Microsoft in 'Trouble' as Bill Gates Leaves

ZDNet Australia Writes:

A Harvard University dropout who ushered in the home computer age and made billions of dollars along the way will have his last official day of work at Microsoft on 27 June.

Three people will essentially fill the void left behind when Bill Gates retires from the company he and friend Paul Allen co-founded in 1975.

Analysts say there are signs Microsoft has been struggling since Gates stepped away from managing operations several years ago.

[Condoleezza Rice]

Has had VERY stiff competition coming from all directions,with Apple,Google,Sony,and Nintendo,at the front lines.

There's been a lot of murmurings that the top Execs are still displeased with the direction of the Xbox brand...let's see how things roll after Gates leaves.

[Capt CHAOS]

MS makes very, very little money on the gaming side in comparison from other revenue streams. Google and Apple have a much larger impact.

[Wakka_]

The 360 destroys more homes than Sin does, ya?

[juuken]

Ya!

[Obama]

lol

[OmarJA]

Ya !

hahahaha you're comments cracks me up

Praise be to Yevon

[Bzone24]

Wow junken, do you find it a necessity to troll every single bit of microsoft news?

[Pain]

about time the house bill Copyed crumbles

[The gaming GOD]

Microsoft said they were making profit on the xbox brand.

But this zdnet editorial from the link says they have yet to make a profit.

Maybe MS is fighting a battle on TOO many fronts. Hardware, Software, Gaming, mobile devices. Gps. Etc.

But then again. Sony and Apple both do more than just one or two things as well. So maybe MS isn't fighting too many battles for all I know.

For all I know, this could the result of too many higher executives leaving MS in such a short period of time.

[Xi]

the xbox is now profitable. MS has been making money off the system for several consecutive months(the past 2 quaters, and the one where halo 3 was released), however microsoft has yet to actually make money on the system of the total investment.

one means that the xbox is no longer loosing money, the other means the xbox is making money.

edit:
thats what I mean.
the xbox brand though still in the red, is no longer losing money and is now eating at their losses. (ie it's profitable).
this is opposed to making a profit.

[kewlkat007]

Well Xi, I think the "Xbox 360" is now making money, but the Xbox franchise as a whole is still battling out the RED.

Either way much better than the Original Xbox.

[Panthers]

Not to mention that the new warranty has hurt them pretty bad.

[ThanatosDMC]

Aren't they on a deficit spending in their gaming devision? Seven billion dollars???

[LJWooly]

They tried to get away with manufacturing the 360 cheaply, which resulted in them losing out, and having to pay a substantial amount of cash, and make later revisions to the hardware.

Good to see Microsoft learning that this isn't just another industry they can march in, half-arse everything and still manage a monopoly.

[f789790]

.

[juuken]

Dum, dum, duuuuuuuummmmmm...

[GiantEnemyCrab]

And you're as gay as your avatar is, ya?

(Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt you and Juuken's trolling)

Could be worst though, like an exploding battery courtesy of $ony. The thing is while MS will try and fix it $ony will tell you to eat some egg rolls.

[juuken]

Lol, excuse you?

My trolling?

Heeeey, don't get pissy with me just because the company of which made your 360 may go downhill after Bill Gate's retirement. Ya know, Bill Gates is the reason why MS exists today. Without him, they wouldn't have even survived.

Oh GiantEnemyCrabLice, how you amuse me.

[Wakka_]

Looks like someone loves riding Microsoft's chocobo, ya?

[GiantEnemyCrab]

(in my most pissiest voice)

You have to be one crayon short of a box to think MS is going out down. Microsoft owns the desktop of around %90 percent of PC's.

N I N E T Y P E R C E N T !

At least you saved yourself a bit of face by saying "may go downhill". If I believed everything I read the world has run out of oil and tomorrow will be the first day of WWIII.

Troll on!

@2.2 - No you flaming homo I think it is you who are riding $ony's jock and thus the reason you feel you need to troll 360 articles like a good little $ony beotch! I can already see this site is going to almost be unbearable now that grade school is out for many of the $ony fankids on here.

[juuken]

And that shows just how much of a jackass you are.

I said that MS *may* go downhill. You would have to be serious not to think that way. Vista is a huge mess, people are sticking with Windows XP just for the sake of staying away from Vista, the 360 is getting it's ass kicked by the PS3 despite coming out first and having so many *games*, and the list goes on and on. Without Gates, MS would not be standing here today. Without Gates running MS, it may actually go down the drain. Oh, and did I mention that MS is hated around the world? They may have revolutionized PC's but their corruption runs rampant in the business world.

It amazes me how you're willing to defend them to death.

