OK, I think I need to get this off my chest. Ahem.
An open letter to Microsoft:
Dear sirs,
What with the Department of Justice ruling last week, and the negative press Microsoft has been receiving lately, I would like to suggest that Microsoft re-align its strategies and aim for a new market. You certainly have the resources to do so, and this would open up a new set of opportunities for the company. As it stands, customers are becoming increasingly unimpressed with Microsoft as a company. This needs to be addressed, and I think it could be addressed in one fell swoop.
Microsoft should start selling hardware.
Microsoft mice and joysticks are considered among the best in the industry. High-quality hardware inspires loyalty, has less of a tendency to be error-prone, and is easily tested. Selling hardware puts all of your cards on the table; either your hardware performs better than the competition, or it doesn't. And, most importantly, Microsoft hardware does perform better.
Microsoft needs to re-make its image. Unfortuantely, that image has been eroding for years, and it looks like this trend will only get worse. If Microsoft were to move into a new market in which it has already established itself as a maker of quality products, it could salvage its integrity and return to its position as a respected technology firm.
To quote Dennis Miller, "Of course, that's just my opinion; I could be wrong."