Ballmer to shareholders: MS faces "fundamental shift"
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 9th Oct 2012 22:01 UTC
Microsoft Steve Ballmer's annual letter to shareholders makes it very clear Microsoft is at a point of no return - and in the middle of a transition into a hardware company. "This is a significant shift, both in what we do and how we see ourselves - as a devices and services company. It impacts how we run the company, how we develop new experiences, and how we take products to market for both consumers and businesses." Line. Sand.
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Which transition?
by lokrisch on Tue 9th Oct 2012 23:55 UTC
lokrisch
Member since:
2012-04-18

I think it's great that they are going to concentrate again on their former core competence.
Because the computer mice which they made almost two decades ago were actually quite decent. ;)

Reply Score: 6

RE: Which transition?
by Soulbender on Wed 10th Oct 2012 02:06 in reply to "Which transition?"
Soulbender Member since:
2005-08-18

I think it's great that they are going to concentrate again on their former core competence.


Hardware was never their core competence.
They did make nice mice though.

Reply Parent Score: 5

RE: Which transition?
by smashIt on Wed 10th Oct 2012 07:08 in reply to "Which transition?"
smashIt Member since:
2005-07-06

not only mice

in my opinion their first sidewinder-gamepad was by far the best gamepad at the time

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE[2]: Which transition?
by zima on Sun 14th Oct 2012 16:37 in reply to "RE: Which transition?"
zima Member since:
2005-07-06

Words like those rekindle the fire of old holy wars!

So... that first sidewinder-gamepad seems to follow the general layout of Saturn and later Genesis controllers. Hence it shares their flaw of six-button-overload of right thumb, can't possibly be "by far the best gamepad at the time" ;) - that would be PS1 controller: nice grip and four thumb buttons, plus additional trigger buttons for four in total.
(no, but seriously, the overall form of Playstation controller hardly changed for almost two decades now - and successive revisions of Nintendo and MS gamepads got closer to it over time...)

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE: Which transition?
by Laurence on Wed 10th Oct 2012 13:08 in reply to "Which transition?"
Laurence Member since:
2007-03-26

I never really liked Microsoft mice much. Always much preferred Logitech.

Not bought a keyboard or mouse in nearly a decade though, so I wouldn't even like to guess how Logitech hardware holds up these days.

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE[2]: Which transition?
by lucas_maximus on Wed 10th Oct 2012 15:07 in reply to "RE: Which transition?"
lucas_maximus Member since:
2009-08-18

Microsoft mice were made by logitech.

Reply Parent Score: 6

RE[2]: Which transition?
by StephenBeDoper on Wed 10th Oct 2012 18:36 in reply to "RE: Which transition?"
StephenBeDoper Member since:
2005-07-06

I never really liked Microsoft mice much. Always much preferred Logitech.


Ditto. As lucas_maximus pointed out, Microsoft's mice were made Logitech... though I did always found that the Logitech-branded mice had a much sturdier, heavier feel to them.

Not bought a keyboard or mouse in nearly a decade though, so I wouldn't even like to guess how Logitech hardware holds up these days.


Just picked up a m500 (mouse) a week or two back, which I do recommend (especially for those with large hands) - it feels pretty much identical to my trusty old MouseMan plus. Not a fan of their keyboards though - then or now - they've always been overpriced rubber-dome garbage (IME).

Reply Parent Score: 2