Not meaning to be disrespectful, but "Woz" has exactly one item to his fame. Who ordained him to say who is innovative nowadays and who is not?

If the OEM support was not there, why did Microsoft release an OS that had, as you say, little driver support? Microsoft should have known that a Windows OS release with little driver support is not going to be successful. Why didn't Microsoft use some of its multi-billion cash hoard to give the OEMs an incentive to finish the drivers in time, or even to help the OEMs to write the drivers? Also problematic for Windows Vista was its very high system resource requirements, and the UACs (which you mention), the blame for both of which rightly fell into Microsoft's lap.

Sorry, the Windows Vista debacle was caused my Microsoft management decisions. Microsoft had full control over Windows Vista's release date, and Microsoft management chose to release an OS that had little driver support, required very high levels of system resources and continually annoyed its users.

Or worded differently, under the covers, Windows Vista SP1 is the version between Windows Vista and Windows 7. But so what? The problem with Windows Vista was Microsoft management's decision to release a sub-standard OS. Windows Vista SP1 is not relevant to the poor management decisions made by Mr. Ballmer during the release of Windows Vista.

Mr. Ballmer should have been sent packing after the Vista debacle. He should have been sent packing after the iPod/iPhone/iPad cleaned Microsoft's clock in the mobile world while Microsoft just sat on its collective monopoly-enhanced fat ass.

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At this point, I doubt if Microsoft's Board of Directors (who are chartered with looking out for shareholder interests) are any less to blame than Mr. Ballmer.

Maybe the shareholders should demand significant fresh blood in Microsoft's Board of Directors, since the BoD has allowed to continue, even fostered, the Ballmer problem far longer than they should have.

Microsoft needs to steadily increase its profits in order to prevent its stagnant stock price from declining. With the diminishing demand for PCs and the resulting demand for the Windows OS, Microsoft needs to find other ways to pull money into the company. Selling ads is one way to do that.
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The question is --- With Apple and Google cleaning Microsoft's clock in the mobile world, at what point will the value of Windows be reduced to the point that it is just another delivery medium for ads?

The fox is now in the chicken coop.

... other than it was written by a person who used unsupported software then complained about the lack of support.

From the NY Times website:

What OS and file system are they using to store all that data?

Bill Gates, that great visionary at Microsoft, famously missed the onslaught of the Internet. He didn't even see it coming until he had to play catch-up.

Why did Microsoft have to shift focus? Because Microsoft had taken a "features have priority over security" mindset previously. That mindset led to software that was so full of security issues, it is amazing it wasn't exploited more than it was.

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This premise is substantiated by the fact that other vendors have software in the marketplace and appear to weather the cyber-criminal attacks much better than Microsoft does.

Microsoft will fix its strategic problems only when it stops trying to blame others for the missteps that Microsoft has taken. My for a first step: fire Mr. Ballmer.

I have had similar experiences with editing, and I have ceased trying to edit any articles. After a while, it just was not worth my time trying to fight someone who is standing over an article 24/7 to make sure no one changes it.

I reject your premise that nerds are more arrogant than other people.

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If you look at any cross-section in the colleges and universities, you'll find similar percentages of arrogant people, regardless of the field of study.

Microsoft will try anything to push people towards the new Vista, Windows 8; including reducing the perceived support level of Windows 7.

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Microsoft must be very, very concerned that Windows 8 will be a flop.

... is to be an employee with a single-digit employee number in a start-up company. Beyond that, you will have to deal with the Big Ball of Mud. Deal with it.

I've never seen the need or reason to have a mail client and a browser as the same app.