Microsoft defends Facebook stake

CEO says acquisition of a 1.6 percent stake in social-networking site for $240 million is an important investment, not a mistake.

The story "Microsoft defends Facebook stake" published November 5, 2007 at 5:28 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[Microsoft_Facts]

MS is helping Google here.

As Google takes on social networking, and Facebook, MS can only help Google here. All Microsoft does lately is mess things ups, i.e. Vista, and will only drag Facebook down with them.

[Penguinisto]

Fixations and Obsessions.

I'm thinking that MSFT is a wee bit too fixated on Google. No, seriously - we're talking stalker-level obsession here.<br /><br />MSFT's core business is applications. Windows, Office, stuff like that. Sure, they try out new markets on occasion, but most of those ventures are blithering failures (Zune, BOB, UltimateTV, MSN_TV, MSN the ISP), or horrendously expensive boondoggles, where profit and continued existence is more a matter of luck than acumen (MSNBC and Xbox).<br /><br />--<br /><br />Meanwhile, their Google-envy is really beginning to show - at least in their inattention to detail on their core products. Look at Vista - it's got a crap reputation that is rapidly sinking to that of Windows ME. Office 2007 managed to anger more users than persuade, and has stayed very low-key ever since. If it weren't for OEM lock-in, both would've likely died entirely by now (and judging by Dell and other OEM's selling Linux and sticking with XP, it appears to be doing just that).<br /><br />Meanwhile, their core products aren't the dominant dogs they once were - Apple is outselling MSFT in growth, and almost in raw numbers. The Christmas season (when a lot of folks bump their computers) gives you three choices - a vigorous, secure, powerful, and eye-grabbing Apple, PC's with an exciting, powerful, secure, and inexpensive "Ubuntu" (Linux) OS on it...<br /><br />...and some bloated thingy called "Vista" that costs a ton of money, has a ton of bugs, and requires a ton of hardware just to get all the visual effects to work. It is Windows, though. <br /><br />Err, Gee... which one would YOU (as a typical non-tech user) pick?<br /><br />MSFT's marketshare is beginning to slip... a lot, and no amount of accounting acrobatics on their part will hide that. Meanwhile, Ballmer keeps staring at Google with lust in his eyes.<br /><br />Pretty Sad, really.<br /><br />/P