Earlier this month: GNU/Linux at 7% in Turkey, Windows All-Time Low in India

Taking inflation into account (devaluation of the currency this past year), the erosion is far higher than 20%. But these are Microsoft fans admitting the crisis.

Summary: Looking at pertinent or finer numbers, Microsoft's results (from last night) aren't good at all, layoffs have a "don't-speak" policy now, and even investors are walking away (not easily fooled by Microsoft brainwash)

MICROSOFT'S 'results' as claimed last night were not good, but Microsoft moles inside and outside the media "planted" many misleading stories, as expected. That's just their job.

How many of the numbers are forged? Like double-dipping and cooking the books, e.g. counting money twice? How about buybacks or Microsoft 'selling' to those whom it is also funding ("investing" in)? Many of these tactics were covered here before. Now is a fine time to revisit what we wrote.

"Sometimes it seems like accountants are just marketing people with math skills."Two months ago we said that Microsoft was faking its size by "buying" companies. As someone put it some hours ago (probably a Microsoft insider): "That's why they want to acquire Blizzard. Then can they can say, "look we have growth and met guidance.""

Remember that "higher-than-expected" is mostly a Wall Street scam. Some analysts have said it bluntly for decades: Set the "expectations" intentionally low, then pretend it's all great news later, with "higher-than-expected" something. Sometimes it seems like accountants are just marketing people with math skills. Microsoft always gets its CFOs to sign an NDA when they leave; keep schtum and get extra money. ⬆

"Microsoft, the world’s most valuable company, declared a profit of $4.5 billion in 1998; when the cost of options awarded that year, plus the change in the value of outstanding options, is deducted, the firm made a loss of $18 billion, according to Smithers."

--The Economist, 1999

"If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good."

--Bill Gates, Microsoft