Microsoft is the top dog of tech firms. Its operating systems
have guided the evolution of home computer use for over 30
years. It's hated, loved, mocked and praised in roughly equal
measure. It's even powerful enough to turn its nose up at the US
government.  What happens then if, suddenly, it dies? If you
wake up one morning and there's no Windows, no Internet
Explorer, no MSN, no Office, no Bing… it's all just gone.  We
know it's not likely to happen soon, and we know Microsoft is
rather well off financially at the moment, but every empire
ultimately crumbles. Just how would the world react if there was
no more Microsoft?  We've enlisted the help of futurologists and
top technology analysts to help us describe a world without
Gates, Ballmer and Windows.  The reach of Microsoft  First,
let's get an idea of what we're dealing with. Microsoft is the
third largest company in the world. The brand is a household
name: the yearly Millward Brown study into the most powerful
global brand names put Microsoft at numb