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Depending on your age and perspective you might say the real debt was to IBM for the standardization of the platform. Microsoft was a beneficiary of that, as was Linux.

I agree IBM standardized the platform, but then they turned around and tried to make it proprietary with the PS/2 and MCA.

IMHO, Microsoft writing their OS to be as hardware-agnostic as possible drove the develoment of new hardware on several fronts.

I've seen many people rave about Apple's business model, but I've never been able to get them to say they think that the industry would be better off today if Microsoft and IBM had adopted that same model back in '81.

Microsoft writing their OS to be as hardware-agnostic as possible drove the develoment of new hardware on several fronts.

That statement is from the perspective of Microsoft single handed direction of the PC development. It did not. I am old enough to remember TRS-DOS, NewDOS, CPM and all the Windows platforms. (and quite a few more)

Microsoft "bought" their first OS, did not write it. They have been excellent marketers, but have a long history of loving monopoly positions. Freedom works, but MS is not about that. Competition works, but MS is not about that.

I am not a MS hater, but I know what they are about. I love technology, but am always wary of motives.