@Goat Jam

NT originated as a collaboration between IBM and Microsoft called OS/2; true to form, Microsoft reneged on the agreement.

MS and Innovation

"When was the last time that Microsoft produced something that was innovative and compelling? Not for a very, very long time."

When did they ever?

BASIC - First invented 1964, copied to Altair by Gates & Allen in mid 1970's

MS-DOS - Originally named qDos which was itself a clone of CP/M, purchased by MS in 1981

Windows - Copied from MacOS, which was itself based on a prototype from Xerox. Took MS 4 tries to come up with a barely usable version.

WindowsNT - Designed by David Cutler who MS hired from DECs VAX/VMS design team and was heavily based on VMS code and techniques with plenty of additional kludge applied to enable it to conform to previous MS "standards"

Word - Just another word processor which were first invented in 1972. An animated paper clip does not equate to innovation.

Excel - A copy of Visicalc, which was first invented many years earlier.

Internet Explorer - MS bought the rights to the Mosiac browser code and have been extending that code ever since.

Active Directory - A MS proprietary version of LDAP with a MS proprietary version of Kerberos for authentication, both of which are open standard products with previously existing open source implementations.

There is not ONE successful, innovative product that I can think of to come out of Microsoft R&D. Not one. If anybody can name one then please do so, because I would love to know of just one.

Hmm...this sounds familiar

Ballmer.........Daddy wants a hug!

Yahoo...........Get away from me,you lazy-eyed psycho!

(This may have appeared in a film recently. Plagiarism, or life imitating art?)

Awaiting first sighting of MS "Mr Bigglesworth"