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Microsoft Is Down 8.6% As The World Realizes The Windows Business Has Collapsed
Business Insider ^ | 07/19/2013 | Jay Yarow

Posted on 07/19/2013 7:38:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Microsoft is down 8.6% this morning. The stock has been doing worse and worse since the company released earnings. Initial reaction to the release sent the stock down 2.5%. Then it was 5%, then 6% ... and now it's down over 8%.

Microsoft's Windows business is finally feeling the effect of the collapse of the PC industry, and the failure of Windows 8 to slow the iPad.

The Windows division's operating income was down 55% on a year-over-year basis, which dragged down the company's EPS. It also took a $900 million charge on the Surface RT, its iPad-wannabe tablet.

After posting earnings, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood told Dina Bass at Bloomberg, "it will take a long time" for Microsoft to make enough off tablets to erase the losses in the traditional PC market.

Microsoft's enterprise businesses remain strong, but that's not enough to keep investors happy.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Society
KEYWORDS: microsoft; msn; windows
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To: freeandfreezing

When I was at WAMU, we went from Windows 95 to Windows 2000. When I was at T-Mobile, we migrated straight from Windows 2000 to Windows XP. And Where I am now we went from XP to 7.

IT tends to know when it is worth migrating.

Windows 98, ME and Vista got the cold shoulder. In fact, it really does seem to be an “every other release” sort of thing.

I have a win2k, an xp and a 7 desktop at home. They all still go great regarding what I use them for. The win2k machine is used only for winamp and sonar version 1.3 in a recording studio. No internet.


41 posted on 07/19/2013 8:40:21 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: molson209

computers these days are so good ,you can go 5 + years without an upgrade


Yep. It’s what I’ve been doing since the turn of the century. My Win2k machine is the same one my kids were using with Napster in 1999, but it got a memory upgrade. Still using it for music stuff.


42 posted on 07/19/2013 8:41:39 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: circlecity

The next machine I get will probably have win9 on it. And it will be a fairly “old” OS by then.


43 posted on 07/19/2013 8:42:44 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: isthisnickcool

this is a result of the windows RT mentality.

it was a pathetic idea only suckers would like.

MS has lost contact with their customers, the HUMAN customers.


44 posted on 07/19/2013 8:44:08 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: freeandfreezing
The PC market would be much stronger if Microsoft was as innovative in PC oriented OS features as the vendors of tablet OS software are. Simply adopting tablet OS features, gluing them on top of a desktop OS, and calling in Windows 8 isn't enough.

IMO the biggest fault is that MS is concentrating on the UI rather than on correctness. Heck, I bet if they focused on correctness for their next OS, perhaps a redesign w/ complete validation (meaning provably exception-free, containing no data flow errors, and terminating only in the ways that its programmers explicitly say; example for DNS: Ironsides) that the industry would snap it up.

Of course in order to do something like that MS would have to either (a) use an unpopular language like Ada [which has some really nice features in the 2012 revision], or (b) spend a LOT of time and energy compensating for using languages that were designed with little thought of correctness. In either case though there's a lot of effort required to prove things.

45 posted on 07/19/2013 8:44:34 AM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: cuban leaf
Windows 98, ME and Vista got the cold shoulder.

Windows 98SE was actually pretty good, IMO.

46 posted on 07/19/2013 8:45:45 AM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Has not collapsed. The problem is top managers not being able to understand that business is cyclic. Up, then down, then up, then down. Not preparing for the down cycles is what destroys them.


47 posted on 07/19/2013 8:51:22 AM PDT by I want the USA back (If I Pi$$ed off just one liberal today my mission has been accomplished.)
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To: OneWingedShark

Windows 98SE was actually pretty good, IMO.


I’ve heard that from others too. I gotta say that the move from 95 to the NT based 2000 was HUGE for me. There was a piece of software I had on my 95 machine that could tell me how much of the various types of memory I had left and it exposed HUGE memory leaks. I had to reboot my machine every day just to free up all the unused memory to keep it running. But that is what most people did back then so most people didn’t see the problem I was seeing. By the end of two days of use without a reboot it was ridiculously slow.


48 posted on 07/19/2013 9:00:57 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: napscoordinator

You are obviously a web surfer and social partaker and do not make a living writing software or use intensive business software.


49 posted on 07/19/2013 9:04:23 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: BCR #226

Pray tell what computer system other than Windows do you use that is able to run over 80% of the business software in the market?


