[mb @ Jan 8th 2007 3:42PM]

The tech world has grown up, and so has Mr. Gates. However, Microsoft is the same as it's ever been. Grandiose claims about digital convergence and "the future" always require Microsoft to go out on a limb, take risks, and innovate; but that's never what happens. They always take the safe bet, and while it makes excellent business sense, it makes it even harder for them to do anything new: they're stuck in a feedback loop. Bill has big dreams, but Ballmer is the knife that cuts now, and he's trying to push mediocre products as the biggest whiz-bang since Windows 95, and I don't think people are buying his brand of hype anymore, which is really all about consumer lock-in and half-assed attempts at novelty.

[Matt @ Jan 8th 2007 4:13PM]

I'm just impressed we still have cascading windows, even in Vista.

I'm not looking forward to Mr. Gates leaving Microsoft.

[Tony @ Jan 8th 2007 7:18PM]

@mb
"They always take the safe bet, and while it makes excellent business sense, it makes it even harder for them to do anything new"

Do you really think that Xbox, Xbox360, Zune, and Live are all safe bets?

[mb @ Jan 8th 2007 6:26PM]

@Tony
"Do you really think that Xbox, Xbox360, Zune, and Live are all safe bets?"

Insofar as them all being devices introduced into already fairly saturated markets, yes.

As far as gaming consoles, they just made the duo of Nintendo and Sony into a trio. There's nothing amazingly innovative on any scale with either unit. And they both were a success, mostly because of marketing and the efforts of the third parties that made the games.

Zune? Another DAP? This is about as innovative as releasing slightly thicker sliced bread, and doing it with someone else's knife.

I'm not saying these products won't make it, or that they are crap or anything like that; they just aren't anything new.