Replace excel with R. Do real stuff 
Hmm something new! I use Matlab personally, how does R compare to Matlab? Based on what I saw on the webiste, Râs syntax appeals to my functional taste
R is open source. nuff said.
But you probably still run it on Windows
We are everywhereâŚ
NopeâŚit runs just fine on mac
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I am young, so explain to me - is that how capitalism works?
So if a company made $8B in the first 2 quarters of 2008 and then lost $4B in Q3 and Q4, they shouldnât try to cut expenses??
Not sure what company you are referring to but Microsoft didnât lose squat in 2008 with revenues of $60B and operating income over $22BâŚthis past Q2 had revenues up 2% and profit of $4B in even in these economic conditions. Ballmer should put himself on the list.
Ah. We have one of those in our house and 2 iPhones. We arenât THAT loyal
I am not referring to any company, I was simply challenging your premise. I havenât even looked at Microsoftâs financials. One can speculate they are probably seeing a sharp decline in pre-sale orders that has not yet impacted the financials. If their backlog is drying up, its only a matter of time before the profits start to take a dive. Only bad management would would wait until the results are being reported to make cuts.
Thatâs a different discussionâŚmy statement was just a dig at the suggestion MSFT needs bailout funds to prevent the loss of jobs.
Microsoft have several problems, not least of which is their very unbalanced product lineâŚas Windows goes, so goes Microsoft. People arenât buying PCs in this economy and if they arenât buying PCs they arenât buying Windows.
Another problem they are having is the constant downward pressure on the cost of the PC. Its very difficult for Microsoft to ask for $150 for windows if the machine itself only costs $350âŚand now with the new line of mini notebook doodaahs that cost as little as $150, Microsoft canât ask for the same for the OS and keep a straight face.
The bigger you get, the harder it is to maneuver and the slower you tend to go.
Yes, the main driver of MSFTâs financial success is PC unit growth. Estimates for 2009 are from anywhere from down -5% to -10%. With all the unemployed people out there thatâs one less PC to buy/upgrade. Oh yeah, and Vista sucks.
A friend of mine at Microsoft told me they were having a contest at work and the winner got a Zune player. Second place was two Zune players.
Actually Microsoftâs revenue from OEM windows sales is currently much less than what is conventionally believed. If I recall correctly, the total contribution of their desktop department was less than one third of their gross income in 2007, and perhaps at most half of that can be attributed to OEM windows sales. They have smartly emphasized their, more stable, services and infrastructure markets over the past couple of years. It should also be noted that MS has a new OS, Windows 7 which is in public Beta testing phase right now, scheduled for release. This entails a separate burst of cash besides the OEM revenue, coming in from those who upgrade. After all, it is a darn solid strategy to release a sloppy product and attract some cash, only to replace it by a slightly better one and squeeze more cash out of both the desperate users of the first product and the folks with âgood things happen to those who waitâ type of attitude. Of course it only works when you have a monopoly.
Microsoft is a very large company. Saying the made x billions of dollars so they should lay off anyone is way too simplistic. Clearly laying off employees isnât the only way they are cutting back. Consultants are being cancelled as well. Building projects are being put on hold. Merit increases are gone. Everyone is feeling the pinch. It is smart to do it now before the poop really hits the fan. Operating costs are very high at MSFT.
Microsoft also got very cocky. The won the OS war and looked around for some more fights; they first picked Apple and the digital music market, they then picked Google and the search engine market. We all know how both those wars are going.
I totally agree. Iâm not defending MSFT, Iâve seen it from the inside over the last 12 years. It is being put in its place which is what it needs. All companies have to mature and it is well past time MSFT does it.
I still like working with everyone and it is consistantly filled with the smartest people Iâve ever worked with. I just donât work there as a regular employee anymore. Who needs the hassle?