I'm not a fan of XBOx360, but reliability apart, I consider it a very good project. But I don't respect MS. MS behaves well with XB360 users, but in fields where it has a near monopoly it doesn't behave well at all.

You do realize they took over a year to admit to the RROD issue after steadily denying it.

As for Windows, yuck...

I enjoy the consoles and could care less about the companies. Seriously, as long as they weren't involved in the Holocaust, the massacre of babies in Egypt or lynchings during the civil rights movement, or don't spew arrogance 24/7, and have good games, I'll buy the console.

@king_of_the_castle

omg...do you pay for xbox live ?

is it fair they charge for that service ?

my point is that microsoft charge money for everything and it is very disgusting to me(and they are already rich)

Its hard not to respect what MS has achieved as a company.

Thats not to say they have not made some bid blunders, try to make as much money as possible and say stupid things. Sony are also guilty of this as well.

I think Nintendo have the least tarnished reputation. But as far as respect goes of course i respect MS. The PC and business as we know it would not be the same without MS.

I respect them for the strides they've made in the game industry this generation. They listened to the complaints of last gen (too focussed on shooters) and branched out quite respectably into RPGs, adventure games, brawlers (is that what Dead Rising would be?), Racers, etc.

I don't respect them for Vista, which I'm being forced to use to type this...

Interesting question...

I like, and dislike Microsoft of different levels.

As a company, I really am neutral as to Microsoft's business practices. Many can complain about their sheer dominance in certain markets, and their shady business practices. I think some forget that when your a market leader, it's near-impossible not to abuse the system - Nintendo obviously did it in the late 80s and early 90's with horrendus tactics, and I know Sony has as well.

For their products, I hate windows (too much ram needed to run the darn thing, errors, and so on). Hate IE for the most part. I love the X360, and what Microsoft has done - even with strong-arm tactics, it's been an advantage with what Microsoft has done, as very few companies could provide the good games they have without their business tactics (as a new startup company).

If I was to rank business practices as a company, I'd rate Sony 1st, Microsoft 2nd, and Nintendo 3rd. But there are many levels that those positions would be changed.

What have Sony or Nintendo ever done to make me respect them any more than Microsoft?

Nothing.