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[GavinGT]

Investors have too much faith in microsoft. I personally think they are on their last legs in the tech industry. They have flops going off left and right.

They can keep going at this rate for longer than we'll be alive. They're using their large cash stockpile to try to penetrate new markets and drive growth. They've just jumped into these new markets late and not always executed well. But soon enough I think they'll get lucky and find themselves on the forefront of one of these new markets.

But I do think their corporate culture needs to change in order to encourage this.

 

[Rootbeer]

I love windows 8... but after its (perceived) failure as well as the general consumer disinterest surrounding their windows phone devices... i am having a hard time understanding how this came to be What are these investors seeing that I'm not? I don't know anyone who would use Office 365 over Google Docs... and I mean that in total seriousness.

 

[stktt]

Give Windows 8 a year with Windows Blue and it will surpass Windows 7 as the best OS, but only as long as they add the start button which leads to Metro instead of a start bar and they fix the search.

Investors know MS is cooking something big in their ecosystem, but honestly it's risky. MS made so many drastic changes in strategy so quick.

Both of which are coming with 8.1.

 

[Photolysis]

Think of it like a slow burn

Within 5 years, majority of PC users will be on windows 8/9/10

Even if the uptake is slow, they are monetizing those users with windows marketplace royalties

It's easy to point and laugh now, but when they finally get their software where they need to be, they'll be rolling in money from their efforts

You say that, but the precedent with XP shows it's far from definite. People turned away from Vista in droves and only switched to Windows 7 once Microsoft made it clear they learned from their mistakes.

MS have done pretty much everything wrong with 8. They've been slow reacting to the market (coming in when Android and iPads are already well established), they've greatly misread where the market is going (business/enterprise users - a very important market segment - are not going to be switching because they need a traditional PC to get their work done), and their product attempting to cater to the market has been a disaster.

PC Manufacturers and end users don't like W8 because it inflates the requirements for mobile devices and drives up the price. Developers dislike Metro and the Windows store is not drawing many in.

The market on all fronts has told MS they don't like Windows 8. Vista was a poor product. Windows 8 is a poor product combined with utterly terrible business decisions.

 

[tfur]

Linux doesn't have a good viable Directory service.
Even hardcore linux-shops use AD.

Not true at all. Oracle DSEE, which used to be Sun DSEE can do everything and more than AD. AD is simply LDAP at its base functionality.

Most large corps use UNIX base LDAP, since most financial systems are UNIX based. Then views are given downstream to AD for general user accounts. Also, Sun DSEE had hot multi master implementation before anyone. Its why DR plans are so smooth.

OpenLDAP works absolutely fine, if you do need all of the excessive identity management of Oracle DSEE.

The reason you do not hear much about it, is that very few people know how to configure and implement these systems. They are used in banks and fortune 500s every day.

 

[TheFightingFish]

Sorry, I made that statement hyperbolicly... If you own stock or work for the company (especially if you have stock options) of course it matters... but as a general indicator of health, it can be very misleading.

Ohh, I don't disagree with you in the general sense, stock prices are totally speculation and can easily be influenced by marketing or other factors. I was more pointing out that a rising stock price (deserved or not) gives a very real and tangible benefit with hiring the best talent. Thus even a stock price increase for totally off or misleading reasons is still likely good for the long term benefit of the company.

 

[djplaeskool]

I didn't realise wil recently that the Office Suite of Software now required an annual subscription!

BOOM! Monez!

You can either go the traditional route with Office 2013, or go with the Office 365 subscription.

 

[DopeyFish]

They can keep going at this rate for longer than we'll be alive. They're using their large cash stockpile to try to penetrate new markets and drive growth. They've just jumped into these new markets late and not always executed well. But soon enough I think they'll get lucky and find themselves on the forefront of one of these new markets.

Not only do they have an absolutely massive amount of cash- they are still generating massive amounts of income

To suggest that they are on their last legs is laugh-until-I-choke worthy

Microsofts future is far more secure than apple, IBM and google... Possibly even combined

You say that, but the precedent with XP shows it's far from definite. People turned away from Vista in droves and only switched to Windows 7 once Microsoft made it clear they learned from their mistakes.

MS have done pretty much everything wrong with 8. They've been slow reacting to the market (coming in when Android and iPads are already well established), they've greatly misread where the market is going (business/enterprise users - a very important market segment - are not going to be switching because they need a traditional PC to get their work done), and their product attempting to cater to the market has been a disaster.

