I moved away from using Microsoft products about a decade ago, without really realizing it. The products they put on the market don't really appeal to me and I am not a diehard PC gamer. So in my case I respect their business model for the PC platform, but don't buy their products. I believe that during the Bill Gates era of the company they had a much stronger product, however they had weaker competition... The only thing that I have really noticed is the trail of distruction that the xbox games division has left behind them. Lots of promises and third party company buy outs or take overs with very few of those former companies left standing. But I believe that is mismanagement from within the xbox division, and not the larger Microsoft corporate structure.
Given their very skilled labor force I am surprised that they copy so many short term trends and technology. If this was 1982 would they be releasing a VCR/Betamax competitor? Or a walkman? I wish they would advance technology and the experience of interface... So no I don't like Microsoft, however they lost me and my family via inaction, not action.
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