With Windows 8 off to an allegedly “awkward” start, some tech
industry bloggers are starting to write Microsoft’s obituary,
which requires actively forgetting how diverse this company
really is. But rather than focus on the broader company, I’d
like to hone in on one area that I think doesn’t get enough
attention: Microsoft mobile strategy actually makes sense.  That
strategy is: Bring the 1.3 billion Windows users forward to a
completely new mobile platform, which is still called Windows,
by combining the legacy past (desktop) with the mobile future
(Metro), and do so while keeping an eye on what Microsoft calls
the next billion customers.  Now, we can argue with the
specifics of the strategy. Some still pine for the Start button
for some reason, while others more sensibly debate whether the
comingling of Metro and desktop—which genuinely is awkward—was
handled properly. I don’t care about that stuff. The strategy is
sound.  To understand why, let’s look at what Microsoft’s
critics are saying about it.  The