Bob Young and the Rise of Red Hat
,----[ Quote ]
| How Red Hat's founder developed a business model that steered a course
| between those of proprietary and open-source software vendors
|
| One of the most fascinating stories in the technology sector has been the
| challenge posed by open-source giant Linux to Microsoft's (MSFT) dominance of
| the market for operating system software.
`----
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jan2008/id20080122_366257.htm?campaign_id=yhoo
Microsoft is very heavy on buybacks at the moment, lying on the cushion of past
savings. The same goes for other companies that have saving to hide the
slowdown. Also today:
Soros on the end of the world as we know it
,----[ Quote ]
| Financial Times: Soros Sees 'End Of An Era'
|
| Reuters: Soros: world faces worst finance crisis since WW2
|
| Telegraph: Dollar's golden era is ending, warns Soros
|
| Financial Times: The worst market crisis in 60 years, by George Soros.
|
| The Independent: Soros warns 'systemic failure' may be upon us
|
| The Guardian: Soros: Britain cannot escape US recession
|
| Salon.com: The gloomy gospel according to George Soros
|
| [...]
`----
http://beranger.org/index.php?page=diary&2008/01/24/21/51/31-soros-on-the-end-of-the-world-as
That's what one gets from predatory capitalism when animals like Intel and
Microsoft even devour charities for an extra buck.
Related:
Prices rise on last day of year in short session
,----[ Quote ]
| U.S. stocks were hit by losses in large technology companies, including
| Microsoft Corp.
`----
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKN3142042820071231?rpc=44
A Dozen Stocks For '07
,----[ Quote ]
| Millen also thinks $36 billion in planned share buybacks
| will help the stock.
`----
http://www.forbes.com/2006/12/05/stocks-markets-investing-pf-ii-cz_ag_1205stockpicks.html?partner=yahootix
http://tinyurl.com/yjzfbo
Microsoft counts on Vista to recharge stagnant stock
,----[ Quote ]
| There was a time in the 1990s when shares of Microsoft stock seemed to
| double every couple of years. 1996: college for the kids. 1998: a place
| on Whidbey. 1999: early retirement.
|
| Times have changed.
`----
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003437957_vista19.html
Commentary: Microsoft needs more than just buybacks to lift its shares
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft shares, which have been dormant for the last few years,
| have been looking up over the last couple months. The Dow industrials
| component has gained about 20% since hitting a 4-year low of $21.46 o
| June 13.
|
| To help move things along, Microsoft not only launched a $40 billion
| stock repurchase program that lasts through 2011, the company also said
| its previously announced 4-year, $30 billion stock buyback program was
| completed in just 2 years.
`----
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7B685EFB89%2D5791%2D4E8B%2DAD6A%2D9688F5B6012A%7D&source=blq%2Fyhoo&dist=yhoo&siteid=yhoo
Software Notebook: Microsoft's cash pile isn't what it used to be
,----[ Quote ]
| But Microsoft has taken a series of steps to reduce its cash
| balance. Specifically, by Microsoft's count, the company has
| paid out nearly $100 billion through dividends and repurchasing
| its own stock in the past five years.
`----
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/309852_software02.html
Microsoft Hides Its Mobile and Business Apps Divisions
,----[ Quote ]
| The company is folding its two worst-performing divisions -- Microsoft
| Business Solutions (its business applications unit) and its Mobile and
| Embedded units -- into the Microsoft Business Division and Microsoft Home
| and Entertainment units, respectively.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1990243,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
How Much is Too Much?
,----[ Summary ]
| Microsoft says it will stick with Xbox. But with years of heavy losses
| behind it, the pressure's on for the gaming division to make good
`----
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/oct2006/id20061013_283856.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories
http://tinyurl.com/yxdr4j
Microsoft stoic despite massive losses
,----[ Quote ]
| If you were to judge by the PR rhetoric, you'd think the 360 was
| an unstoppable commercial juggernaut. As usual though, PR lies.
`----
http://www.gamerscan.com/articles/06/10/09/microsofts.massive.losses/
The Secret Failures of Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| There is no choice involved; even most Linux users are forced to pay for a
| Microsoft license in order to obtain a brand name PC.
|
| [...]
|
| They are bound to an oath to swear allegiance to Windows XP Professional,
| and must never mention Linux and Windows in the same breath. If they step
| out of line in any way, Microsoft dramatically raises their OEM licensing
| fees and sends them to indoctrination camp, where they face chairs being
| hurled at them by angry monkeys.
|
| [...]
|
| Why do Windows enthusiasts exibit much hostility to an obvious fact?
| Because if they admit that 80% of the company's revenues come entirely
| from an OEM tax, and not from any choice on the part of consumers...
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft's decade of investments in WinCE and Windows Mobile
| Smartphones have only barely matched the market share of Palm, which
| itself is a run down company out of ideas. Microsoft couldn't
| out-maneuver the incompetent Palm within a decade of trying; now both
| are ineffectually fighting over the dying PDA industry while Linux and
| Symbian slaughter them in the smartphone arena:
|
| Symbian 75%; Linux 14%; Microsoft 5%; Palm 5%.
|
| [...]
|
| (many more failures listed)
`----
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Q4.06/2E6D9BB2-FE1B-4556-8389-67BD581FBCCC.html
Recession fears could end bull market
,----[ Quote ]
| The slide could be halted, however, if bellwether companies such as Apple and
| United Technologies engender hope that the U.S. economy can avert recession.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/080121/column_stocks_outlook.html?.v=2
,----[ Quote ]
| Sadly, many of these brilliant people have been blinded by the stock
| price and unable to see that Microsoft is also the key architect of
| the greatest financial pyramid scheme this century.
|
| It is not uncommon for participants in pyramid schemes to lose their
| emotional bearings. My close friends who work at Microsoft are
| particularly upset over my work and it is possible that even Bill
| Gates and Steve Ballmer do not realize the implications of their
| financial practices.
`----
http://www.billparish.com/msftfraudfacts.html
,----[ Quote ]
| As with all pyramid schemes, it is important to get as close to tier
| 1 as possible. From a practical standpoint, usually only tiers 1 and 2
| will derive significant long-term economic rewards from such schemes.
`----
http://reactor-core.org/microsoft-pyramid.html
|
|
