Microsoft's L33t and Lame Moves in 2011

Microsoft has always created a buzz in the entire technology world. Some of its decisions regarded the best while the rest invited a wide range of criticism from the tech savvy. Listed below are some of the good and bad moves made by Microsoft in 2011.

L33t moves:

 
Breaking the tradition with Windows8


The compatibility of old software’s to new OS has always been a big advantage and disadvantage of windows. The need to support these vast software’s continued to be an obstacle for Windows in refining itself. But With windows8, Microsoft is going radical with a whole new set of applications and software’s created for the new UI. The new apps promise to be less expensive. With its new OS built focusing more on tablets than the PC’s Microsoft is moving closely to the future ‘cloud computing’.

Vast market with the Skype acquisition

With $8.5 billion, Microsoft not only bought Skype, but also its broad base of customers eager to chat and video conference across the PC’s and Smartphones. Microsoft also gained 50 patents with Skype which will help in its battle with the Android market. Microsoft promised to continue support of Skype on all devices. Before closing its deal with Microsoft, Skype cleared its biggest complaint by adding video support to a wide range of android devices.

Acknowledging the HTML5

2011 witnessed the changing face of Microsoft towards HTML5. It started supporting HTML5 in Windows8 and IE 10, making the developers more than happy. Microsoft also released an HTML5 app for Bing which extends its search functions to android and iphone. The Microsoft’s old Silverlight is now relabeled as a tool for enterprise web development.

Spam Control

Microsoft went a step further in fighting the spam by petitioning the US courts to order Verisign to shut down 21 internet domains associated with Botnets. Microsoft was successful in its previous attempts on controlling Rustock and Kelihos Botnets.

Popularizing Kinect

Microsoft encouraged Kinect applications in 2011 by releasing an SDK for non commercial uses and also designed a program to help 10 developers or startups launch businesses around products for Kinect, the controller that senses motion and voice. Kinect has gained Microsoft a whole new generation of Gamers.


Lame Moves :

Android war

Microsoft’s secret plans on collecting the all available android patents and thereby forcing the android device makers to pay large fees are exposed with the legal battle with Barnes & Noble. At least some of Microsoft's patent licenses involving Android were broad cross-patent license agreements with hardware partners (like Samsung). B&N really blows the lid off of what Microsoft is doing and how they are forcing money from Android.

Windows Clouds

Microsoft’s cloud applications which are promised to run smoothly on any device and any OS is continuously failing to do so. Be the new browser or the OS, Microsoft is taking a long time in recognizing the non windows platforms. For example Intune, Microsoft’s managed software distribution and security monitoring service is said to enable the users work on every platform. But it currently only supports Windows platform and not even Windows phone 7.

Anticipated Tablets

Microsoft is waiting for the launch of Windows8 to widen its works on tablets. But the world is not waiting till the launch as it shows an aggressive increase in the tablet market. Even though the Microsoft introduced touch support in Windows7, it is still nowhere in the tablet market. Forrester, an analytics firm already predicted that by the time Windows8 arrives, Microsoft will have surrendered the market to others in terms of feature, price and performance specifications.

Control Open Source Programming with Windows 8

Microsoft had created a controversy when it demanded the hardware developers to implement the next generation boot specification in its secure mode, which is known as Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. This prevents users from loading operating systems and drivers onto a device when it is in secure mode. It usually comes with an off button but Microsoft wanted the hardware makers to remove the button which prevents the open source developers from installing other OS like Linux.

Problems with Office 365

Microsoft has launched its upgraded version of Business Productivity Online Standard Suite (BPOS), Office 365 in 2011 in order to compete with wide adoption of the Google apps. But the product lacked certain features as it rolled out without a perfect feature set. The testers always complain about the limitations in importing the contacts. Also office 365 doesn’t match some of the main features of its rivals like simultaneous co editing in word processing documents.

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