Microsoft have two main customers: OEMs that install Windows on their laptops and desktops, and enterprise who use the easy collaboration between Office and Windows Server based products to administer their businesses.
They are actively moving against one of their main customers (OEMs) by trying to directly compete with them on hardware. This is a business 101 blunder that comes from not understand what you are selling and why you are selling it.
Microsoft is losing the second main customer through deprecation of old assets (VB6 compatibility issues, etc), and by drastically changing their product so that expensive training and orientation is needed to transition users. In addition, the new OS does not even improve workflow for the main Windows user: an office drone updating Excel worksheets and using Outlook email. Microsoft is also losing their handle on the developer mindset as larger numbers of developers transition to Web/iOS/Android platforms for bread-and-butter applications.
This is a now classic case of a business losing track of their target market, and they will suffer deeply if they don't make rapid and enormous culture and product changes within the next 2-3 years.
They are actively moving against one of their main customers (OEMs) by trying to directly compete with them on hardware. This is a business 101 blunder that comes from not understand what you are selling and why you are selling it.
Microsoft is losing the second main customer through deprecation of old assets (VB6 compatibility issues, etc), and by drastically changing their product so that expensive training and orientation is needed to transition users. In addition, the new OS does not even improve workflow for the main Windows user: an office drone updating Excel worksheets and using Outlook email. Microsoft is also losing their handle on the developer mindset as larger numbers of developers transition to Web/iOS/Android platforms for bread-and-butter applications.
This is a now classic case of a business losing track of their target market, and they will suffer deeply if they don't make rapid and enormous culture and product changes within the next 2-3 years.