Financials Indicate Microsoft Prepping for War

SpaceAdmiral writes "Microsoft has surprised analysts by forecasting significantly higher expenses in the next fiscal year, an indication that the company might be getting ready to do battle with its online rivals. According to analyst Eugene Munster of Piper Jaffray, 'It looks like Microsoft is going to war with Google.'" From the article: "According to Mark Stahlman of Caris & Company, the fact that Microsoft plans to spend significantly more in 2007 was an indication of renewed aggressiveness in its competitive strategy and an indication that the company was returning to the kind of actions it exhibited before the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit in the mid- and late 1990's. 'It's pretty clear that Bill is running the company again,' Mr. Stahlman said, referring to Bill Gates, 'and they are going to remake the business. They are being much more combative and much more strategically managed.'"

Maybe they gave up the battle

[nizo]

Microsoft has surprised analysts by forecasting significantly higher expenses in the next fiscal year...

Or maybe they are just planning on migrating services to Linux [microsoft.com]? Where their announced expenses 5-20% higher than expected?

Re:Vista

[Anonymous Coward]

Vista will be out in 2007... doesn't an increased in spending by Microsoft reflect marketing they'd have for a new OS?

No. Vista is due out every year, so the increased marketing costs should already be accounted for.

Bill is Back, Productivity Soars

[digitaldc]

'It's pretty clear that Bill is running the company again,'

It's true.
And to increase productivity, everyone at Microsoft now has their homepages set to /. and their desktop outfitted with three screens. [imageshack.us]

War Cry

[AKAImBatman]

According to recent rumors, Bill Gates is purchasing a Bradley Fighting Machine. He believes that it will provide Microsoft a leg-up in their war with Google. When asked about the situation, Larry Page responded with "we don't make forward looking statements." He was standing in front of an M-5 tank.

In other news, Google has announced the release of the F-22 Raptor Beta(TM) program which allows for anyone with an internet account to remotely control an F-22 fighter. Anti-war groups have expressed a fear that teenagers remotely flying armed warplanes could pose a threat to world peace. Google responded by stating that the weapons systems are locked out except when over the testing range at Latitude 47.6 by Longitude -122.1.

I for one welcome our Microsoft overlords

[Enrique1218]

Oh wait... They already are our overlords and they suck at it. Oh, nevermind!!!

Cue "Ride of the Valkyries"

[spun]

And Ballmer shouting, "I love the smell of Vista in the morning. It smells like victory."