Strategic acquisitions for Microsoft

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A number of strategic acquisitions for Microsoft that make sense, and, cost relatively little, would be:

Buy the parent company that develops Xara Xtreme, a small yet powerful vector based application to produce scalable in house and packaged Windows based applications. Moving from bitmap to vector makes sense, yet, needs to be consumer friendly. Xara Xtreme provides the basis for that understandability, unlike, say, the complex Expression program and purchase.

As far as including a bitmap program with Windows and an image editor, an outright purchase of version 5 or 6 of Ulead PhotoImpact would be most suitable. Easy to use immediately for the novice, yet powerful picture editing, scaling, and compact saving of images. (Including with frames.) The benefits to Ulead from selling outright an old version of it's program to be included with Windows is enormous exposure, and, the opportunity to provide a richer experience to the user with paid for updated Ulead products.

Acquisition of the parent company producing 'CrazyTalk' would not only complement MS Agent, but provide integrated system help capabilities beyond what anyone has previously experienced before. A more personal, personal, assistant. Not to mention the personalized photographic possibilities for the Windows email user.

Distance the company from online search and proceed through a subsidiary if possible. There will always be suspicion that 'Microsoft is watching you ..' with a branded search product. You need to move the search out of Redmond and stand it alone. If you are unable to do Google, or get AltaVista from (I think) Yahoo, then start a new brand. Say 'Puffin'. Hey Yahoo and Google are odd and catchy. But I think overall online search may be a dead loss to Microsoft.

So, all in all .. let's make some sensible decisions in the future, and, please, feel free to take issue with any of the above explicates..

And Mary had a little lamb.. they're coming to take me away ha, ha, to the funny farm..