$20 - $25 BILLION in yearly profits and some of you guys are acting like MS is a has-been? Get real.

Microsoft losing its mojo? I doubt it, the real problem is others are catching up to them. 

Back in the 90's, Windows was king, and there wasn't a such thing as an iPod, or Blackberry. Fast forward to now, and everything is portable: iPods, Androids, tablets. Microsoft hasn't made much of a foothold in the mobile space yet. The tried (and epicly failed) with Zune, Windows Mobile didn't make waves, and the current WP7 isn't really doing that great either. MS' main economic backbone is Windows. Sure they have the Xbox, and WP7 and other stuff, but if you kill Windows,you'll kill MS. 

Teh 360's faulty hardware was a big blow to Microsoft (at least in the video game sector), but that's okay. They weren't a hardare company to begin with. 

Now we have Windows Vista; the trashiest OS on the planet. Microsoft may have lost otheir mojo around this time, but they regained it by the time WP7 rolled around. Windows Phone seemed so fresh compared to iOS and Android. It's fluid, clean, and fast. To top that off, Metro looks sleek on it. Why people aren't buying it? That's beyond me. 

Windows 8 may just be a response to what I  said earlier: everything is portable. The menu on it looks like something on a tablet. From what I've seen, it looks fresh and new just like WP7, just because it's different, doesn't mean it's trash. Long story short, they aven't lost their mojo. 

I had no idea Iphone had over 1 billion sales Worldwide. Seriously. The article says Iphone outsold Windows. Windows 7 is over 1 billion, it sold 200 million in its first 3 months.

Colour me impressed

The Zune was a better media player than it's contemporary iPod, but Apple is cool and hipsters like it. Xbox was a better machine than the PS2, but Playstation was cool and fanboys hate new things. Surface is a real computer shaped like a tablet, an actual replacement for a laptop. But the iPad is cool and all the cool kids have it.

MS has been and continues to be a leader in the tech industry. MS tries to lead the horse to water, but they can't make it drink.

Seriously though, Ipad is a joke.

Its so pointless and cost is rediculous. It doesnt replace a laptop and your pone already does everything an Ipad does. So what the hell is the point of the pad?

Surface is definately better in everyway.

With that being said, why was there so much commotion abouut Windows 8? It seems like people hate it because it's *GASP* different. WP7 is fresh and new and nobody wants it. I just don't understand. Are people afraid of change?

I respectfully disagree. Since I've gotten my ipad I've only used my laptop three times. It does everything a laptop does, with greater portability, battery life, and more comfortable to lay around with. 

MS gets hate for the same reason that COD gets hate. It's the biggest target.

There are two challenges in the "tech" industry ...

1) Growing large and becoming important
2) Staying large and remaining important in the face of strong competition

I'm fairly certain that if we were to see a list of the 10 most important tech companies of 2020 Microsoft would be on the list, and several companies that are currently so important will not make that list; including many companies that were mentioned in the OP.