Here at Download Squad we know that the holiday spirit means more than just shopping for the
coolest gadgets (you know, for others on our list). The holidays are also a great time to be thankful for all that we already have. Many times we overlook the obvious positives in our lives to focus on the latest
cool thing to attract our attention. Those overlooked things do deserve some recognition, too. In that spirit we'd like to send some holiday cheer toward Microsoft. For those of you who just fell off your chair, yes we do believe that Microsoft deserves a big bear hug from us. Here are ten reasons why:
- We love that Microsoft spread computing beyond geekdom. Over the last thirty years, Microsoft's unrelenting charge toward world dominance has brought computing technology to the forefront of society. While many will argue that Microsoft is a great hindrance to the spread of computing, we are certain that without the Microsoft-Intel duopoly computers would still be the purview of pocket protector adorned, horn-rimmed glasses wearing geeks (sorry, no offense).
- We love to hate Microsoft. It seems as though Microsoft cannot do right by its
customers. Being the biggest fish in the ocean, it's only natural that Redmond take the heat for any computer ailments we suffer. And, on a regular basis, Microsoft obliges us with one screw-up after another (here's the latest example).
- We love Microsoft's recent openness. So many Microsoft employees write blogs. Whether it is an astute marketing ploy or not is yet to be determined, but hearing from the likes of Omar Shahine and Chris Pratley is a good thing. The spread of blogging throughout Microsoft has added a humanizing quality to the company that you can't imagine coming from other tech behemoths like IBM or (especially) Apple.
- We love Microsoft's remarkable agility in the marketplace.
Microsoft is huge, and should, by definition, be slow. While some may
argue they are actually slow to move, we are hard-pressed to find a
better example of a mega-company adapting, and ultimately, dominating
its space like Microsoft. Some companies talk a big game (yes,
Scott McNealy, everyone is staring at you right now) while their core
market implodes; Microsoft has, so far, avoided this collapse.
- We love Microsoft's unheralded wealth creation engine. We'd venture to guess that without Microsoft, many of our readers wouldn't have much to do. Whether it be fixing blemishes in Microsoft's
products or building rival applications, we're pretty sure that more
paychecks are generated around the Microsoft ecosystem than any other
software company today.
- We love Microsoft's own wealth creation engine.
Microsoft set the standard for employee wealth creation. Period.
Before Microsoft, it was a rare occurrence for "the Man" to share the
spoils of business with the worker bees. Microsoft changed this, and
ushered in an era of unprecedented expansion of employee wealth
creation.
- We love The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
While Bill G.'s charitable work
is not directly related to Microsoft, there isn't any doubt that
Microsoft's success has allowed Gates to focus his energy (and about $29 billion) on some of
the world's most terrible ailments. - We love Paul Allen's ventures. Paul Allen is our kind of founder. He's no longer involved in the
company he helped build, and, while Bill's off trying to save the world, Paul spends his money in, shall we say, some interesting ways. How can anyone not like a guy who'd build a shrine to Jimi Hendrix?
- We love Steve Ballmer.
He's nutty, oddly passionate, sweaty, and bald. That's not the profile
of your run-of-the-mill CEO, nor the type that Hollywood would cast.
That's why we love him. (That, and we love it when he goes ballistic.)
- We love that, from time to time, Microsoft really does innovate.
Yes, we know that Bill G. likes to say that Microsoft is an innovation
engine, but for the most part, we don't see the company as a gusher of
new ideas. When Microsoft does let the creative juices flow, we can
get everything from Microsoft Bob to OneNote. Bob is
best forgotten (though we can't resist rubbing Microsoft's nose in it yet again), but OneNote (and the upcoming update, OneNote 12) should
be considered among the best new applications to be released in the
last decade.
With Vista, Office 12, and other critical products
to be released in the coming year, Microsoft's fate for the next 30
years could be determined in 2006. We know it's hard to get emotional
about a multi-billion dollar company, but we ask you to join us in a
virtual hug for Microsoft this holiday season (hey, somebody's gotta do it).
