vanish.
  • PuppetoPuppeto Chattanooga, TN New
    edited October 2008
    The reason I say that you'll not see any further major releases is because Microsoft has been wanting to move a modular architecture for years. This means the OS will just evolve with update after update. You won't have a massive release just small patches and changes.

    As for the question: Will microsoft fail? Maybe, maybe not if they can patch up the wounds I can see them staying dominate. They just need to pray that Google doesn't decide to release a competitive OS and start slaying MS's cash cow for a tasty cookout.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited October 2008
    This means the OS will just evolve with update after update.
    Then why didn't they do that with Windows XP?

    DX10 - $20
    Aero - $30
    Gizmo X - $25
    Gizmo Y - $20
    Security Z - $30

    Why not? The several hundred million who are happy with XP would've spent hundreds of millions for add-ons, don't you think?

    Hey, I know my comments on XP are probably myopic, in that XP does not have the necessary file structure and memory management to be the OS of the future, but still.... :)

    What about, drum roll, please - Linux by Microsoft. If any release could come even close to universal driver inclusion, it would be Microsoft. Crazy?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2008
    Windows XP was supposed to be a modular, subscription-based platform. Activation was supposed to do more than combat piracy.
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