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____/ Robin T Cox on Monday 22 September 2008 17:12 : \____
> Moshe Goldfarb. wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:06:53 GMT, Robin T Cox wrote:
>>
>>> Moshe Goldfarb. wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:45:00 +0000, Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080922/microsoft_buyback.html
>>>>
>>>> "On Monday, Moody's Investors service assigned an "Aaa" senior unsecured
>>>> debt rating to Microsoft, with a stable outlook. The ratings agency said
>>>> this reflects the company's "position as the world's largest software
>>>> company with a strong and defensible market position throughout its
>>>> diverse core offerings."
>>>>
>>>> Microsoft also said it received a "AAA" corporate credit rating from
>>>> Standard & Poor's Rating Services.
>>>>
>>>> Shares rose $1.22, or 4.9 percent, to $26.38 in premarket trading."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Yea...
>>>> Microsoft is in a lot of trouble......NOT!
>>>
>>> That's most probably what MS want you and the market to think: hence the
>>> buyback.
>>>
>>> But investors and the market may very well conclude instead that, since
>>> MS have spent their cash on buying back shares rather than using it for
>>> profitable future investment, their prospects going forward are not too
>>> great.
>>
>> Anything is possible, however the article Schestowitz posted has
>> absolutely nothing to do with his choice of subject line.
>> As usual.
>>
>
> Maybe so. However, I for one in these turbulent times will never again make
> myself dependent upon a proprietary OS. I'd like to be sure that, whatever
> the financial markets may do, my OS will be there tomorrow.
>
> Unfortunately MS users can never be sure of that.
Case of point (very recent):
Microsoft Burns Down Book Search
,----[ Quote ]
| Citing poor demand, Microsoft will back away from scanning and indexing books
| and academic works for Live Search
`----
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/05/23/microsoft-burns-down-book-search
EFF: Microsoft betrayed MSN Music customers
,----[ Quote ]
| The Electronic Frontier Foundation says that Microsoft has "betrayed" MSN
| Music customers and wants the company to make things right by issuing an
| apology, refunds, and eliminate digital rights management technology from the
| Zune music player.
`----
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9931304-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
MSN Music Debacle Highlights EULA Dangers
,----[ Quote ]
| MSN Music’s EULA is a case in point. When active, MSN Music's webpage touted
| that customers could “choose their device and know its going to work”.
|
| But when customers went to purchase songs, they were shown legalese that
| stated the download service and the content provided were sold without
| warrantee. In other words, Microsoft doesn't promise you that the service or
| the music will work, or that you will always have access to music you bought.
| The flashy advertising promised your music, your way, but the fine print
| said, our way or the highway.
`----
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/05/msn-music-debacle-highlights-eula-dangers
When DRM detonates your music collection
,----[ Quote ]
| It is all down to the digital rights management (DRM) software that Microsoft
| has embedded in all its music downloads to combat illegal file-sharing. For
| DRM to work it needs a central computer to keep a live record of who has
| registered which songs to which computers. The problem is that the main
| server is now being turned off as the company wants to sell downloads with a
| new type of DRM. How odd that the old system was marketed as PlaysForSure.
`----
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3898784.ece
Microsoft shuts down Ensemble Studios
http://www.techspot.com/news/31575-microsoft-shuts-down-ensemble-studios.html
There are many more examples.
- --
"There is such an overvaluation of technology stocks that it is absurd. I would
include our stock in that category. It is bad for the long-term worth of the
economy."
--Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO
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