> I guess the truck-load of revenue isn't sufficient because investors still expect Microsoft to push fresh and innovative products. This is the key, I think,

> I guess the truck-load of revenue isn't sufficient because investors still expect Microsoft to push fresh and innovative products. This is the key, I think, to Microsoft's behaviour. and I think it's a mistake on the part of the investors. Microsoft is an /excellent/ cash cow, and not so great of an innovator. If I was the majority shareholder of Microsoft, I'd demand that they make their first priority delivering me a giant dividend cheque. Sure, Microsoft still has some good people, and they should keep those people busy moving windows forward, and maybe even doing some original research... but, at this point in their development, they are a cash cow. they need to realise this and start issuing nice fat dividends, rather than trying to 'buy' parts of the console gaming or internet search markets.