Posted on 05/17/2013 11:51:24 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
At first glance, things could not be going worse for Microsoft.
Its long-dreaded nightmare scenario is playing out. The PC industry as we've known it is collapsing. PC sales fell 14% in the first quarter, according to IDC, the worst ever drop in history.
Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system is accelerating the collapse, says IDC. The new tile-interface is scaring consumers. Microsoft is scrambling to fix Windows 8 to address these concerns. And even if Microsoft fixes Windows 8, it could be too late.
Its biggest rivals — Apple and Google — have taken complete control of the next major computing platforms. Apple owns tablet computing and a big chunk of smartphones. Google owns most of smartphones.
[SNIP]
Microsoft's normally listless stock has seen all of this terrible news and made a sharp move, soaring 26% this year, reaching a five-year high. Wait. What?
That's right, Microsoft is trading just over $34 a share right now, despite the fact that the worst fears for the Windows franchise have been confirmed.
What gives?
For the longest time, the destruction of Windows has been hanging over Microsoft's head. Now that it's here, and really, it's not so bad, investors seem to feel better about the company.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
RE: The money has to go somewhere.
Why go to MSFT when the PC business is shrinking, when there are thousands of other stocks to buy?
...said as I sit here doing real work with 3 monitors up (one w/Excel, One w/Epicor ERP, one with Word, Outlook and Salesforce Chatter) working in an MS environment using an Apple Laptop running Bootcamp with my iPhone plugged in...all running through MS servers supporting 4 sites with 300+ seats.
I can’t run a supply chain with an iPhone or Ipad.
My engineers aren’t going to use Solidworks on an iPhone or an Ipad. Our plants aren’t run with tablets and phones.
Desktops/PC’s & Enterprise are not going to handheld devices anytime soon.
Bump for later
Post of the day.
Written on my very nice Dell Windows 7 laptop - running a remote office and doing database updates on the fly. My boss will skype with me if he wants the face to face or email me if it’s just a usual update.
No kidding. My wife has an iPad, but there is no way she could possibly edit HD video on it like I do on my i7 quad core desk top with a 23" monitor.
I couldn’t imagine using a tablet at work (I’m a civil engineer).
The recent trend I’ve seen is everyone is getting bigger monitors, and more of them (I’m staring at two right now). We’re moving in the opposite direction of a tablet...and alot of businesses are.
I think the tablets will replace the home pc, where its used mostly as a portal to the internet...but if you’re typing every day or need a big screen, the PC is going to stay.
That's not much movement or spread. A lot of the top stocks are that way. Churn around and around, never go anywhere. Pick one that's good but not on the top.
MSFT dividend is .23 per QRTR.
I won't buy it. Why should I when I'm way up in a short time with some others on solid ground?
Four reasons
1. MSFT is one of the largest companies in the USA - one of the 30 largest companies - and is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
2. Central Banks around the world are doing two things: a. adding stock to their balance sheets, and b. buying futures on the dow to prevent drops. MSFT is included in both.
3. The Fed is manipulating interest rates to drive money out of banks. Large dividend paying stocks are perceived as an alternative to CDs and bonds. MSFT has a HUGE amount of cash, so it is perceived as secure.
4. They have a stable business.
I don’t think this has as much to do with the actual business for their products as the manipulation by Central Banks.
It doesn’t hurt that investors are desperately looking for any stock that doesn’t have a sky-high valuation. You have to do something if you have money to invest.
The ONLY thing I can find that my Tablet does better than a laptop is reading eBooks.
I have a Kindle Fire and it is hands down better at eBooks than any other device I own. But if I want to play a game or watch a movie or read e-mail etc. the laptop or desktop is by far superior to the tablet.
I agree.
Several times a week someone comes to me and asks if I can install windows 7 on their windows 8 machine for them. I install classic shell and tell them that MS should be doing something about it soon. Most can live with that for now.
Agree. Our execs use iPads but they aren’t “creating” things like spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentation. Staff like me do that and I have a laptop with two monitors and a full keyboard etc. We have a huge financial model and there is absolutely no way that can be truly run on a tablet. I use my iPad for supplemental purposes as you mention.
“It doesn’t hurt that investors are desperately looking for any stock that doesn’t have a sky-high valuation. You have to do something if you have money to invest.”
It’s why I’m all-in on the USD for now - which is working out well.
“Anybody who does any work isn’t doing it on phones.”
And there you have it. With structural unemployment so high there are a lot of idle workers and youths for whom a tablet or smartphone are perfectly adequate alternatives to the PC.
You're right about the manipulation. If you don't want to buy physical gold and silver, the market is about all that's left.
Try playing a high definition first person shooter on a tablet. When EA, Blizzard, or even Steam start developing and marketing popular video games on tablets, then we can talk.
I’m a gamer and a systems engineer. I like to crack open my stuff and tinker. As much as I enjoy my tablet for FReeping and email, I don’t want to crack open the case on this $600 piece of hardware only to find there’s nothing to upgrade.
It’s up 25% in four months. Me and my 300 shares are happy campers (for a change)
BAC and GE are cheap. I had never seen BAC anything under 12.xx. Today it's 13.xx.
They say those stocks are safer buys which I don't understand all the reasons yet. I do look for high volume among other things. Saw an amazing thing today. Have SCTY on my watch list. Played it once or twice and made a little. People who played it right today made 1,000 on 100 sh, who knows how much if they could afford multiples?
It blew my mind why it kept going up, 25.xx percent today. So I google because it's still IPO and I don't think that kind of stock is worth 40 bucks yet. Sure enough, WSJ has an article that Goldman Sachs approved a $5M loan for installation of the panels, primarily does business in NV and western states.
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