“A computer on every desk and in every home” was incredible foresight for 1977. It carried Microsoft for 25 years of growth. But once that goal was achieved, I don’t think they knew where to go. They were like the dog that caught the car. They spent a lot of time and energy on TV. Not just with Xbox, which is alive and well today (albeit not a significant source of income), but with other ideas that did not pan out, like “media center PCs” and the joint ownership of “MSNBC”, which was originally imagined as a sort of cable news network, website, dessert, and floor wax rolled into one.
What they missed was the next step from every desk and home: a computer in every pocket.

You wouldn’t think that Daring Fireball would be the place to go for a smart piece on Microsoft and their new CEO and the future of their products. But you’d be wrong.

Joe Stracci