Microsoft doesn’t get it at all

To continue my rant against Microsoft, check out this exposition of cluelessness…

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/articles/0,15114,1050065-1,00.html

Here’s an excerpt:

Inside Microsoft, the battle with Google has become far more than a fight over search: It’s a certifiable grudge match for king of the hill in high tech. “Google is interesting not just because of web search, but because they’re going to try to take that and use it to get into other parts of software,” says Gates as he leans forward in his chair, his body coiled as if he could spring to his feet at any second. “If all there was was search, you really shouldn’t care so much about it. It’s because they are a software company,” he says. “In that sense,” he adds later, “they are more like us than anyone else we have ever competed with.”

Here’s a quck summary to catch you up if you don’t know what the article is talking about. Microsoft first started developing software in the 1980’s when computers started to become a big hit. They grew fast and have now become the top software development company in the world. Their primary product is their Windows operating system although they also dabble in quite a bit of other projects like Hotmail (internet e-mail), and MSN (a Yahoo-like portal) and even web search technologies.

The problem is, Microsoft has grown incredibly complacent. They’ve rested on their $40 billion in cash and have been slow to fix problems in their software; many problems which are the reason why we have such a huge computer virus crisis right now! Granted in recent months, they have stepped up their efforts to fix what’s broken and even try to innovate new ideas, but they are still s-l-o-w and it seems that this lumbering girth has infected their core values as a company.

So now, when a trim and nimble company like Google genuinely makes excellent products that deliver what the customer wants and beyond, what happens? Why, the customers go to Google! Imagine that!?!?! Why would people want something that works right, works fast, and if it doesn’t work is fixed quickly? The above quote (indeed the whole article) shows just how clueless Microsoft leader Bill Gates is when it comes to software. He doesn’t seem realize that Google is making a better product. This is systemic because he doesn’t even realize that Apple did the same thing. Microsoft is growing in it’s reputation for building klunky, buggy software that’s under par for customer needs. That’s bad business, plain and simple.

What is Microsoft’s response? “Wait!! Look at me too! I’ll do something even cooler!” Even the employees are leaving to work for Google. As the old adage goes, “When the horse is dead, dismount”. Well, Microsoft may be far from being dead, but something is really starting to smell of rot from within.