Microsoft (MSFT) Becoming a Browser, Search Gorilla?

It seems just when everyone is about to count Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) out, they do just enough to show they still have some spark left deep in them, like they did at the end of 2010 with Kinect.

Now it seems like they are doing it again with the upcoming release of its Internet Explorer 9 and Bing search redesign, which is increasingly thought of as a legitimate alternative to Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) search. March 15 has been put forth as the probably release date for the products.

"Internet Explorer 9 and the redesigned Bing are inextricably linked, both in function and in the marketing-speak that is being used to introduce them. For obvious business reasons, Microsoft wants to ensure that any user of one is inclined to use the other. To further complicate matters, the new products also depend on HTML5, the updated standard for Web display, for maximum impact," says Minyanville.

"...Both products are faster and are visually stripped down, so that the user can focus on content rather than functionality. But the changes to Bing are dramatic - at least in video previews - that can utilize all the bells and whistles of IE9 and HTML5.

"The new Bing doesn’t look like anybody else’s search engine. It looks like a pretty slick multimedia magazine, created on demand for an audience of one, with the top-ranked result as the “lead story.” Other related choices are grouped into sections along the side, and other media, like videos and images, are accessible in one click from tabs along the top."

Microsoft was trading at $25.89, up $0.17, or 0.64 percent, as of 1:52 PM EST.




Source

Microsoft (MSFT) to Release Windows for Tablets in 2012

People with knowledge of the matter said Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) won't be releasing a tablet competitor to Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) or Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) until the 2012 back-to-school season.

A beta version won't be available for testing until sometime near the end of 2011, said the sources.

"Microsoft needs to update its Windows 7 operating system with programs more tailored to the touch screens, size and battery life of tablet computers to win a place in the surging market for the devices. The longer it takes Microsoft to release its operating system, the more time Apple and Google have to strengthen their hold on the market, Bloomberg noted.

“If 2011 is the year of the tablet wars, Microsoft will be awfully late suiting up for that battle,” said Michael Gartenberg, a New Jersey-based analyst for research firm Gartner Inc. “It’s not a good position to be in.”

Gartenberg added a 2012 debut for Microsoft would probably put it up against a third-generation iPad from Apple and second and third versions of devices based on Google’s Android system. Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) and Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ:RIMM) will probably also release second-generation tablets by then, he concluded.

While that will probably be the case, it will depend upon what Microsoft offers, as possibly dozens, if not over a hundred different tablet offerings will probably be made over the next year or so, and even if some make some headway, Microsoft will gain some share.

And if they provide an excellent Windows version for the device, they could grab a built-in customer they've been serving for a long time.

Microsoft (MSFT) May Take Legal Action Against Facebook

The hiring away from Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) of global ad sales head Carolyn Everson by Facebook has resulted in a fissure between the two companies, with Microsoft considering taking legal action to block the actions of Facebook, according to AllthingsD.

Heated talks between lawyers have evidently been taking place for several days over Everson leaving the company to be VP of global sales at the social networking site.

The question is what is it Microsoft will attempt to do to combat the event.

They will probably either outright attempt to keep Everson from actually stepping into the new position, or they could take a lesser route of keeping her from using information gained at Microsoft to generate ad business at Facebook.

With the close relationship between Microsoft and Facebook, some were surprised at Facebook taking the type of action that could alienate the tech giant from future collaboration with them.

Microsoft closed Wednesday at $26.08, dropping $0.08, or 0.32 percent.




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QCOM, GE, WFC, JPM Among Top 15 Picks of Bill Miller's Legg Mason Global Asset Management

AES,AMZN, AXP, C, CSCO, EBAY, EMC, GE, IBM, JPM, MSFT, QCOM, TWX, TXN, WFC

Legg Mason Global Asset Management is one of the largest asset management firms in the world. Assets under management as of December 31, 2010 were $672 Billion (11th largest asset manager in the world). 50% of these assets invested in fixed income securities and most of these (70%) are in the Americas Division. Legg Mason Capital Management is one of its subsidiaries. It was founded in 1982, based in Baltimore. It specializes in long-term, valuation based equity management. Bill Miller is chairman and CIO of Legg Mason Capital Management. He graduated from Washington and Lee University with a degree in economics. Before joining Legg Mason in 1981, he served as treasurer of the J.E. Baker Company. Before the subprime crisis, he was one of the most famous and successful investment managers in the world. He was named by Money Magazine as “The Greatest Money Manager of the 1990’s”. Between 1990 and 2005 Miller had a phenomenal track record by beating SPY for 15 straight years. However, between 2005 and 2010 he underperformed the SPY except 2009.

Bill Miller is a long term value investor; he says that:

We are value investors because we are persuaded of the logic of buying shares of businesses when others want to sell them, and we understand that lower prices today mean higher future rates of return, and high prices today mean lower future rates of return.

...One hundred percent of a company's information reflects its past while 100 percent of its value reflects its future.

In a recent interview, Miller said, "I would look for a long- term orientation, and the evidence for that would be a relatively low portfolio turnover. In a world of 110% to 115% turnover, something in the 50% range or less — ideally in the 20% to 30% range — is what would make sense." During the last 5 quarters, he had owned 490 different stocks and half of them are long term investments. 368 of those are still in the portfolio at the end of December 2010. As he suggested, he has a low turnover rate.

He thinks that the US economy is stronger compared to both developed and emerging economies and he is extremely bullish about the US stock market. In mid November, Bill Miller said that US stocks may rise 15% in the next 12 months because of the actions of the Fed. Since then, SPY returned 11.2%.

His 15 largest positions and 15 largest long-term picks are the same. When he invests large amounts in a stock, it is probably a long term investment. Miller had $13.4 Billion invested in US equity. Below are Miller’s 15 largest long term investments at the end of December 2010:

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Majesco (COOL) Quietly Making Big Move

Majesco Entertainment Co. (NASDAQ:COOL) has been moving under the radar of most investors, but has been soaring over the last several months, almost doubling since it traded at $0.78 on January 1, 2010.

The company develops games for all the major consoles, including Xbox (MSFT), PlayStation (SNE), Nintendo, mobile devices and PCs.

They most work in the casual gaming sector, and the enjoyed recent success with its Zumba Fitness, which was the No. 5 selling video game in January, in an otherwise very slow month.

In the last three months, Majesco has soared from $0.60 at the close of the market November 17, to $1.50 as of close on February 17.