I'm not sure if that article said it, but adjusted for inflation, MS still has the #1 all time ranking.
I suppose you would realize that my statement may make it seem like I am an MS fanboy, and I am. But that is because I am used to MS, not Apple. Also because most businesses seem to evolve around MS.
To be sure, Apple products are fun toys, but when you want to get serious, you almost always get an MS gadget. Even if you are a gamer and desire the newest games with the best graphics, you go MS. Until that changes, I won't even consider Apple. My family owned an apple computer way back in the day (to be sure, they weren't as good as they are now). All I can remember is its standard games and goofy screensavers. No one really used it all that much. Heh, internet might have been a wee bit slower then too.
I do have an ipod because I see that MS has struggled perfecting any device of theirs in that arena. I go with the best product available for me, and my ipod has lasted years through heat and cold. It has all my songs on iTunes and just works great. I won't consider an MS MP3 device until I see some kind of improvement.
I hate phones (own a cheap one) so I never got an iphone, but am considering a windows 8 phone simply because I can use things such as office 365 and sync things over to my home computer with ease, etc. I haven't gone for it yet because it hasn't stood out to me at the moment (and of course, I hate phones). If I found reason enough, I may get one. An excellent GPS feature is a must for me.
I guess what I'm trying to do is give a personal real-life example of how MS is performing, from my perspective. They seem like they are on the brink of something great, but instead choose to lag behind. It is as if they choose to be second best. I am sure they have the ability and know-how to create something extraordinary, but for whatever reason, and holding back. I believe Apple is in this same boat, but I think Microsoft's percentage of potential far exceeds the percentage that Apple has, despite it being the number 1 company today. Think - complete ease of use cuppled with cheap but fast proccessing, exceptional built-in security, and compatability.
I don't mind touch screens, but not on every device. You've seen high-tech refridgerators with touchscreens, but the applications of it wasn't worth the cost. Microsoft must think what the masses of people would most like to get their hands on, and start focusing on how they can appeal to these groups. Step 1: get their opinions and play with it.
Great article, I read it somewhere else and noticed you had this thread up. Hope I didn't expend all my alloted typing characters for the day.
I hope we do ...