Ex-Microsoft exec: company is now “clumsy, uncompetitive”

Past MS VP says infighting, fear of hardware hurt

Microsoft has largely lost its ability to direct the industry, former VP Dick Brass claimed today in a telling editorial. He believes the company is now a “clumsy, uncompetitive innovator” and points to the gap in performance between its core Windows and Office businesses versus everything else. Microsoft had its best-ever quarter due to Windows 7 but lost share in nearly every other category, including web browsers, premium notebooks and smartphone sales.

Even brands separate from the usual Microsoft fare, such as Xbox and Zune, haven’t cracked the dominance of other products over several years, such as Nintendo’s dominance with the Wii or Apple’s control of media players through the iPod. The Windows developer has also been historically afraid of producing its own hardware and has clung to platforms like Web TV and Windows Mobile even when fully integrated platforms like TiVo or the iPhone have proven more effective.

Read more: electronista.com