The Doom That Came To Redmond: Microsoft stumbled

The best selling Microsoft product right now is the Student Teacher edition of Office 2003... OpenOffice.org is a viable alternative that has Microsoft reevaluating how they price current products. The slippage on Longhorn is tremendously important. I just spoke to someone who got hit with Sasser on their home pc. They had not patched, a lot of people didn't patch, which is why sasser is still in the wild.

Seattle Weekly: News: Microsoft's Sacred Cash Cow by Jeff Reifman

I began using Microsoft products 23 years ago, at age 11, and I worked for Microsoft from 1991 to 1999 as a technology manager. For many years, I was a Microsoft loyalist. While aware of Microsoft’s shortcomings, I always believed that the Soft did its best to improve products over time, as it did with Windows XP. But recently, I’ve had a crisis of faith. Perhaps I’ve rebooted Windows one too many times.
[...]Recently, though, Microsoft announced that its next major Windows release, code-named “Longhorn,” might be delayed beyond 2006 unless it is significantly pared down. It’s already been three years since the release of Windows XP, and customers still have quality and security problems with it. Microsoft is so concerned about Windows XP security that it will likely give away its next upgrade to fix vulnerabilities and make it easier to deliver future fixes automatically.

To comprehensively address security issues, Microsoft has said it is building Longhorn from the ground up. Any time you start building an operating system from scratch, you create all sorts of unanticipated problems. If you are waiting for Microsoft to improve the consumer experience, you’ll have to be patient.

The Longhorn slip might be Microsoft’s biggest failure ever. It is beyond comprehension how the company could let five years lapse between major upgrades of its flagship product. Microsoft’s missteps have opened a gaping window of opportunity for competitors.
[...]
In an age when retailers hire consultants to analyze what hip kids do, you’d think Microsoft would care more about what the hip kids are doing. They’re running around with iPods, using Linux and OS X. A Groundspring intern e-mailed me recently about his new Apple PowerBook: “I think I may be smitten by a computer.” That’s the kind of passion I’m talking about. In its search for market share, dominance, and profits, Microsoft lost the ultimate battle for our hearts and minds. For now, though, it’s still laughing all the way to the bank.