50 posted on 07/19/2013 9:05:24 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: SeekAndFind

Windows 7 is a stable 64 bit platform for business, and as more companies move to virtualization, they’ll be keeping their volume licenses, rather then upgrading to Windows 8.

More importantly, people who need to use tablets in business will still be able to access their Windows 7 desktops through the vitualization clients.

But it seems that the consumer market for desktops is getting smaller and smaller. Most people I know are buying laptops for themselves, even though the laptops will just sit on their desks.

Mark


51 posted on 07/19/2013 9:13:41 AM PDT by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: what's up

RE: Give MSFT 3 days or so then buy ‘15 calls.

So, you’re betting MSFT stocks will go UP and this drop is just temporary?


52 posted on 07/19/2013 9:23:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

LOL, I use mostly Mac since Tiger. If not Mac, then Linux or OpenBSD. In fact on my Mac, use VMWare where I can run alternate operating systems including Windows XP. I remember I used Windows up to Win 3.11 WFW and 95/98 but floated away ever since.


53 posted on 07/19/2013 9:24:33 AM PDT by CORedneck
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To: OneWingedShark

Yep, that is a good way to get infected too. For every real crack or piece of cracked warez, there are 1000 files just loaded with bad stuff out there masquerading as what you are looking for.


54 posted on 07/19/2013 9:35:02 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Boogieman
Yep, that is a good way to get infected too. For every real crack or piece of cracked warez, there are 1000 files just loaded with bad stuff out there masquerading as what you are looking for.

This I know; which is why I said they were all my fault.

55 posted on 07/19/2013 9:41:35 AM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: Woodman

I don’t see why the Surface wouldn’t be decent. I’ve got a ton of tablets as I test them for clients. I’ve never been asked to test anything on a Surface.

MS made the mistake of delineating Surface RT vs Pro incorrectly. They should have just made one model and then price by RAM and other options (broadband, bundled SW, etc).

Windows 8 should be sold as a desktop version and a tablet version. No one is asking for one OS that runs on both. While it’s nice and there are probably some corner case users who will actually take advantage of that, the fat part of the market doesn’t care.

My Win 8 machine has sat unused for months. I’ll probably break it out and update it when 8.1 is finally released - I see no reason to play with the beta’s. But I my win 7 desktop for heavy lifting, my Mac Air and iPad when I’m mobile.


56 posted on 07/19/2013 9:46:35 AM PDT by tje
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To: SeekAndFind
Where is Office for Linux? Where is Office Lite for iOS and Android? Where is SQL Server for Linux and OS/X? Where is Visual Studio for all of the above? Why is Office for Mac on such a delayed release cycle? Why have they ignored the strong and capable software products they do have to waste time building an idiotic interface for WIndows 8 and a stupid tablet OS nobody wants?

The problem is Ballmer, and it's way past time for him to go. Microsoft's competition should be Oracle, SAP, and IBM - not Apple and Linux.

57 posted on 07/19/2013 9:47:47 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves (CTRL-GALT-DELETE)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

That’s the problem with Microsoft... they’re caught in a dilemma.

The do all sorts of things — from OS, to Office software to development tools to databases.

If they produce Office software, development tools or SQL Server for Linux or the Mac for instance, they will make it more attractive for users to purchase these operating systems, thus capturing market share from the Windows business.


58 posted on 07/19/2013 9:53:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: Mr. Jeeves

(s)how can us say Balmer is the problem?! his poop never stinks. He is stink free just like steve jobs!(/s)


59 posted on 07/19/2013 9:53:51 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: SeekAndFind
I support VB.NET in a MSFT shop using Visual Studio on a bunch of old Microsoft 2003 servers we have at work running MSSQL 2008. We're probably never going to upgrade Win2K3 or our SQL servers. There's no reason to.

I don't know where Microsoft gets their money anymore. The market doesn't seem to think Microsoft knows either. I guess MSFT is plodding on making money on per-processor licensing for their old server software that everyone's getting by on just fine as-is -- that, and if some group gets new HP or Dell PCs in the enterprise, MSFT sells a bundled Win7 OS along with it.

Basically, Microsoft is Blockbuster Video now: You drive down to their store in a strip mall and rent their VHS cassettes. They fine you a dollar if you don't rewind it when the rental is up in three days.

That won't last.

60 posted on 07/19/2013 10:01:10 AM PDT by The KG9 Kid (Demand Common Sense Nut Control.)
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