Microsoft

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Love 'em or hate 'em, the fact of the matter is, Microsoft is everywhere. If it were just a software company it would be doing just fine but Microsoft has also done quite well with computer hardware, internet search, portable media players and Web TV devices. The earnings of any one of Microsoft's ventures would make the average business owner giggle uncontrollably and at some point you would have look at your bank account and say, "That can't be right," and actually mean it in a good way.

Just when you would think that there was no place else for Microsoft to flex its muscles along comes an announcement that seemed to just make sense. In 2001 Microsoft officially entered their contribution to the highly competitive video game console market. Considering that newer video game systems had essentially become mini computers, it only seemed natural. What doesn't seem natural is how well they did in such a short period of time.

Rarely does a company come into a market with clearly established leaders (Sony, Nintendo, Sega, etc.) and actually make a dent in their competitions sales. After all, the timeline of video game system releases has more than a few "one hit wonders" and there are sure to be more in the years to come. Entering the gaming business so late, it was somewhat of a surprise when the Microsoft XBOX slid into a second place sales ranking in less than two years.

As a company, Microsoft seems to have the Midas touch. The volume of success Microsoft has had over the years has certainly contributed to a large amount of "anti-Microsoft" chatter. With the exception of Oprah, you don't get to be that successful without a few people getting all bent out of shape. Still, many people look forward to seeing what the future holds and I am fairly certain it will have the name Microsoft written all over it.