Awww ... so sorry ... Bill and Melinda ... but thanks for Vista ...
oh, and IE ...

-----------------
Business Digest
The Washington Post
Friday, July 24, 2009, A16

EARNINGS

"Revenue Drop for Year A First for Microsoft"


Microsoft said its fourth-quarter profit fell 29 percent on weak
computer sales, ending a fiscal year in which the software giant's
revenue fell for the first time since the company went public in
1986.

The results reflected how Microsoft's fortunes are tied to the PC
industry, which is expected to have a drop in sales this year.

Microsoft's earnings in the quarter sank to $3.05 billion, from $4.3
billion last year. Revenue dropped 17 percent, to $13.1 billion.

For the fiscal year, profit fell 17 percent, to $14.6 billion from
$17.7 billion in the previous year. Sales sank 3 percent, to $58.4
billion.

-- Associated Press

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...072303882.html

Withe the capability of tossing billions of dollars at lawyers to
defend against monopoly charges, Microsoft can easily ride the waves
of global competition and non-innovation.

Business Digest

The Washington Post
Saturday, July 25, 2009


"Microsoft Tries to End E.U. Antitrust Case"


MICROSOFT WILL OFFER offer computer users a choice of Web browsers to
ward off new European Union antitrust fines, E.U. regulators said.

The European Commission has charged the company with monopoly abuse
for tying the Internet Explorer browser to the Windows operating
system installed on most of the world's desktop computers.

Microsoft is suggesting that people pick a browser from several
offered in its new software release, Windows 7, which will go on sale
Oct. 22. Windows would still include Internet Explorer, but users
would be able to disable it. Computer manufacturers could also choose
to install other browsers.

-- Associated Press

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...072403767.html

"Kyle Schwitters" wrote in message
...
Withe the capability of tossing billions of dollars at lawyers to
defend against monopoly charges, Microsoft can easily ride the waves
of global competition and non-innovation.


"I recently spoke with an IT manager who was budgeting for an Office 2010
upgrade from Office 2003. I casually asked him what features he had deemed
important enough to justify a $100,000 budget item. He thought for a minute
and admitted that he couldn't think of a single one. So I asked the logical
follow-up: Why are you buying it? He had no answer for that either. The
$100,000 line item disappeared. He's also sticking with [Windows] XP."

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscente...ndows_7 .html

Jennifer Fitzgerald wrote:


Really ? My MS products that I use now are miles ahead of what they were in
1999.

geoff

Shawn Hirn wrote
geoff wrote
Jennifer Fitzgerald wrote

Really ? My MS products that I use now are miles ahead of what they were in 1999.

The GUI has changed only moderately.

There's a hell of a lot more involved than just the gui.

The same paradigm with Windows Vista can be found
with Windows 3.1, but with more flashy icons in Vista.

There's a hell of a lot more differences between Windows 3.1 and Vista than just 'flashy icons'