You are an angry child GiantEnemyCrabLice. I suggest a bottle of brandy and a warm bath to sooth your nerves before you burst a blood vessel there.

Seriously, stop. You're cracking me up.

edit: Posted, but seriously, who calls themselves GiantEnemyCrab? C'mon, someone was *bound* to make fun of the name! :]

Lol, I'm so bad sometimes. xD

Oh, and cartman my uncle had Vista. Most of the programs he had on Windows XP refused to work on Vista.

[cartman313]

Ahhhh what is wrong with Vista? It's been working fine for me.

lol@the chocobo comment.

[PoSTedUP]

sounds like someone is upset over the news. :,,(

@ jukken- lol! you said crab-lice! ewwwwwwwwwwwww! LOL!

[MazzingerZ]

...He wouldn't leave if he didn't have a good replacement, MSFT is Bill's baby...although in Europe it doesn't have it that easy, monopolies are not allowed and MSFT is paying all the time fees for hundreds of thousands of EUROS for going against those rules...still the dominant OS around the world, though...let's talk about games better, we know MSFT won't collapse as a company

[DarkSniper]

It looks like the media has finally caught wave of the errenous mistakes that have been made by Microsoft Corp. Dark Sniper actually commends Bill Gates by leaving a company that has no bright future looking ahead. He's definately made more than a sufficient amount of funds to support his retirement needs so his work at Microsoft has definately been complete.

Not even Mr. Gates can save a company that is dwindling to nothingness. The Xbox division is primarily the reason for Microsoft's sharp decline. Microsoft should leave electronics to the true pioneers such as Sony.

Dark Sniper doesnt blame Bill Gates for leaving. Being affiliated with Xbox 360 no doubt is an embarassment to your own prestige as a human being.

$niper

[GiantEnemyCrab]

At the last public exchange of MS financials they actually credited the Entertainment division as a key factor in MS profits for the quarter reported.

You can just say whatever stupid wrong idiotic thing you want and will agree's as long as you spin it negative on MS.

[juuken]

Wow...just wow GiantEnemyCrabLice. You really did prove that you're actually defending MS to death.

[Deadman64]

Yeah there is no doubt he obviously is. Are you not doing the same thing with Sony Juuken?

[juuken]

"Are you not doing the same thing with Sony Juuken?"

Um...no, I'm not. I was actually upset with Sony back in 2007 when they bragged about Home and XMB when it wasn't out yet. Now that they're doing a full 360 and are really listening to their fans, I'm proud of what they're doing so far.

I also support Nintendo as well.

[kewlkat007]

Bill was retiring or something, how dumb must you be to think that guy will not be in the Background balancing that checkbook..

just because somebody steps down from day to day Operation does not mean automatically the company is in trouble.

Now if you wanna talk about other reasons the company have been STAGNANT YES!!! but not because Bill is stepping down to focus on his Charity ventures.

You know a lot Presidents/CEO'S don't really do much when you get that high, just a lot of Meetings..etcThat guy built an empire, he will be behind the stages.

[plenty a tool]

but obviously this is the hated microsoft, and the sony fanboys have to disagree..you lot are fvcking sad!

[LJWooly]

I'm sure you would have had no qualms with the fanboys if Sony was the one involved here, tool.

[plenty a tool]

and when they do, how many times do you see them full of xbox fanboys slinging mud, nashing their teeth and disagreeing with evrything sensible?????

never wooly! i know you have to come to the aid of your fellow sony fans. but you cant hide from the truth that this site is now almost totally ruined by some of the worst fanboys on any site.

and given all the fanboys with approval rites.....just look at the crap which get's approved, and lives at the top of the page.

[LJWooly]

I'll take it you weren't here little over a year ago. Beleive me, it was exactly the same, just with more bias against the PS3, whereas now, there's more bias against the 360.

If you're not a fanboy, then there's no reason to have more of a problem now than you would a year ago, unless, of course, you yourself are biased. You see what I'm saying? In the end, it doesn't make a difference to you and me, since we're not hardcore fanboys, like some of the guys here.

[agentace]

a compeany wont fall apart if 1 nerd leaves calm down people lol

[nintendostar]

But we're talking about the biggest nerd of all!!
...sorry couldn't resist, I agree with you though. All of the gaming companies are doing fine.
With Sony and Microsoft you are talking about the biggest companies in the world. They pay people just to print special paper for the big executives just to write on.

[player911]

We're all nerds here. Walk into a crowded room and start talking about your high post count on a gaming website... see the reaction.

I think given billions of dollars... we'd all be just like him.

[LJWooly]

I don't think he was insulting him for being a nerd, he was simply saying that Bill Gates is a nerd. Which is true, he is THE nerd, a success story.

