Microsoft going down

[FuuFuu]

After bill gates retirement as a full time job. it looks like other microsoft workers have started to quit. msn news has informed me that the executive that is in charge of microsoft web and internet operations is leaving.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25823251/

will micrsoft slowly decline and apple will take over? i hope so

 

[Queso]

If anything, this will allow new blood to get into positions of power and lead to a Microsoft resurgence.

 

[Xavier]

will micrsoft slowly decline and apple will take over? i hope so

I surly hope not. I don't want my respectable computer company to become like a company that focuses on how much money it is making over quality, innovation, customer first, usability, reliability, compatibility, and support.

The day Apple takes over Microsofts place is a sad day indeed.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

There needs to be competition so people continue to innovate. That being said I dont see Microsoft disappearing anytime soon (or the next 20 years).

 

[nick9191]

The amount of damage they have done to the industry is astounding. The amount of innovation they've stopped, the amount of companies they've buried, the amount of people they've put in the poor house. Then they try to buy respectability with philanthropy.

The day someone kills them is a great day indeed, and good f**king riddance.

 

[JML42691]

I hope that Microsoft always remains as a strong presence in the computing industry, as much as we all hate them, and give people advice to switch to Macs, Microsoft is needed for Apple's success. If Apple were to turn into Microsoft, then they wouldn't care as much for quality, customer satisfaction, customer service, integration with other OSes, and along with many more things of the sort, then people wouldn't regard Apple as the way they do now.

One of the best analogies that always pops up in threads like these is that:
Using a Mac is like driving a luxury sports car.

 

[FuuFuu]

True. instead of having microsoft go down, i think a better outcome for apple is for microsoft to have a lower(than now) status. thus making apple a more luxurious, reliable, and better in any fields.

Which in my opinion is whats going to happen with new CEO and bill gates not giving his full effort into the company

 

[edesignuk]

The amount of damage they have done to the industry is astounding.

Damage to the industry? Microsoft are the industry, they're an entire economy creating an untold amount of jobs world wide.

The amount of innovation they've stopped, the amount of companies they've buried, the amount of people they've put in the poor house.

I wouldn't deny they've done their fair share of questionable deeds, but show me a company of even a little bit of Microsofts size and success that hasn't.

Then they try to buy respectability with philanthropy.

"They" aren't trying to buy anything. Microsoft are still a business, all they want is your money in their pocket.

Bill Gates on the other hand has made a fortune, he's quit his job and his putting the vast amount of his fortune and time in to the largest charitable fund ever known. How is this a bad thing, in anyone's eyes?

What does Jobs do with his billions?

The day someone kills them is a great day indeed, and good f**king riddance.

I might not always agree with the things they do, might laugh at their attempts to make gains in areas they're being beaten in, but over all I hope that Microsoft have many more successful years ahead of them.

 

[twoodcc]

i don't know, i would like to see microsoft's marketshare to be at 50% instead of 90%

 

[bertpalmer]

I don't know, the more marketshare apple gets the more people will write viruses etc for OSX.

I think apple will do well not to improve it's marketshare that much as there are a lot of benefits to being the underdog and being able to outshine the market leaders.

 

[IJ Reilly]

People have always come and gone. I would not read too much into it.

As for Microsoft "going down," I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean. I think it's fair to say that their influence is diminishing, which is a very good thing for the technology industry overall, and for consumers. The company isn't going "down" any time soon, but it will be much more difficult for them to snuff out competitors in the future.

Microsoft's misdeeds are not industry-standard. They are legendary, on a par with Standard Oil, U.S. Steel, and the other robber-barons who made antitrust laws necessary 100 years ago. They've been sued for antitrust law violations by governments on two continents, and by a long list of corporations, and they have lost virtually every time. This is not a company that behaves like all the others. They are worse, much worse.

Still, we're finally entering into a period where the answer to every question isn't Microsoft. They are struggling to compete in areas where they aren't already dominant, and seeing their leadership slip in areas where they've been dominant. Their future is less than clear.

 

[PowerFullMac]

I surly hope not. I don't want my respectable computer company to become like a company that focuses on how much money it is making over quality, innovation, customer first, usability, reliability, compatibility, and support.

The day Apple takes over Microsofts place is a sad day indeed.

You realise where you just posted that right? And you cant say Microsoft cares about innovation or quality, look at Vista, a bad quality buggy OS X knock-off.

I hope Microsoft does do down!

I like the irony of how that site is hosted by MSN!

 

[godslabrat]

I know this is much more complicated than just one person, but I can't help but observe that the years when Microsoft (and Windows in particular) did their best work were the years when Gates had the most influence in the day-to-day operations. Since he started his never-ending "phase out", things started going downhill.

 

[clevin]

The amount of damage they have done to the industry is astounding. The amount of innovation they've stopped, the amount of companies they've buried, the amount of people they've put in the poor house. Then they try to buy respectability with philanthropy.

