20 years ago this month, Microsoft shipped the first version of Windows.  Windows is much maligned of course but it took 95% of the market even though it did not have the first mover's advantage.  The advantage that Windows did have was that it was compatible with open architecture allowing it to be distributed on a variety of computing hardware platforms.  Of course, making the PC architecture open was one of the worst things IBM did for their own corporate success and led to that phrase of the late 80's and 90's, IBM-compatible. Without IBM's terrible strategic move, we would not have the computing industry we have today.  

It is easy to count Microsoft out now, as the day of PC dominance is clearly over.  But I still remember how people said Microsoft was 'done' because they didn't get the Internet.  Which they didn't.  But when you have as much cash as they do, you get a lot of time to make up for your mistakes.  

What am I looking for from Microsoft?  Some sign of internal entrepreneurship.  There is little evidence of that and it is necessary or else Microsoft will become about as innovative as General Motors.  A sign that new internal capabilities have been developed around either thin client computing or being a service provider. Their announcement this week to allow interoperability between their Instant Messaging users and Yahoo's is some indication of that.  

Both Dell and Intel, Microsoft's former partners in PC dominance have both shown lately that their focus is broadening away from the Dell Wintel cash cow.  Its time for Microsoft to the do the same.