Spolsky said it best: the average user will only use 5% of the features in your do-all app, but each user will use a different 5%. Twitter doesn't count becaus

Spolsky said it best: the average user will only use 5% of the features in your do-all app, but each user will use a different 5%. Twitter doesn't count because they didn't solve an existing problem, they invented something new that everyone found useful. Apple doesn't count because they target the small niche that does things the Apple way. They don't try to appeal to everyone, unless they are manufacturing appeal like Twitter. The web doesn't count because it's easy and cheap to try out new web apps and to use many of them at once. You don't have to shell out for one vendor to solve all your problems. It's just too bad that web apps can't really talk to each other. You have to give Microsoft credit for embracing diversity. They try to solve everyone's problem and they pay the price in complexity. Perhaps a more connected web or a more responsive open source ecosystem can replace the MS mega-app, perhaps not. There is a lot of dirty work out there that nobody else wants to do.