mario64 cares. A lot.

Lol, Microsoft is just another software company? Not really.

Does anyone else care about my teddy bear?

They still have an enormous majority of marketshare in the OS business (which IS their main business), and as long as they have that, they are doing just fine. Although why IE is still ahead of Firefox is beyond me.

This analysts opinion is indicative of why the world markets went to hell in a blink of the eye. I am sorry, but I put less stock in analysts then I do in fairy tale creatures. If these guys were so smart then why weren't they openly advocating to their investors that they leave the market right before it collapsed.

This analyst suffers from a deplorable lack of imagination like most of them. That is something you need to nail the future. For instance how does a company that develops products for markets that do not exist yet not qualify as being edgy. I mean Microsoft has been and still are pioneers. How many companies are developing operating systems to develop operating systems for robots. No they are not big now, but wait ten years you know when people will be bitching about this new Microsoft monopoly, and how unfair that is.

Bottom line calling yourself an analyst doesn't make you smart. In fact it seems lately to be proof positive that you are stupid. Personally I would reserve edge losing for companies that are contracting. Not companies that are expanding. I would reserve it for companies that are actually losing money. Rather then companies making money. Companies that have piss poor future prospects. Not companies that are being proactive towards the future.

For those saying that Microsoft's diversification of business is bad. You need to review the field of natural selection. Specialists die fast, and generalists fucking live forever. That is the way with almost any system. The more things you are doing the better, because your not just betting on one skill no matter how high the payout. Things as they always will change over time. Having yourself spread out is a good way to weather change. Ask Mr Panda how being the best eater of Bamboo in the world is paying out for him. Well if you can find one anyway.

Simply put this thinking only in terms of the moment is what got us in trouble in the first place. Analysts aren't looking at five, ten, or fifteen years. They are looking at one, two, or three months. With a side of what the hell does the word context mean. That is what got them in big trouble last year. Anyway I see no more reason to post a analysts thoughts then the thoughts of a street bum. At least the homeless guy has more of an excuse.

Windows 7 4 lyfe.

Minesweeper is a classic game, and Internet Explorer is like Minesweeper in browser form. You just never know if its safe to click that next link...!

I agree that Vista was a flop and IE has always been one but I have genuine faith in Windows 7! Are they what they once were? No, the market is more diverse and there's more competition, so that's a given.
The same can be said (and is indeed being said) about other companies though, so the predicament, if it can be called that, is hardly unique to Microsoft.
The world as a whole is bleeding cash and doubly so for US companies and Japanese companies so posting a loss is more indicative of the world's economic status rather than the company itself.

Of course! How did I not think of that?

Your logic is always impeccable, badgenome. You should be an analyst!

Was Vista as big a flop as Windows Millenium? MS followed that up with Windows XP which was an enormous success. The problem with MS is they are so big, that any division they start will always be overshadowed by the Server and Office divisions. I do think that Balmer's days are numbered. The stock price hasn't moved in 10 years. He spent 45 billion in a stock buy back program that hasn't moved it at all.