Microsoft Posts First-Ever Quarterly Loss: Is Microsoft a Company in Decline?

by Heisenberg Posted 2012/07/19 22:27:28

Related Topics: Microsoft, Bill Gates, Technology, Business

188 votes
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	Yes	88 votes	47%
	No	100 votes	53%

Microsoft says an accounting adjustment to reflect a weak online ad business led to its first quarterly loss as a public company. Do you think Microsoft is a company in decline?

+14

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JackSchitt 2012/07/19 23:34:59

Yes

+7
According to Obama "it takes a village to build a company".

I guess we better get CRACKIN'!
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More polls by Heisenberg

Tastentier 2012/08/08 19:44:52

No

Tablet PCs and netbooks have become more popular than notebooks. Most of these devices, as well as most smartphones, use Google's Android. This puts a dent in Microsoft's OEM sales, but Windows 8 might be able to change that. If I didn't already have an Android tablet, I'd be saving for a Win 8 tablet right now.

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Gloria 2012/07/21 14:03:39

No

It's the first ever quarterly loss. Of course no one buys five packages of Micro Soft Office Suite every year!

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Little Angel 2012/07/21 13:36:04

No

+1
A lot of Businesses have had a loss because of the mess in our economy
but doesn't mean that all of them are in a decline. If American Businesses
would stop outsourcing so many jobs and let American have more jobs
available here the economy would start to improve. Of course there are
a lot more things that need to be changed in the way our Government
is run.

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charles nelson 2012/07/20 22:07:50

Yes

+1
Yes, its all open source now...I better hurry up and upgrade my Win 3.1.

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safari 2012/07/20 20:40:05

Yes

But since THEY DIDN'T BUILD THAT - who should we blame? Maybe the Resident who claimed if he couldn't turn the economy around in three years that he should only be a one term Resident.

TIMES UP OBAMA!

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\V/ 2012/07/20 20:31:42

No

$\V/$

+1
People have less money because the Demorats and Republicons are out sourcing our wealth.
Time to get rid of these two crappy little corporate piggy parties.

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Mike56 to \V/ 2012/07/21 01:13:47

And install the piggy mega-bureaucratic one-party regim?

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\V/ to Mike56 2012/07/21 01:29:31

$\V/$

+1
We have 10 key values, Mikey. Unlike your party which only has 1 value. Thats why, unlike you, I will not be voting for Rob me.
BTW, is that a photo of Rob me with stupid?

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Mike56 to \V/ 2012/07/21 01:42:10 (edited)

Feminism, aka female chauvinism is a ... "value"?
Well, you just reminded one more time you have no values at all

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\V/ to Mike56 2012/07/21 03:34:25

$\V/$

+1
Can you imagine my disappointment?

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Mike56 to \V/ 2012/07/21 17:02:30

I just can imagine your hypocrisy

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\V/ to Mike56 2012/07/21 17:20:55

$\V/$

+1
It just cannot compare to yours and Mitts ego is the biggest on the planet save for Kim Il Sung.

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Mike56 to \V/ 2012/07/21 18:34:09

You, an Obamanoid, are talking about somebody else's ego? Are you that shy?

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\V/ to Mike56 2012/07/21 19:23:52

$\V/$

+1
You are beyond stupid if after all Ive said you try to stick me with Obama.
Go F yourself

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Mike56 to \V/ 2012/07/21 20:24:15

You are beyond stupid if beleive that the crap you and your soul mates are spreading can result in anything but Obama's "victory"

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\V/ to Mike56 2012/07/22 00:13:42

$\V/$

+1
No you are beyond stupid. We are going after people that normally dont vote because they feel they dont have a choice.
How that would impact the Obamanites vote only you would know.

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Mike56 to \V/ 2012/07/22 08:49:10

You might fool the naive philistines, not me. Maybe you do not realize it yourself, but for the people with brains it is clear: you are working in Obama's favor by deviding and disorienting his opposition. Unlike most Americans, I do know very well what you do in Europe and all over the world.

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Margaret Jacobson 2012/07/20 20:14:05

No

+1
not really!! Most companies "bounce back" !!

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Mike56 2012/07/20 20:12:26

Yes

As the owner is drifting to the left - his creature is doomed to decline.

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charles... to Mike56 2012/07/20 22:12:25

What, being charitable is a drift to the Left. I was charitable to him, now Karma. And that's the Karma I think he's happy with.

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Mike56 to charles... 2012/07/21 00:40:25 (edited)

Charitability is not only one thing we can tell about him. But even when he Is thoughtlessly awarding freeloaders, that does hurt working people.

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charles... to Mike56 2012/07/21 01:05:44

Who's the, what working, freeloaders... Bill Gates?

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Mike56 to charles... 2012/07/21 01:10:05

Could you make a more coherent sentence, please?

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charles... to Mike56 2012/07/21 01:44:52

ok... what the F you speeki. FREELOADERS/BILLGATES, and pleasee to.