[bababrooks]

congrats on the fine empire you have built and the many charities you have helped on your way. very few people in life can admire there achievements in a way bill gates can!

[Aclay]

Microsoft made their biggest mis-step after Vista didn't end up being not so hot and all the problems that Vista gave customers.

First Microsoft drops the ball with Xbox 360 reliability and then Vista, Then Gamestop stops selling Zune's in their stores because of lack of consumer response for it. I guess Microsoft must be loosing money on the Zune as well.

[Xi]

is that it's still the second highest selling MP3 player after the ipod.

[chasuk08]

I would say so on the zune, as its only in america and they arnt selling much.

[ThanatosDMC]

The one they have in Japan sells better than Zune.

[pegger24]

Microsoft's net profit for thes fiscal years

2007 - $14,065,000,000
2006 - $12,599,000,000
2005 - $12,254,000,000
2004 - $8,168,000,000
2003 - $7,531,000,000
remember, these numbers are after all expenses

sure looks like microsoft is failing
it would be like saying Sony is failing, it makes no sense, they still made a giant profit, so how are they failing
this is my favorite quote
"While Windows is still used on 90PERCENT OF THE WORLD's computers, Macintosh computers using Apple operating systems have grown rapidly."
Does this mean Microsoft is failing or that the Computing Market is growing?

Seems like a pointless article to me and I am pretty sure most investors still think Microsoft is a good bet

[eagle21]

This is about sighting weakness. About the next 10 years. Not tommorow. Other companies seem to be growing in brand strength while Microsoft has been losing their ground. Even half the current success would look good on paper. But it's more than numbers.

BRAND EQUITY is more valuable so you can be a powerful company whether it's 2008 or 2018. If only 50% of the world's computers are using MS software by let's say 2013, then you can see the "trouble" right?

[pegger24]

but it is very premature to think that other OS are going to be 50 % of the market in 5 years. What I think they are doing is speculating. Vista's launch did not go as well as they wanted it to, but if I remember correctly XP started rather rough too.
Anyway you look at it, what is the point of the article then? they talk about some negative things without giving any real numbers to support their theories. Show me in there where they give industry statistics or even industry trends and I will shut up, otherwise I think the article itself is a little premature. I mean I can just say something that I think might happen 10 years from now, but if I have no evidence or facts to back up my theories it is just a guess and this one is a bad one in my opinion
To me it seems like the larger number of users of other operating systems is a market growth phenomenon and not a losing of substantial market share of windows, but i could be wrong, I guess we will have to wait and see.
anyways Eagle, based on some of your comments on this site I would say you would look for any angle to make it seem like MS is failing, but you are definitely entitled to your opinion,

[plenty a tool]

congratulations on another know nothing article, that would ofcourse get approved by the fanboys. i thought this was another one of bloodmasks threads. seeing as anything attacking microsft no matter how unfounded is a hit generator on "news4sonyfanboys.com&quo t;, i was thinking that he was still on his quest to become "super-contributor"

interesting that this thread is at the top of the page, when yesterday there was a thread with lots more comments on sony losing over well $3 billion dollars on the ps3. but it's nowhere to be seen....perhaps it was deemed to painful by the fanboys, and let slip quietly away. so this one could take it's place to offset the pain felt by the collective little sad fanboys that dwell on this fanboy owned/run/infested site.

all that profit they are making, the 90% of the worlds os they have, the server industry and the growing xbox brand. you can easily see why bill is abandoning ship now.

[highdro]

so i guess ms will have to look somewere elese to get mony from to throw at game dev for exlusive, ...i know ms has money but bill gates has the type of money they need !!

[Bucky Sligo]

Bill Gates doesn't pay for game development out of his own pocket. lol

[militant07]

i hope microsoft get better and better and dont stop fighting more companies more competition mean better for customers
also i dont hate bill gate he made the operating system your using help evloving computer.
hope its get better after he left not worse =)

go microsoft, good job Billgates

i forget this: sonyfanboys could they shutup for lil i got baord from them they spend 24 hours on this web site fighting why they cant do/say something better

[kingme71]

Bill Gates is one of the biggest names in the corporate world, certainly in the tech world. MS will always be associated with Bill and Bill associated with MS, even if he is off doing charities.

If you ever get the chance, read up on the early years of Gates and MS. Alot of luck, brains and chutzpah landed him where he is today.

[captainjy]

If you have no clue what you are talking about, don't post nonsense. Gates leaving MS isn't anything earth-shattering especially since he's still going to be connected in more ways that we could even guess and secondly, MS is not in any trouble on any level. Vista is stabilizing nicely and continues to gain market share. Windows in general has a 90%+ market share alone. Obviously the 360 is doing very well with millions on Live. The server market is just as strong and the Office suite is still doing very well. The only area that MS could obviously improve on is their search, but like Apple, Google will only give up a few percent of the market share.

