It's hard to believe Microsoft could fall
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 07:24AM 
I can't remember the year I got my first computer, but I think it was 1988 -- a Radio Shack 64k I think it was. I couldn't do anything with it except play with DOS. However, shortly after, things began to change, and Microsoft was the driving force of the change. Microsoft became synonymous with computers in my mind. I've always been a PC guy, and I never even considered Microsoft ever being in trouble -- it seemed like General Motors. My father retired from General Motors and, growing up, GM was just there -- it wasn't until many years later I ever thought GM could be in trouble. It was like saying the US government may be losing ground to anarchists.
Yet, with Gates going, with open source, with Google growing more powerful, with hungry start-ups circling the big beast, Microsoft could be in trouble. Younger people won't have a hard time believing it, and that is part of the problem.
One part of the problem is that Microsoft never became personally important to me, only practically. This is probably true for a lot of people of my generation (many even hated Microsoft and used their products because they had to). And younger users may not even have a practical use -- they don't HAVE to use their products -- they certainly don't have a personal connection. Unless Microsoft miraculously reinvents itself for the 21st century, it's all downhill from here.
Mike from Savannah
(photo from www.pierrebourgeot.com)
Reader Comments (2)
Very interesting thoughts. Gotta believe someone at Microsoft has already realized this. Hmm, might borrow your idea for a blog post of mine, if you don't mind.
No, I don't mind at all.