How is it that one of the world’s largest global corporations seems to spend its life playing catch up or making excuses for why its second best. What has Microsoft done of any significance over the last ten years?

Its OS is second best to Apple; its browsers third rate behind Firefox, Chrome and Safari. Its desktop applications are buggy and will be superseded by computing in the clouds. Even Intel no longer needs to rely upon it.

Is is this a problem for the rest of us? I have to confess I am an Apple man but I believe it is. Why? Well when times are hard as they are and IT budgets under constant threat, it becomes a real issue that companies can justify a failure to invest and support innovation, because they have this perennial wariness perpetuated by a limping, bug infested market leader in Microsoft.

Unfair you say? Possibly. They have done some things well. XBox 360? Hmm. Overpriced, under-specified and more add-ons than a BMW 7 Series. Hotmail? No they bought it. Ecommerce? No trumped by IBM and Webshere. MSN Search? Never heard of it…

So the Browser wars. Who would predict IE market share at the end of 2010? 20% 10%… They better get their new OS sorted and IE9. And a simple plea don’t leave all the testing and fault finding to the general public. Thanks.

0 Comment   |   Posted in Uncategorized March 27, 2009