Microsoft's big opportunity

Apple has had lots of success with iPhones, iPods, and iPads. They have redefined the computer for the consumer market. Microsoft has not kept up with Apple, and one can say that Apple has surpassed Microsoft with its products.

They key word in that paragraph is "consumer". Apple has excellent products for consumers, people who use computers and digital goods. But Apple is not so good at infrastructure (consider the XServer) and composition tools. Apple has had to go to outside companies for tools to create digital media: Adobe for PDF and Photoshop, Microsoft for its Office suite.

Microsoft has a long history of products that let people create stuff. The earliest was their BASIC interpreter, followed quickly by compilers for COBOL, FORTRAN, and C. Some were developed in-house, others were acquired, but Microsoft was there and ready to supply the builders. Microsoft also has Visual Studio, one of the best environments for developing programs. Beyond programming tools, Microsoft offers its Office suite that allows people to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, and project plans.

Apple's products are clearly for consumers. The iPad is a wonderful device, but it is not meant for the creator of goods. It's on-screen keyboard is insufficient for true development work. (Yes, you can get a bluetooth keyboard. But at that point, why not a laptop?)

Apple has shown that it is not interested in the market for builders (at least not beyond OSX and iOS platforms). This is Microsoft's opportunity: They can be the supplier of premier development tools for Windows and OSX.

They need not stop at Apple platforms. The Linux tools for development are good, but they are not as good as Microsoft's tools. Here too, Microsoft has the opportunity to become the leader in composition/creation tools. (I'm including compilers in this list, not simply documents and spreadsheets.)

To win these markets, Microsoft must move away from the "Windows and only Windows" mindset. It is an attitude that forces them to build everything: the operating system, the composition tools, and the consumer products. And they haven't done such a great job at all of that.

There is more to it that simply building tools for other platforms. Microsoft has alienated the users of those other platforms, and must reconcile those bad feelings. Microsoft also has licensing issues to work out -- the Linux crowd expects software for free -- but I think their recent "Express" products may lead the way. The solution is within Microsoft's reach.