[SmokingJoe]

“Quick—when was the last time Microsoft dazzled you with breakthrough thinking and agenda-setting innovation?”

Has this guy heard of Microsoft Surface and Microsoft Natal?

http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/projectnatal/

“When you and your team put together your list of Five IT Vendors We Can't Live Without, does Microsoft still make the cut?”

Microsoft is the first firm that makes the cut. Apple doesn't even appear in the top 5 “Can't Live Without” for IT managers

[Swordmaker]

Has this guy heard of Microsoft Surface and Microsoft Natal?

How many big ass tables has Microsoft sold? Have they reached a thousand units yet? Each installation requires an specialist to set up the camera sensors. It's not exactly a consumer device.

How many Natals has Microsoft shipped? Where ARE they? Projected release is "Spring 2010... So far its just hot air ware... with demonstrations just simulations of what they want it to be able to do... not what it CAN do.

[rmlew]

No kidding.

From a business IT perspective 5 versions of Windows Server 2008, SQL Server, Exchange Server 2008, Windows 7, and Office 2007 come to mind. Snow Leopard remains a nice toy. €

[antiRepublicrat]

You’re thinking status-quo just like the article says.

Without Apple, much of the innovation in the industry would be gone. Microsoft wouldn’t have anyone to follow anymore.