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Will Windows 8 Save Microsoft?
Microsoft has enjoyed its high road of success for decades. Most of the time it has been through its Windows OS, starting with 3.1, Win 95, XP, Vista, 7. In most other ventures it has tried, it has played catch up, for instance, its search engine Bing. Then, there was the Apple vs. Microsoft debate. As computers become cheaper and the cell phone becomes "the only device you really need" for personal activities, Microsoft's Windows 8 OS, to be released later this year, could make or break MS.
Make or break in the sense that, if Win 8 fails to ignite as their Vista did, MS will have to go back to the drawing the boards to determine what they need to focus on. The MS stock prices reflect a decline of the software giant as the earning ratios have dropped from 80 in 2000 to about 15 today. Earnings per stock share for 2010 was only $2.73. Because of the economy, investors want a more significant return quicker instead of the paltry offerings MS provides. Most PCs come loaded with the Windows OS, yet PC sales are declining, and there is little that Windows 8 can do to change that.
Consumers have too many choices: cell phones, tablets, netbooks, all can do things like a PC.MS hopes that its Win 8 for cell phones becomes popular to bolster their software division that earned $19 billion last year. Consumers so far are simply luke warm about WIN 8. In a poll, half asked, why change from XP or 7? It seems that Win 8 really only offers minor improvements and a new bold interface that many ask, why? Switching from XP to 7, is a big improvement, not so with Win 7 to 8.
Regardless of its success, Microsoft will continue to be around.