Economist.com | Microsoft: Way beyond the PC

Economist.com | Microsoft: Way beyond the PC "Moving into non-PC markets also provides a hedge against any future decline in Microsoft's core Windows and Office franchises?though, despite years of speculation, neither seems to be in any danger of being undermined by open-source alternatives. And in the case of gaming in particular, notes Paul Jackson of Forrester, a consultancy, Microsoft has a chance to rebrand itself as a younger, cooler company. ?It's hedging, it's diversification, it's branding, it's getting off the desktop and into pockets and on to TVs,? he says. (Mr Bach denies that rebranding is part of the rationale for Microsoft's push into gaming, but concedes that ?the effect is absolutely real and is a nice benefit?.)"