
Microsoft spends more than 9 billion on research - dreemteem
http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/it-business/sme/news/index.cfm?newsid=19216
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ryandvm
I am perpetually surprised at the lack of innovation that Microsoft has. Like
Google and Amazon, Microsoft is overrun with smart engineers, but somehow they
have mysteriously manage to avoid introducing _any_ products with _any_
creative features in the last 10 years.

Microsoft: Give your engineers some 20% time so they can start churning out
products in "Microsoft Labs".

~~~
allenp
What about the new Courier / digital journal and what about the surface and
project Natal?

[http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/microsofts-courier-
digita...](http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/microsofts-courier-digital-
journal-exclusive-pictures-and-de/)

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Natal>

I know it is hard to compare to things like street-view, android, book search,
etc, but it isn't just office and winxp anymore.

~~~
throw_away
have any of those actually launched yet?

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rbanffy
In other news, Apple reports record sales :-P

OK, OK... I know Microsoft really does some impressive research (as opposed to
copying Apple products), but I couldn't resist.

On my defense, I was there in the low 80's when Microsoft announced Windows
and it grew increasingly Lisa-like on every press-release.

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david927
Don't be fooled, that's just tax code for "development work". What they have
in real R&D is a black hole.

~~~
bediger
I talked with the University of Colorado Comp Sci dept head a few years ago.
He happened to mention losing Benjamin Zorn to Microsoft Research, and that it
was a shame as MSR is a research "roach hotel": researchers go in, and nothing
comes out.

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marshallp
So it spends more than the NSF. Either that US government spends too little or
Microsoft is full of BS.