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Manster 2012/07/20 19:32:05

No

No, they are still "the tail that wags the dog!"The software manufacturer dictates the design and capabilities of new computers.

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shadow76 2012/07/20 19:08:01

No

No, jobs are in a decline.

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Sterling 2012/07/20 18:43:58

No

We're heading into another recession, everyone will be in decline shortly.

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johnnyg 2012/07/20 18:20:25

No

Gates CIA and USGovt handlers will continue to prop microsoft up.

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EdVenture 2012/07/20 18:16:32

No

Perhaps their "profit engine" is now off-shore, along with the jobs, ask mitt Robmee.

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V~POTL~PWCM~JLA 2012/07/20 18:10:24 (edited)

Yes

Microsoft was a great investment from 1990 to 2000. Shortly after 2000, it dropped from almost $60 to about $30. It has been hovering around $30 for about 12 YEARS. Check the charts and see for yourself. Today's price is $30.24. When I see a tech mutual fund invested in MSFT, I know the fund manager is clueless. I can get a 0% return by stuffing money into a mattress.

The problem with tech companies is that they become dependent on a legacy cash cow. Along comes disruptive technology and the company has to choose between milking the cash cow and adopting disruptive technology. Most companies fail to make the transition. Microsoft was fortunate to escape MS-DOS and 16-bit Windows, but the handwriting is on the wall. Thanks to Internet standards and mobile technology, Microsoft's proprietary systems have been losing their captive hold on the customer base.

Microsoft would dearly love to do what Apple did when they totally abandoned the OS 9 code base and adopted OS X. But that's impossible when your cash cow depends on backwards compatibility going all the way back to Windows 95.

Thanks to legacy cash cows, Microsoft is the General Motors of technology -- surrounded by competitors with enviable positions. Apple is better, Linux is cheaper. Both Apple and Linux (Andr...

Microsoft was a great investment from 1990 to 2000. Shortly after 2000, it dropped from almost $60 to about $30. It has been hovering around $30 for about 12 YEARS. Check the charts and see for yourself. Today's price is $30.24. When I see a tech mutual fund invested in MSFT, I know the fund manager is clueless. I can get a 0% return by stuffing money into a mattress.

The problem with tech companies is that they become dependent on a legacy cash cow. Along comes disruptive technology and the company has to choose between milking the cash cow and adopting disruptive technology. Most companies fail to make the transition. Microsoft was fortunate to escape MS-DOS and 16-bit Windows, but the handwriting is on the wall. Thanks to Internet standards and mobile technology, Microsoft's proprietary systems have been losing their captive hold on the customer base.

Microsoft would dearly love to do what Apple did when they totally abandoned the OS 9 code base and adopted OS X. But that's impossible when your cash cow depends on backwards compatibility going all the way back to Windows 95.

Thanks to legacy cash cows, Microsoft is the General Motors of technology -- surrounded by competitors with enviable positions. Apple is better, Linux is cheaper. Both Apple and Linux (Android) scaled down to music players, tablets, and smart phones. Microsoft handhelds are the stuff of which Youtube parodies are made. Don't make me post them.

The decline of Microsoft has been clear to me since 2000. Their first quarterly loss is simply the latest clue.
(more)

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Moonage 2012/07/20 17:53:28

Yes

It needs to decline to stay viable.

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Merhabi Daham 2012/07/20 16:59:25

No

Ha!
You fools think Bill Gates is going to let his company die while still attached to it? If Microsoft as a software company declines, they can still shave their company down to a console developer or whatever, they ain't going out like that.

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kyle 2012/07/20 16:58:23

Yes

all companys are in decline right now because of the economy

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Aurora 2012/07/20 16:57:41

Yes

Actually Gates worked at IBM and took the idea from his job at IBM and marketed as Microsoft. I don't like Gates but I feel sure this won't hurt his wealth that he has amassed.

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glen 2012/07/20 15:54:54

No

+1
They are very much a viable corporation !

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Squatch 2012/07/20 15:45:25

Yes

+1
Maybe so, but they have so much capital I think the next great idea will be marketed by them before they start having problems.

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Vision of Verve 2012/07/20 15:33:58
jomiabe 2012/07/20 15:33:18

No

¡Claro que no! En las empresas es normal subir y bajar de vez en cuando... Microsoft no bajaba desde 1986!!! ahora empieza la normalidad... pero seguirá para arriba ¿ya probaron el Office 2013? ¡Genial!

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\V/ to jomiabe 2012/07/20 20:48:44

$\V/$

+1
Esta mejor que el 2010? Te cuento que toda la empresa EEUU esta bajando por la codicia de la fuga de divisas a la China communista. Y eso esta muy bien por lo que lo tienen bien merecido ya que su banco dis que mundial nos han saquiado la economia de mi pais, El Ecuador asi como la tuya. Lo que se siembra, asi se cosecha amigo. Saludos.

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jdemme 2012/07/20 15:26:18

No

I had no idea that this was its first ever quarterly loss. That being said, I think that they've done well if this was the first time they've ever gone red.

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