Microsofts biggest problem is that "they just have no taste" to qoute Steve Jobs. Taste is what the enduser sees. Endusers don't care about strategy, proprieta

Microsofts biggest problem is that "they just have no taste" to qoute Steve Jobs. Taste is what the enduser sees. Endusers don't care about strategy, proprietary technology, bottomlines, acquisitions, tie-ins, and what have you. The big problem here is that having good taste is like being a good hacker - you have to be one to spot one. And since Microsoft doesn't seem to have many people with taste they don't recognize it when they see it. This is why Microsoft isn't doing well on the web - it's easy to switch to a competitor if a site doesn't just work right away, and many Microsoft offerings don't. They're clunky, hard to navigate and often have a hidden agenda thought up by a MBA. This is also the primary reason that Apple is doing so well: Their CEO has taste. Endusers just want shiny stuff that works.