Microsoft is maybe the only big tech organization that feels like they're still actively trying to out-innovate their size. They invested in OpenAI (not acquired; invested) then weeks later made substantial improvements to Bing. They made a concept hardware device 10 years ago (the Courier), then finally made it real (it's not great, but that's beside the point). They're possibly the single largest funder of insanely critical open source software projects; Kubernetes, TypeScript, VSCode, etc. They acquired Github then practically speaking left them alone to continue being a really high quality product, while simultaneously investing in internal direct competitors (Azure DevOps). They released Loop a few weeks ago; now they're going after Notion.
You can argue that they're leveraging M365 and their enterprise contracts to out-innovate smaller competitors like Slack, Notion, etc. Yeah, ok; I don't love it. But I really can't help but feel: At least they're doing it. At least they're releasing new products that don't totally suck. I literally can't think of one thing Google has released in the past five years that left a fingerprint on the world. Facebook is a similar story. Apple is a very different company, but its not dissimilar: M1 was incredible, but if you put that aside (because, really, the past three years has been "M1 Catchup" for them) the iPhone is the same thing it was four years ago, the iPad is the same, the Watch is the same, the software is overwhelmingly the same, I guess they have a new Savings Account (when companies start running out of ideas to innovate, they turn to financial engineering).
Microsoft is a cool company, and I'll die on that hill. I'm not happy with everything they do. I think the entire Windows division leadership needs to be gutted and replaced, and they need to think long and hard about what Windows looks like for the next 10 years (and maybe they're already doing that!). But putting that aside, even considering Microsoft's very light anti-competitiveness, I'd take them over the rest of big tech nowadays. They're mostly just lame ducks.
However sceptical you may be about it, Meta deserves credit for at least trying to do something new with VR and Metaverse. We will see Apple follow suit in the next few months.
I really feel actually that Google is the outlier here in underperforming their innovation quota. It seems to me they hired a bunch of high level managers who somehow got envy of Ballmer-era Microsoft and tried to re-invent it at Google. I can't understand how or why this seems like a good strategy but it's all I can make of the fact that have withdrawn from every innovative product they were interested in.
> Microsoft is a cool company, and I'll die on that hill.
"cool" companies stagnate. Remember, Microsoft was that "cool" company who left us with rottin IE6 until competition came.
So let me channel Ballmer, leader of said cool company: COMPETITION, COMPETITION, COMPETITION, COMPETITION, COMPETITION, COMPETITION.
That makes our world better.
Microsoft tried moving away from legacy Windows with UWP. The long term plan was probably for UWP to replace core Windows with that.
Windows will be around for at least a few more decades until everything is a web app. But leadership under Nadella knows the clock is ticking and that's why they've moved their focus to making Office 365 (Office/OneDrive/Teams) and Azure their bread and butter.
> I think the entire Windows division leadership needs to be gutted and replaced, and they need to think long and hard about what Windows looks like for the next 10 years (and maybe they're already doing that!).
I think the reason Windows is getting crappier is the same reason that Microsoft is doing everything else in your list - they're transitioning to an SaaS/services company and leveraging their existing strengths/monopolies to elbow their way into various SaaS markets (see: Microsoft Teams shipping "free" with O365). Changing windows to respect users again would require changing the whole corporate culture you are praising, not just the Windows division. In my opinion what's happening to Windows is entirely consistent with everything else Microsoft is doing, not some aberration.
I think "innovate" is a very strong word for what Microsoft is doing with Slack and Notion. The absolute most charitable I could be is that these applications are just functional enough to fit into the same niche, but more realistically they are minimum effort bundled me-toos to entice penny wise and pound foolish managers with control over the IT budget.
Comments about the quality of the offerings aside, what do these applications objectively bring to the table that merits calling them innovative?
You can argue that they're leveraging M365 and their enterprise contracts to out-innovate smaller competitors like Slack, Notion, etc. Yeah, ok; I don't love it. But I really can't help but feel: At least they're doing it. At least they're releasing new products that don't totally suck. I literally can't think of one thing Google has released in the past five years that left a fingerprint on the world. Facebook is a similar story. Apple is a very different company, but its not dissimilar: M1 was incredible, but if you put that aside (because, really, the past three years has been "M1 Catchup" for them) the iPhone is the same thing it was four years ago, the iPad is the same, the Watch is the same, the software is overwhelmingly the same, I guess they have a new Savings Account (when companies start running out of ideas to innovate, they turn to financial engineering).
Microsoft is a cool company, and I'll die on that hill. I'm not happy with everything they do. I think the entire Windows division leadership needs to be gutted and replaced, and they need to think long and hard about what Windows looks like for the next 10 years (and maybe they're already doing that!). But putting that aside, even considering Microsoft's very light anti-competitiveness, I'd take them over the rest of big tech nowadays. They're mostly just lame ducks.