3 ms·

“I get that Microsoft no longer makes most of their money from Windows” Is that even true? I thought it’s still the cash cow.

CydeWeys 8y ago
There's some figures here: https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/06/29/how-microsoft-corporation-makes-most-of-its-money.aspx https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/06/29/how-microsoft-corp... Windows revenue is well below Office and Cloud revenue, and even below Xbox revenue. This makes sense; a typical user is probably only paying an average of $100 on Windows, and infrequently at that. The last time I bought Windows was many years ago, when 7 came out. I took advantage of the free upgrade to 8 and then 10 since then.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  Maybe Google should learn from them how to get away from ads. It's pretty phenomenal that they have been able to shift their main revenue from OS to other things like Cloud. I know people like to sh.t on MS but I wonder many of the current tech stars will be able to stay alive and healthy during several major technology changes like MS has done for decades now,.
  - CydeWeys 8y ago
    Seems kind of like a tangent, but, advertising is a field that has existed for many hundreds of years. It's not the same kind of thing as Microsoft Windows, which is a specific type of software product. I'd say the fairer comparison is that Microsoft is still completely dependent on selling software, just like Google is still completely dependent on selling advertising.
    - maxxxxx 8y ago
      I just think from an ethical point of view I much prefer Microsoft's model over google's which depends on sucking up more and more information about people. Give it a few years and Google and Facebook will have worldwide surveillance of everybody on a level that never existed and most people probably can't imagine. Even companies with a bad reputation like Oracle are better. You give them a lot of money and they give you a product but don't need to know every move you ever make.

CydeWeys 8y ago

There's some figures here: https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/06/29/how-microsoft-corporation-makes-most-of-its-money.aspx https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/06/29/how-microsoft-corp... Windows revenue is well below Office and Cloud revenue, and even below Xbox revenue. This makes sense; a typical user is probably only paying an average of $100 on Windows, and infrequently at that. The last time I bought Windows was many years ago, when 7 came out. I took advantage of the free upgrade to 8 and then 10 since then.

maxxxxx 8y ago
Maybe Google should learn from them how to get away from ads. It's pretty phenomenal that they have been able to shift their main revenue from OS to other things like Cloud. I know people like to sh.t on MS but I wonder many of the current tech stars will be able to stay alive and healthy during several major technology changes like MS has done for decades now,.
- CydeWeys 8y ago
  Seems kind of like a tangent, but, advertising is a field that has existed for many hundreds of years. It's not the same kind of thing as Microsoft Windows, which is a specific type of software product. I'd say the fairer comparison is that Microsoft is still completely dependent on selling software, just like Google is still completely dependent on selling advertising.
  - maxxxxx 8y ago
    I just think from an ethical point of view I much prefer Microsoft's model over google's which depends on sucking up more and more information about people. Give it a few years and Google and Facebook will have worldwide surveillance of everybody on a level that never existed and most people probably can't imagine. Even companies with a bad reputation like Oracle are better. You give them a lot of money and they give you a product but don't need to know every move you ever make.