PC Manufacturers and end users don't like W8 because it inflates the requirements for mobile devices and drives up the price. Developers dislike Metro and the Windows store is not drawing many in.

The market on all fronts has told MS they don't like Windows 8. Vista was a poor product. Windows 8 is a poor product combined with utterly terrible business decisions.

They have done a lot of things wrong with 8, not everything. I vehemently hate windows 8 but its UI/UX only. Windows 8? Vista? Guess what? Those still generate profit. They fix their stuff and bam! Sales take off again. You can't seriously say they did everything wrong with a straight face

 

[alexandros]

Microsoft have a great portfolio of very profitable businesses. Windows 8 was a major misstep but overall they're in a great position, as long as they manage to crack the mobile market at some point.

 

[harSon]

Balmer has to go

 

[EvB]

It doesn't, you have the option of purchasing as a subscription or the one-time purchase.

I didn't realise til recently that I was wrong about realising that Microsoft office required a subscription!

 

[enzo_gt]

Both of which are coming with 8.1.

They're fixing search?! :O

 

[larvi]

Windows 8 is business as usual for MS. Long time Windows users know never to be an early adopter of an even number version of windows and to wait for the the odd number version. Windows 3.1, 5.1(xp), 7 are/were all good stable OS releases. Windows 2.0, 4.0(NT), 6.0(Vista) and 8, not so much, at least at launch. Basically the trend has been to introduce a bunch of new features in the even number release then fine tune and work out the bugs in the odd number release. So I'm waiting for windows 9.

 

[Delusibeta]

Buy on rumours, sell on news.

 

[Coolwhip]

Nothing wrong with windows 8 tbh. The upset about the lack of a start button is hilarious.

 

[Sothpaw]

I can't imagine working without office. It's the industry standard in auditing/tax, and I'm sure many, many other industries as well.

I absolutely love windows 7, and I hope ms comes back from the windows 8 metro mess with another top tier OS.

 

[dragonfart28]

So no one cares about the fact that they are getting significant dollars for their streaming services, eh?

I guess GAF's finger really isn't on the pulse of the industry these days.

 

[mentalfloss]

So no one cares about the fact that they are getting significant dollars for their streaming services, eh?

I guess GAF's finger really isn't on the pulse of the industry these days.

After all the fervor about "always online" just a couple of weeks ago, I would have thought others would catch on.

Guess I need a more inflammatory title to get the hits on this forum.

 

[stktt]

They're fixing search?! :O

The current search method (segmented into files, search, and apps) is still there, but it defaults to a universal search that doesn't kick you out of whatever application you're using.

 

[enzo_gt]

The current search method (segmented into files, search, and apps) is still there, but it defaults to a universal search that doesn't kick you out of whatever application you're using.

Ah so it defaults to "all" instead of "Apps"?

Fuck yeah if true.

 

[Dennis]

Kinect is shit, Windows 8 is shit, Next-Box is ?

Microsoft stock is through the roof.

O........K..........

 

[Dictator93]

Investors have too much faith in microsoft. I personally think they are on their last legs in the tech industry. They have flops going off left and right.

selective memory?

They do not have flops going off left and right. Media reactions and sensationalist fanboyism say this.. but that does not represent the objective reality. Their products are a mixed bag with some larger successes.

 

[stktt]

Ah so it defaults to "all" instead of "Apps"?

Fuck yeah if true.

Yeah.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/blue-s-clues-new-search-experience

 

[StudioTan]

Ah so it defaults to "all" instead of "Apps"?

Fuck yeah if true.

It's true.

I don't care either way but good for the people who prefer it that way.

 

[Karma]

Windows Azure just joined Microsoft's billiondollar revenue business. Give credit where credit is due.

Was going to post this. MS cloud services are doing really well.

 

[dragonfart28]

They do not have flops going off left and right. Media reactions and sensationalist fanboyism say this.. but that does not represent the objective reality. Their products are a mixed bag with some larger successes.

It's a bit shocking how MS is getting shat on lately.

Was going to post this. MS cloud services are doing really well.

Does Azure's cloud business fit in well with the always online model?

 

[AkuMifune]

Nothing wrong with windows 8 tbh. The upset about the lack of a start button is hilarious.

After a few weeks of using it I don't even notice. And I like the rest of it so much I don't even care.

 

[spwolf]

Sorry, I made that statement hyperbolicly... If you own stock or work for the company (especially if you have stock options) of course it matters... but as a general indicator of health, it can be very misleading.

maybe $20 billion in profits helps?

