"Microsoft has caught the “Wal-Mart Disease” – constantly trying to do more of what it always did, hoping it can regain old results – even as the market keeps shifting. In stalled companies, executives cut costs in sales, marketing, new product development and outsource like crazy in order to prop up earnings. They can outsource many functions. And they go the resorvoir [sic]* of accounting rules to restate depreciation and expenses, delaying expenses while working to accelerate revenue recognition. While Microsoft had higher earnings than last quarter, it wasn’t because customers were excited about their products!"*
Not only is Hartug's claim regarding Microsoft suffering from Walmart disease unsupported by a substantial evidence, e.g. examples of Microsoft cutting back on marketing - just look at WP7; or outsourcing new product development (one example would be nice), but it also ignores the fact that although one could argue that Windows 7 was more of the same, the Kinect was not exactly what their customers wanted but that it was delivered at the right price and in high volume.
Not only is Hartug's claim regarding Microsoft suffering from Walmart disease unsupported by a substantial evidence, e.g. examples of Microsoft cutting back on marketing - just look at WP7; or outsourcing new product development (one example would be nice), but it also ignores the fact that although one could argue that Windows 7 was more of the same, the Kinect was not exactly what their customers wanted but that it was delivered at the right price and in high volume.