They have money, but so far their mobile OS has been a money pit. And I'm thinking long term. Both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 have not seen adoption rates that Microsoft would have anticipated just a scant few years ago.

There's a decline in desktops, a very slight increase in smartphones and tablets and Microsoft has yet to figure out how to make both of those truly turnaround. Long term starts with long-reaching plans. Ballmer apparently had a vote of no-confidence and thus, his plans are now gone.

Disagree. Nokia is helpful to Microsoft due to being the premier and seemingly soon-to-be only manufacturer of Windows Phone 8 phones. New leadership might do what Elop did at Nokia, strike down all that was before it, reverse some of the stuff going on now, spin off divisions that aren't pulling their weight and drop past commitments.

Elop's rumored talks of spinning off Xbox and Bing are just a snowflake on the iceberg. Let's see what happens. People inside of Microsoft that I know are hearing weirder rumors than that.

Let's just say my wish for desktop/server OS/UI, tablet OS/UI, mobile OS/UI might happen the way I truly thought it should have since Windows Vista. No more desktop mode for Surface... please be true.

I sold my Microsoft stock years ago; never saw fit to re-invest. I lived through the golden years, put aside a nice bit of money, rode with Microsoft for almost a decade. Picked up Apple in 1999, riding with them for the last 14 years. Doing well. Nokia, I bought in, sold 11% above what I bought in at, walked away never to repeat it either.

Missed out on Google though. Too expensive to start, too expensive to get in now. Microsoft is not a safe long bet at all. Decline in too many areas - servers, desktop and tablets and mobile. Naw, I think you're huffing glue thinking otherwise...