Dat straw man.

All you xbots are really something. The OP should have posted the whole article because it talks more how Apple is eating Microsoft's lunch. I doubt anyone here can deny that. The part about Xbox only says that maybe Microsoft should be careful with it because it's bread and butter is in danger. It also says that Microsoft is huge and the upkeep for a company of that size has to be... huge. I personally think he is wrong, Microsoft needs diversify more. If my 85 year grand mother knows what an Ipod is and even know it's maker, Apple, then they have problem. Also keep in mind that she had been using a PC with Skype with years. I can say the same about my 8 year old son. Discuss.

-moderated by amp316

...and tads12

For the record, I haven't read the article. I personally hate giving clicks to troll bait articles like this, so I usually opt out.

But reading what people are saying, I get the impression that the point of this article is conflicted. If the concern is about long term sustainability, then they need to pay a bit more attention to the groundwork that MS has been laying for the future with W8, Azure, Xbox and Surface. People may not see it now (such as the author), but an infrastructure seems to be laid out for where technology is trending and the bumps to get there (current stock performance; early reactions to W8 & Surface RT) are typical responses to change.

The real fear, though, should be with Apple long term. Are they planning for the future or milking off the past? Seriously, it really surprises me sometimes to see how many 'journalist' have such tunnel vision when coming to these conclusions.

Anyway, Xbox is becoming an entertainment brand. The investment allows MS to create new streams of revenue with products and services and giving people a greater reason to commit to their ecosystem. It's just just a home game console, as this seems to view it as still.

even if xbox is massively profitable like window or office...

..the "good will" that xbox does for MS in terms of a fun, hip, cool, ect perception is worth it's weight in gold.

The entire article needs to be posted because 90 percent of it is a "what if" scenario.
 

2. Employees gradually switch away from using Windows PCs for work.

This trend has not played out that dramatically in 2012

3. Windows 8 fails to stop the iPad.

Gulp. It's still early, but every most data points say Windows 8 is not going to make a dent in the iPad.

4. Loyal developers start to leave the Microsoft platform.

We're not sure if this happening or not.

6. Office loses relevance.

The death of Office, has not happened, though. Despite Google's attempt to create Docs, companies aren't giving up on Excel.

7. Microsoft's other business applications start to erode.

If Windows continues to fade, and if Office starts to fade

8. The platform business collapses.

9. The Xbox was never going to make up the slack, and Microsoft can no longer afford to keep investing in it.

10. Microsoft suffers a huge quarterly loss. Ballmer retires to play golf.

What you see posted below each bolded bullet point is what the autor says in the first sentence or at the end of each sentence. So pretty much everything is a what if and that is why point 9 that the author makes and that the OP posted is taken way out of context.

Everyone needs to read the entire article. What they do is map out a what if scenario and in their opinion if certain things happen than this list from the article will be their snow ball effect. So the thread title is very misleading. It is saying Xbox won't be able to sustain Microsoft as a company if all these other things happen. The reason I didn't put anything under 8, 9, and 10 is because 1-7 would have to happen and in the authors opion 8.9. and 10 would then go into effetc.

Stop being reasonable and making sense.  Reading a few blurbs and then going into internet rage mode because someone dared say something potentially critical about a beloved company is a time honored tradition.

it isn't losing money so why get rid of it!!!try to grow it and make a bigger impact!!

What kind of joke article is this I guess Yahoo is still bitter that Microsoft didn't buy them. Also the new redesign of the Yahoo home page kinda sucks if anything they need to invest some more money to make their site better. And Microsoft will be around a lot longer then Yahoo.

I on the other hand find your complete inability to A: Try and form a friendly debate and B: Your complete inabilty to read the entire argument and discussion hilarious.

Bye now.

This is a good thread for anyone who wants to see ad hominem attacks in the wild.