Tech Stock Investing: There's A Hole in Microsoft's Bucket and Your Money Is Leaking Out
By Adam Lass
Taipan Financial News
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In this article:
Microsoft has a long history of software patches.
Microsoft is losing its dominant position in the software industry.
Bill Gates should get ready for another 12-20% correction on his company’s stock in the next three months.
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Ever get annoyed by the constant flow of Band-Aids and patches Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) forces you to install, so as to repair the flawed products it forced you to buy? Feels like they come out once a week or so eh?
Actually, they do come out every month, or at least they have for years now. Still, there’s not much to be done about it. We are, after all, incredibly dependent on the slipshod work coming out of Redmond.
Actually, there is something Microsoft can do to forestall this regular irritant, and this week, it did: For the first time since September 2005, it will simply not release any of its usual monthly updates.
Tech Stock Investing: MSFT’s A Holey Mess
Has it finally reached a state of software perfection? Naaah!
There are all sorts of known vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 7, Office 2007's Publisher 2007. And word circulating about the geek-o-sphere impugns the long-overdue Windows Vista OS as a virtual sieve -- more holes than substance.
Unfortunately none of the patches for these troubles will be ready for release next Tuesday, as per Microsoft's public relations firm. So you won’t have to worry about spending hours following cryptic instructions, losing data and endlessly rebooting your PC.
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Tech Stock Investing: Infected and dangerous
Unless your PC is completely infected with “Mal-Ware,” the foul stuff created by semi-legit commercial hackers that turns your machine into a zombie slave that repeatedly loads toolbars you don’t want and drives you to Web sites you aren’t interested in.
In that case, you can look forward to an updated release of Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, Microsoft’s program that detects and removes common malicious code placed on computers. If your computer happens to run Apple’s OS 10, it is in all probability immune to such horseplay in the first place, so never mind.
Hmmm. There’s a point here somewhere amongst all this geek speak. Ahhh, here it is: Microsoft used to be dominating but it wasn’t that astute and prompt.
Tech Stock Investing: Fiddling Around While Redmond Burns… Your Money
While its founder has been busy playing with his foundation, his company has been becoming increasingly lax, slow and clumsy. In view of this, one has to wonder how long it will remain dominant.
This is not a mere rant: I have been warning for some time now that this slack attitude can and would cost investors cold-hard cash, and sooner rather than later. Indeed, if all you did was heed the warnings I espoused in my appearance on “TFN Stock Busters” last February, you could have saved yourself an 8% loss.
Microsoft investors: There is still time to get out, but you’d better do so soon, because this stock is going to lose another 12-20% over the next three months.
Oh, and do yourself a favor: instead of spending three hours this weekend trying to convince your PC that Daylight Savings Time is early this year, go out and buy a Mac, which updates itself automatically.
Adam
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Related Links
Tech Stock Investing: My previous warning about Microsoft (MSFT: NasdaqGS) back when the stock was three bucks higher:
Oil Investing: Something you can buy with the money left over from selling Microsoft (MSFT: NasdaqGS) now:
Related Resources
Tech Security Updates: Redmond’s latest security bulletins (good luck there):
Tech Stocks: Microsoft (MSFT: NasdaqGS) latest price, press clips and spin.