[midgard229]

wen bill leaves they cant use his pocket change to buy exclusives lol

[militant07]

WOW YOU idiot
all you care about games
your life is game

get a life

what a silly retard

[midgard229]

yeah i love games, thats what this site is for, gamers. second, i dont give a crap bout mr. gates, u must have a crush on em if ur gonna get offended so easily. sorry u shed a tear. fact is bill gates doesnt do anything anymore anyway. the people he hires does.

i thank him for windows cuz i dont like mac, but im not a fan of monopolies. u can be his supporter but dont be mad cuz im not.

i have a 360 and ps3, i didnt get any of the systems because of the company's owner. u fan boy

[militant07]

im fanboy but i got something other to do than sitting here 24 hours and replaying to peoples's comments

[juuken]

militant, you actually replied to his comments. You actually *did* have time to do that.

[pumpkinpunker]

M$ owns your face.

Sony should just quit already.

[juuken]

Lol, the only thing MS owns is a RROD'd console.

[PSMonster21]

Oh look its a new account. Lets welcome him into the family.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

LOL driods will try anything (((Sony Whine Force Activate)))

[Nevers]

Cut one of the heads off a hydra and what?

[Says you]

Except you XBox 360 fans Microsoft never had fans of there own until they entered the console war nobody even likes there crappy Windows infact if Steve Jobs made there Mac Cheap everybody would buy there software instead of Microsoft your just lucky that Mac is expensive otherwise your precious Microsoft would go bankrupt

and lets face it you XBox 360 fans didn't exist until Microsoft entered the console war.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Stupid

[zethos56]

"and lets face it you XBox 360 fans didn't exist until Microsoft entered the console war. "

are you really that stupid?

[Lets-Game]

I hope m$ will be fine, I would hate to use mac ever again.

[misterssippi]

I must be the only person excited to see Billy boy make an exit. This means big things for M'soft as a whole. I mean, Gates is a genius and all, but he is out of touch on a lot of things (gaming)also. He's reason for the DRM and closed system of the 360. I can't wait to see what some one who is more 'plugged in' can do with XBOX and M'soft in general.
Gates was really too hands on, didn't really do well with the feedback of his employees/consumers. A my way or the highway type. So, with someone at the helm who is more open to adjustment and critical feedback, I see M'soft doing great things.

[Bolts]

As long as they don't over reach and to bite more than they can chew. That is the only real danger. As far as their core business goes they're pretty much locked in for the next five to ten years. Linux isn't doing anything and despite all the money they've spent on adds Apple isn't againing an inch.

So until Google invent that virtual OS, MS will be king of the PC world.

[N4g_null]

I would hate to see the in fighting thats going on or about to go on inside those walls! WOW that would be scaaaaaarrrrYYYYYY!

[AngryTypingGuy]

Microsoft will be just fine. It's not like they found out Bill was leaving over night. Not to mention, Bill can stick his nose in MS's business whenever he wants to.

[Mutley416]

I think Biggy Smalls said it best... More money more problems!!! And that is Microsoft`s only problem. XP is still the gold standard... but that`s fading I think, cause I`ve changed to Safari, and so many of my friends use different OS systems now...lol

Is Vista that bad? I went to buy a copy when it first came out, It would`nt run my Dell printer...I was like what?...No thanks...lol

As long as they put out a decent OS for business they will be fine , and where ever you go It`s Microsoft Keyboards and Mice dominate the Market. And Office software MS leads the way, gonna be pretty hard to screw that up-

MS piece of the pie might shrink a little but it`s still gonna taste good-
Total domination.. maybe not, but still a great company for years to come-

Enjoy retirement Bill. You deserve it...You Uber Nerd...lol
You and Oprah Should hook up and save a couple 3rd world countries or maybe wipe out Aids or Cancer...That should keep you going til your next Big thing.

Maybe you should work on a OS for small governments(large one`s too...lol). Really change the World.
Stop dodging Al Gores Phone Calls..lol

[running rampid]

we will all soon find out if it is for better or for worse for microsoft. i hope it's for the better personally.

[Ace-Jury]

but i admire Bill's philanthropy

[OOG]

Its plain and simple......

Gates is gone for now but dont think he will not step back in if he had to....you got to remember this is his multi multi mutli billion dollar company.....and when they lose money so will he....so its highly unlikely that he will let the company get into too much trouble before he would come back and take over

[PSWe60]

PUTO Bots, damage control at its most pathetic.

keep crying losers, seems like M$ mirrors 3rd60 success at FAILURE

JUMP OUT, M$ filling a chapter 11