| For thousands of
years, most of the world's knowledge has been frozen into flat, static forms by the
limitations of traditional media. The introduction of sound, motion, color, and real
interactivity to the Internet has changed all this. All of a sudden, ideas can easily be
taken out of storage, walked around, seen from a thousand different angles, and talked to
like old friends. Empowering the PCs that empower people. We have always felt the Internet should be more than an electronic book. More than a glorified television set. Instead of passively viewing its content, we believe users want to process, manipulate, and interact with the wealth of content the Internet provides. We focus on robust systems that help users think in robust ways. Microsoft software runs on personal computers that put tremendous amounts of power in the hands of every user. Not just the power to download huge volumes of information, but the ability to interact with every single idea and make it a living, breathing thing. A new role for the desktop. Our original vision was to put a computer on every desk and in every home. And to make each individual more effective at individual tasks. But today, Microsoft software opens up an entirely new way for groups of people to think and communicate, with the personal computer as the gateway to it all. Professionals who are thousands of miles apart work together as if they were in the same room. Researchers and scholars communicate in real time, creating the controversy and clash of ideas that lead to growth. Grade-school students use the personal computer as naturally as they use chalk or crayons. And with the widespread acceptance of electronic mail, everyone from MBAs to retirees is meeting online, sending messages, exchanging ideas, or just getting to know each other. In fact, e-mail itself has actually become a new form of communication: more intelligent than a phone call, more immediate than a letter, and with the best qualities of both. Of course, by using MSN™, The Microsoft Network, people can connect to the Internet in only seconds and easily become part of a diverse global community. And with MSNBC and Slate™, they can experience new forms of electronic journalism. Integrated software that integrates everything else. Because Microsoft software makes all these possibilities so completely available, it's nearly impossible for our customers to know exactly where their desktops end and the Internet begins. They can go to the World Wide Web, view newly released charts, and integrate them into reports written with Microsoft Word. They can pull daily-fluctuating data into a roadshow presentation created with Microsoft PowerPoint®, then update it as they go from city to city. They can convene group meetings online in real time. We help millions of people do all this and more. Because Microsoft software is seamlessly integrated itself, it helps users access and integrate information from a variety of different sources. As the end result of this process, people can turn information into a much more valuable commodity: information that others can easily understand. |
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