Microsoft is clearly a dying company, that's why the stock price is depressed. People who trade stocks put values going forward. In 2000 or so, the company was obviously growing, and the future was bright, so it was trading in excess of its current situation.
Now, it's a rotting giant, with no way out. Windows is losing market share even in the PC space, every month. Chromebooks and Android devices have invaded Microsoft's last stronghold, and continue to eat this decaying corpse alive.
Microsoft has already lowered the OEM price, and you know that's got to hurt. They know the model doesn't work anymore. They know they can't get the same money for Windows. Of course, it may slow market share loss, but it certainly hasn't stopped it. Every company is talking about how they are moving away from the Windows eco-system, and looking to put more into Chromebooks and Android. You read it every day, the only thing is which company is saying it that day.
So, we know Windows is dying. It will runt on for a while, particularly in the business world, but it's eroding, and will accelerate its erosion as its masters gain critical mass. Microsoft must runt off and like it. They're defeated. They've tasted the loss, and now have to acquire the taste for it, because it's all that's on the plate.
Windows 8 blows, but it didn't cause this. Once a free, or nearly so, OS came out that was viable, the expensive OS model was bound to crash. Chromebooks and Android are gaining validity, and with it, the Windows model dies. Of course, Windows 8 helped this along. Sure, you have the brainless zombie that tries to pretend they like a tablet OS on their desktop, because they can't think for themselves, and need Microsoft to tell them what's good - a touchscreen OS for your keyboard and mouse. Apple won because they were never so stupid, and Mac OS/X sucks balls. But, they knew to keep their desktop OS on the desktop, and their touch-screen OS where there were touch screens. Shamble on, Microsoft Zombies, as brainless fodder, but the majority don't like it, and that's bringing down your undead master. Fast. The one with the bald head.
Bing and X-Box are the two businesses they SHOULD keep. Bing has struggled, but at least it has a chance to be successful. X-Box already is. Windows is dying. Office is losing market share, and again runs into the problem where people will not want to pay for functionality they can get for free. It's a hard sell, and is failing, albeit more slowly than Windows.
That's why Microsoft is depressed. They're losing market share in a shrinking market. The cause is their business model has collapsed, and it can't be reversed. It's just a matter of milking the diseased cow for as long as possible, until the milk becomes too putrid to drink.
It's still early in the process though, but morbid decay is clearly Microsoft's path. They're already largely irrelevant, soon they take the next step and lose their profitability. They will shrink, and soon have to manage costs very carefully, instead of looking to spend money to grow.
They've failed with Windows, they've failed with phones. They've failed on tablets. They've failed with search engines. They failed with Zune. They've failed with Bing. The Xbone embarrassed them, when they had to back-pedal and show their buttocks by going back on policies that were fundamental to their business model for that platform. They're losing market share in Windows and Office, and have for many months. Internet Explorer has been eroding share for years, and it's only going to accelerate with Windows losing share.
That's why the stock price is low. That's why Ballmer has to go. But, it's too late. Like a flailing jackass that's been stung under the midnight moon, the bald one now is kicking wildly and braying at the stars, hoping that hardware will somehow reverse the fortunes caused by the collapse of the software empire.
Of course, it just adds more failures to list, and no profits.
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