 

[Erasus]

After a few weeks of using it I don't even notice. And I like the rest of it so much I don't even care.

This. Worth it for the task manager and new file copy system alone.

 

[QaaQer]

Stock prices don't mean anything.


All a stock price is is what people THINK about a company, not how good the company actually is. A good PR team is more indicative of stock prices than a good product.

so true. APPL @ $700+ was just mental.

 

[QaaQer]

Think of it like a slow burn

Within 5 years, majority of PC users will be on windows 8/9/10

Even if the uptake is slow, they are monetizing those users with windows marketplace royalties

It's easy to point and laugh now, but when they finally get their software where they need to be, they'll be rolling in money from their efforts

And this benefits the end user how?

 

[Shambles]

This. Worth it for the task manager and new file copy system alone.

And the right clicking the bottom left corner.

 

[Coolwhip]

This. Worth it for the task manager and new file copy system alone.

New file copy system?

 

[twobear]

And this benefits the end user how?

They're 'monetizing' users by their paying for apps.

You know how trade works, right? You have something I want, so I pay you for it?

 

[QaaQer]

I love how anything to do with MS on the internet brings astroturfers out like flies to the smell of fresh dung.

 

[SPDIF]

I love how anything to do with MS on the internet brings astroturfers out like flies to the smell of fresh dung.

What causes you to say this?

 

[Volotaire]

Kinect is shit, Windows 8 is shit, Next-Box is ?

Microsoft stock is through the roof.

O........K..........

Azure is pretty damn impressive. There are other services Microsoft preforms in then just consumer products.

 

[AkuMifune]

What causes you to say this?

Because of the recent scientific study to prove Windows 8 is horrible and anyone who likes it must be a viral marketer.

Published by The Hipster Times.

 

[StudioTan]

New file copy system?

Being able to pause copying, more accurate time estimates, unified window if you have multiple copy actions happening etc.

 

[Erasus]

New file copy system?

If you’re familiar with file copying from previous Windows versions, you know that each file (and move) operation creates its own copy or move window, and that each subsequent operation slows everything down to a crawl.

This no longer happens in Windows 8. All file copies and moves now occur in a single window in which you can pause any copy or move processes if you’d like to give precedence to another operation. And file copies and moves occur much more quickly than before, even when you have multiple file operations going at once. File copy/move conflicts are also handled in a far more elegant fashion that before, with simpler remediation.

http://winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-feature-focus-file-explorer-144727

TLR You can pause and stuff now

 

[mingoguaya]

#dealwithit

 

[Iced_Eagle]

New file copy system?

New file copy dialog he meant.

Shows you in real-time what the throughput is of the copy. And you can pause/resume copies. They also have a better dialog for when you try to replace files in a directory. It lets you compare and choose file by file and even shows thumbnails for images, so you can tell easily if you actually want to copy over a file. I love the chart it shows when it's copying. Definitely a great part of Win8.

 

[Coolwhip]

Thanks for the replies, sounds good.

 

[Maxrunner]

They just generate 8.8 billion out of android....disgusting...

 

[border]

Also, with regards to the comment that stock price doesn't matter, that's not true in the slightest. In a competitive world of software engineering with stock options, stock awards, employee stock purchasing plans and what not having a stock price that is doing at least a moderate climb is a very good thing for both retaining and hiring employees.

The stock was at 28 or 29 5 years ago. It's at 32 now. How does such a small return over such a long period of time give a hiring advantage or keep employees from wanting to jump ship to a company with bigger growth potential?

In before someone tries to argue that Windows 8 is not a flop, and amazing.

AND THE VERY NEXT POST IS.....

Since when is W8 a flop? The first full quarter of Win 8 was a huge success for MS.

Microsoft has had a good quarter, but it's not exactly a secret that Windows 8 is doing nowhere near as good as projected, and PC sales have fallen off.

 

[miked808]

My tech heavy IRA is heavily weighted Microsoft and is up 16% So far this year so keep up the good work.

 

[szaromir]

poor alexandros, all his crusading for naught.

 

[R3TRO]

Awesome

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

I'm more surprised they survived that bad press onslaught from Adam Orth and always online. Its easily the biggest topic of the year.

 

[miked808]

The stock was at 28 or 29 5 years ago. It's at 32 now. How does such a small return over such a long period of time give a hiring advantage or keep employees from wanting to jump ship to a company with bigger growth potential?

Dividends my man,Dividends.