Microsoft will, probably forever, maintain the title of The Darkside. Whether it was their aggressive actions in the 90’s, their inability to maintain a connection to their supporters (which could easily be described as arrogance), or simply the refusal to be more open with their development, the moniker, despite having lost a lot of the truth it once held, is tattooed to the software giant square on its forehead. For some reason, I am a Microsoft supporter, of sorts. They seem to take a lot of flack for what they do, and the company doesn’t seem to get the respect it deserves. I understand we live in a ‘what have you done for me lately’ society, which begs the question: What has Microsoft done for us lately?

The recent releases include Vista, Office 2007, Surface computing, the Zune, and the Xbox, to name a few. Having used Office 2007 for a few months before being forced back to its predecessor, I am amazed at how much I appreciate the changes that I seemed to fight with initially. I remember the same feeling when I went to Windows XP, and I’m sure I’d find the same thing with Vista. The Zune, Xbox, and Surface computers are obviously quite a different story, straying away from the software roots, but create an interesting package of products. The Xbox has quickly become a force in the console market, although the 360 (and PS3) definitely underestimated the Wii. The Zune is a great little product, but was too late in the game and missed the hype. Critics attacked the device and failed to highlight the fact that the Zune attempted to innovate the mp3 world with its embedded wireless technology. The future of the Zune will lie in a Zune phone version and its ability to compete against, among others, the iPhone. The Surface computer is too fresh in the market to really say for sure, but needless to say its release to the world will create a wave of knock-off devices coming to a store near you.

With so much press focussing on Microsoft vs. Google, Google is almost always declared the unanimous champion, but with so much invested outside of the Internet, it’s difficult to suggest that the decision isn’t short sighted or one-dimensional. Longevity is key to any business, and Microsoft has proven that with 30 years in a cut throat Industry. With so many critics continuing to kick dirt on the Darkside, it is almost like beating a dead horse, except the company is anything but dead. Changes made in the last few years should start to come to fruition in the next 6 months to a year, and I expect good things from this dead horse.

I came across a link to 10 Things We Love About Microsoft. After a year and a half, the article doesn’t need to be changed one bit, which is amazing in itself.

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