has been a "me too" or an out right procurement - the Bruce Artwick FS1 being the prime example here.

 

All the way back in 1982, when Microsoft purchased a programme that Bruce had developed for several processors, including the Apple II, - & the rest as they say, is history.

Throughout most companies, specifically tech companies, quality is decreasing.

 

A lot of Apple fans agree that Apple has been starting to put out products that aren't the best. I personally don't see anything wrong, but their stock seem to be reflecting this common opinion, from what I can see at least.

 

I actually don't buy this at all about Apple - what the "analysts" (who are all working for investment banks that profit off stock gains) actually say is that they're not producing record profit at the RATE they used to. It's still a ridiculous amount of profit, their products are still among the best selling in the world etc, but they're just upset that it isn't constantly accelerating upward. I personally think the fact that this is always expected out of companies is one of the worst aspects of our economy/system and is of the primary ideas that leads to huge speculative bubbles and their subsequent bursting like we saw in 2008.

 

 

A lot of Apple fans agree that Apple has been starting to put out products that aren't the best. I personally don't see anything wrong, but their stock seem to be reflecting this common opinion, from what I can see at least.

 

The iPhone on it's own apparently still generates more sales revenue than ALL of Microsofts products combined.

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/08/19/apples-iphone-is-now-worth-more-than-all-of-microsoft/

Fellow old-timers will remember that Microsoft was slow to catch on to the internet.  I remember going to Comp USA in those heady days of the mid '90s, and *none* of the internet related products were being produced by Microsoft.  Bill Gates himself thought the internet was just a fad, but when he realized he was wrong he foisted IE on the world and made it 'inconvenient' to use any other browser.

 

I don't know that Microsoft was ever an innovator as much as it was an effective competition killing machine, and it's not even that now.

 

Richard Kelly

 

This is true but just the same it was better before than the reality Ballmer has created.

Here is how Bill Gates can upgrade his reputation from shy nerd to Devil May Care Macho Man: Retake the active CEO role and announce a set of glasses to rival Google ! Suggested sales motto: "Get a Pair"!