Microsoft is the Industry's Most Innovative Company?

mjasay writes "According to a recent analysis by IEEE, Microsoft's patent portfolio tops the industry in terms of overall quality of its patents. And while Microsoft came in second to IBM in The Patent Board's 2006 survey, its upcoming 2007 report has Microsoft besting IBM (and even its 2006 report had Microsoft #1 in terms of the "scientific strength" of its patent portfolio). All of which begs the question: Just where is all this innovation going? To Clippy? Consumers and business users don't buy patents. They buy products that make their lives easier or more productive, yet Microsoft doesn't seem to be able to turn its patent portfolio into much more than life support for its existing Office and Windows monopolies. In sum, if Microsoft is so innovative, why can't we get something better than the Zune?"

Comments

Re:Prediction for this thread:

[sm62704]

Damn, my mod points just expired moments before trying to mod you Insightful, AC.

Doesn't matter, I'm invited to metamoderate several times a day and you would have lost karma for bad modding. The post showed no insight whatever, added nothing to the discussion, and backhandedly insulted slashdot's readers. In short, it was flamebait. And I still havent caught up on my sleep after the night before last.

First, he could have waited until someone actually commented before trying to predict the future, especially since a quick scan of the comments so far shows that his crystal balls are shooting blanks. At least he didn't say anything about Frosty the Yellow Snowman.

Second, he seems to have a problem with anyone making jokes about Microsoft.

Third, he thinks such jokes wouldn't be funny.

Fourth, funny is in the mind of the beholder.

I have a hunch if I were at MS HQ right now I'd be dodging chairs.

FIRST POST! ...at least, first post with a bad Ballmer chair joke. So I'm fulfilling the AC's lame prophesy. Lets see, what else can I come up with?

Imagine a beowold cluster of flying chairs (damn that was lame. ok... try again...)

In soviet USSR, microsoft innovates YOU! No?

Um, something about MS patenting Natalie Portman and her pony named Hot Grits?

Sorry, I got nothin. Tough room.