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What killed Windows: the Internet and mobile devices have made the desktop OS less relevant, combined with healthy competition from Apple. What killed Office:

What killed Windows: the Internet and mobile devices have made the desktop OS less relevant, combined with healthy competition from Apple. What killed Office: once again, the Internet is making desktop applications obsolete. Enter Google docs. Socialization is in a different market than office productivity, so "people wanting to socialize with their friends" killing "Windows/Office" seems a non sequitur.

robryan 16y ago
Both office and windows are still massive cash cows for Microsoft, I guess Facebook could do the same thing, slowly become less relevant while still controlling a massive market and turning massive profits. Of course Facebook still seem much more nimble in their space, maybe they will be able to jump in early on the next big thing.
codingthewheel 16y ago
The only problem with this argument is that Windows and Office are both more popular than they've ever been and industry-wide, people are purchasing more desktop/laptop/notebook PCs per year than ever before. So if by "dead" you mean "more popular than ever" then I guess this argument holds water. http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/26/microsoft-numbers/ http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/26/microsoft-numbers/ It's true that of late the focus has been mobile, mobile, mobile, and Microsoft missed the boat here to a degree, but only in comparison to what Apple did, which is start a revolution around the idea of easy, mobile devices. This is a completely different market than the desktop market, and the popularity of one doesn't mean the death of the other. By the way, people have been calling for the death of the desktop since the 80s. 90s. 00s. Hasn't happened yet. Down the road...who knows.
- techiferous 16y ago
  Perhaps "dead" is hyperbole and "past-its-prime" is more accurate. Microsoft is still huge, but its hegemony is starting to wane.
  - codingthewheel 16y ago
    You're right, and I think they are starting to sense it. This presents an interesting parallel universe in which Microsoft actually starts to channel some of that famous "underdog" energy that Steve Jobs himself channeled. Lately I've actually heard sympathy for Microsoft in areas that used to be viciously anti-MS. It seems some of the hatred for MS has been transferred to Apple, and to a lesser extent, over to Google. But that's probably my subjective experience. I do think to the extent Microsoft can go lean, hungry, and humble, it will go better for them in the years to come.

robryan 16y ago

Both office and windows are still massive cash cows for Microsoft, I guess Facebook could do the same thing, slowly become less relevant while still controlling a massive market and turning massive profits. Of course Facebook still seem much more nimble in their space, maybe they will be able to jump in early on the next big thing.

codingthewheel 16y ago

The only problem with this argument is that Windows and Office are both more popular than they've ever been and industry-wide, people are purchasing more desktop/laptop/notebook PCs per year than ever before. So if by "dead" you mean "more popular than ever" then I guess this argument holds water. http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/26/microsoft-numbers/ http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/26/microsoft-numbers/ It's true that of late the focus has been mobile, mobile, mobile, and Microsoft missed the boat here to a degree, but only in comparison to what Apple did, which is start a revolution around the idea of easy, mobile devices. This is a completely different market than the desktop market, and the popularity of one doesn't mean the death of the other. By the way, people have been calling for the death of the desktop since the 80s. 90s. 00s. Hasn't happened yet. Down the road...who knows.

techiferous 16y ago
Perhaps "dead" is hyperbole and "past-its-prime" is more accurate. Microsoft is still huge, but its hegemony is starting to wane.
- codingthewheel 16y ago
  You're right, and I think they are starting to sense it. This presents an interesting parallel universe in which Microsoft actually starts to channel some of that famous "underdog" energy that Steve Jobs himself channeled. Lately I've actually heard sympathy for Microsoft in areas that used to be viciously anti-MS. It seems some of the hatred for MS has been transferred to Apple, and to a lesser extent, over to Google. But that's probably my subjective experience. I do think to the extent Microsoft can go lean, hungry, and humble, it will go better for them in the years to come.