Going (Micro)soft: no more glory

[jes]

Going a bit (Micro)soft

Microsoft’s glory days are behind it, and its days of making investors into millionaires are long gone, writes Alistair Fairweather

 

[kingrob]

Great article!

I would not blame Microsoft for the shrinking pc market, but rather the hardware manufacturers should shoulder most/all of the blame.

Microsoft gave the OEMs Windows 7, a fantastic OS, but hardware designs for notebooks and desktops remained lacklustre.

So much so, that Microsoft decided to start designing their own hardware - meet the Surface tablet PC.

Windows 8 was then designed to run better on the new devices, but since Windows Surface tablets are not selling well, and most desktop/notebook consumers are sticking with Windows 7, they are bleeding cash from both. Not good.

Just get rid of Ballmer!!

 

[biometrics]

The rot started with .net.

 

[diabolus]

The rot started with .net.

What's wrong with .NET ? What does the "competition" offer in terms of a framework like that? Java? Ruby/PhP? Seriously?

There might be alot of wrong with Windows OS and whatever hardware MS is pushing out, but i've always felt their development tools/frameworks are of the better (if not the best) to work with.

 

[LabAnimal]

Balmer in that image, looks like he's being crucified!

 

[cerebus]

Great article!

I would not blame Microsoft for the shrinking pc market, but rather the hardware manufacturers should shoulder most/all of the blame.

Microsoft gave the OEMs Windows 7, a fantastic OS, but hardware designs for notebooks and desktops remained lacklustre.

So much so, that Microsoft decided to start designing their own hardware - meet the Surface tablet PC.

Windows 8 was then designed to run better on the new devices, but since Windows Surface tablets are not selling well, and most desktop/notebook consumers are sticking with Windows 7, they are bleeding cash from both. Not good.

Just get rid of Ballmer!!

Baloney. The responsibility is fully microsoft's. In one sentence you say it isn't their fault, and in another you say they should fire Ballmer. The hardware vendors did the best they could with Microsoft's schizophrenic, late, ugly, underserved attempt to resoond to the iPad.

 

[MightyMuffinMan]

So much so, that Microsoft decided to start designing their own hardware - meet the Surface tablet PC.

Windows 8 was then designed to run better on the new devices, but since Windows Surface tablets are not selling well, and most desktop/notebook consumers are sticking with Windows 7, they are bleeding cash from both. Not good.

Just get rid of Ballmer!!

I agree with axing Blamer. His a fool

However I have the feeling that long term MS is gonna make a huge comeback. Windows 8.1 is gonna be the turning point.

Since Win 95 everyone has complained about lack of personalisation etc however Windows 8 sorted that yet got stuck in changing the game to quick. Windows 8.1 mixes old with new.

I perssonally was excited about the new surface tablet and didnt buy one merely because Im not a first adopter however next tablet will be next gen surface. MS is gonna win in the end. Unlike Apple and google it is diversified and thats where its strength lies.

 

[_kabal_]

What's wrong with .NET ? What does the "competition" offer in terms of a framework like that? Java? Ruby/PhP? Seriously?

Not have ridiculous licencing fees for one. And please don't group java and ruby with php

You demonstrate ignorance by using quotes around competition

 

[TrueSeeker]

Oh come on... Its Microsoft. They will always have Windows and Office. Anybody who has tried 8 and 365 can tell you these guys are just as relevant as ever. I have been very critical of minor features of 8, but all in all it is pretty solid.

Massive new markets have been opened up by the mobile revolution and MS may have taken a hit by trying to make inroads into these markets, but for working people - Be serious...

In any case. I find 365 and skydrive mobile integration to be pretty damned awesome. For example my S4 came with its little note program and I could use some other cloud storage/syncing app, but OneNote is light years ahead of the rest and Skydrive is more than sufficient. All the other office programs are right there. I can run a powerpoint presentation off my phone if I buy the adapter cable.

I'm not a big fan of Balmer nor am I a MS fanboy, but realistically speaking I feel that MS is still delivering the real deal.

 

[Swa]

Baloney. The responsibility is fully microsoft's. In one sentence you say it isn't their fault, and in another you say they should fire Ballmer. The hardware vendors did the best they could with Microsoft's schizophrenic, late, ugly, underserved attempt to resoond to the iPad.

I agree. MS made some pretty bad decisions in the last decade like their poor support for 32-bit systems and then not updating DX for the OS with the largest market share.

 

[jetlee]

What's wrong with .NET ? What does the "competition" offer in terms of a framework like that? Java? Ruby/PhP? Seriously?

There might be alot of wrong with Windows OS and whatever hardware MS is pushing out, but i've always felt their development tools/frameworks are of the better (if not the best) to work with.

Their dev tools are good, but dev tools are most certainly not everything. Java is a solid contender in the .net space, and with massive focus on application servers and high availability frameworks, they are beating MS hands down in areas that require serious SLA's and no downtime.

MS are missing a trick, SQL Server and MS Server have gotten fat, and Linux,Java and Oracle are getting thinner, faster and more resilient.

If I was MS, Id be very worried about the server space over then next 10 years, as we see more and more high end software, coming bundled with stripped down Linux OS's ready to auto install on enterprise server hardware.