The day someone kills them is a great day indeed, and good f**king riddance.

amount of damage? Microsoft is the foundation of today's computer industry, hardwares, softwares, services, accessories, sciences and technologies. W/O M$, Intel would be dead, for an example.

Dislike M$ is fine, I don't like them neither, but don't just throw trash around.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Microsoft has done tremendous damage to the technology industry. This isn't trash talk, because it's true. They spent decades snuffing out or impeding developments which did not benefit them, and forcing companies to adopt their approach and products under threat. This is why they've been sued for antitrust violations so often, and why they've lost virtually every time.

 

[FuuFuu]

note that i created this thread before macrumors did

 

[rdowns]

The (and I'm sorry, I hate the phrase too) amount of Apple fan-boyism is only exceeded by the ridiculosu Microsoft bashing that goes on here.

The Apple-Microsft Wars ended 10 years ago, Microsoft won (market share). Apple's strategy looks golden now. Let them release a dog and watch how fast the rats jump ship.

Microsoft's problem is a lack of identity. Ballmer thinks he competes with Apple and Google but neither is in his core businesses. Microsoft should spin off their distractions and get back to their core businesses.

 

[Xavier]

You realise where you just posted that right? And you cant say Microsoft cares about innovation or quality, look at Vista, a bad quality buggy OS X knock-off.

I hope Microsoft does do down!

I like the irony of how that site is hosted by MSN!

Sorry, I meant Apple by 'respectable computer company!

 

[chewietobbacca]

You can say that Microsoft had questionable tactics in snuffing out competition. That is true. But so are most of the other companies in the high tech industry, and in business in general. Ever seen what Nvidia, Intel, and other companies do? And yet we see Apple use their hardware on Macs, etc.

There's a lot more that goes behind the scenes than most people see.

That being said, Microsoft isn't going down anytime soon, and a lot of the posts in this thread lead me to believe that posters don't have a clue just how much of this world is run and works *because* of Microsoft. Countless jobs and opportunities have been created because of the infrastructure they implemented. The global economy runs on Microsoft software. Heck, their OS business isn't even necessarily their largest division - Office alone is massive. And that's not even getting into servers, enterprise software, solutions, etc.

MS just needs realize their roots and that is creating the software and solutions that run the economy, as that is their bread and butter.

 

[BoyBach]

What does Jobs do with his billions?

Did you by any chance watch 'The Money Programme' special about Bill Gates that was on the BBC a few weeks back? I'm particularly referring to the chap (I think it was David Pogue?) who said that, to paraphrase, "What Bill wants, Bill gets. And next he wants a Nobel Peace Prize, more power to him."

I couldn't agree more. I long for the day that Messrs. Gates and Buffett's vast fortunes fund the cure to, or eradication of, a disease.

Yet, he'll still be perceived as the carton villain by some people.

 

[clevin]

Microsoft has done tremendous damage to the technology industry. This isn't trash talk, because it's true. They spent decades snuffing out or impeding developments which did not benefit them, and forcing companies to adopt their approach and products under threat. This is why they've been sued for antitrust violations so often, and why they've lost virtually every time.

tremendous damage? you mean death of netscape, downfall of real networks? any other anti-trust law suite? bundling of windows media player?

heck, nobody is perfect, how about you open your eyes and give M$ its credit of creating such a large industry from which 1billion+ users can get to computer age without spend a fortune? from which hardware companies thrive, big softwares companies, as well as small sharewell makers survived?...

what did apple give to people? what did apple give to industry? what did apple give to intel until 3 years ago?

You know why apple lost in 1990s? because it doesn't benefit more people. And do I think apple can beat M$ with same mode in 2010s? NO.

 

[BoyBach]

what did apple give to people? what did apple give to industry?

Er... the PC?

 

[clevin]

Er... the PC?

omg, pc, yes PC!

lol

source, please.

or you mean a pc with a GUI?

 

[zap2]

I'd say yes, MS is losing ground, slowly, and they aren't in real danger, but Apple and Linux is picking up steam.

Honestly Apple's OS should never replace MS's. Linux should replace Windows......OS X will likely pick up some market share in the process

 

[BoyBach]

omg, pc, yes PC!

lol

source, please.

or you mean a pc with a GUI?

Sorry for any confusion, I was referring to this Personal Computer, the Apple I (from Wikipedia):

"The Apple I is sometimes credited as the first personal computer to be sold in fully assembled form; however, some argue that the honor rightfully belongs to other machines, such as the MOS Technology KIM-1, Datapoint 2200, or more commonly the Altair 8800 (which could be bought in kit or assembled form at extra cost). One major difference sets the Apple I apart — it was the first personal computer to use a keyboard.

The Apple I's built-in computer terminal circuitry was distinctive. All one needed was a keyboard and an inexpensive video monitor. Competing machines such as the Altair 8800 generally were programmed with front-mounted toggle switches and used indicator lights (red LEDs, most commonly) for output, and had to be extended with separate hardware to allow connection to a computer terminal or a teletype machine. This made the Apple I an innovative machine for its day."