Why Microsoft Is Successful?

If you are a true traditional geek you would of the opinion that Microsoft makes bad products, but their marketing is solid and ubiquitous, so that is why everyone buys their products. But is it only marketing? Or is it the illegal and shameless monopoly? Or is it user-friendly software? Or is it some voodoo?

In 1984, Jeffrey Tarter published an annual list of the hundred biggest personal computer software companies. He named his list as ‘Soft-letter 100’.

According to this list in 1984, the top five were;

Micropro International with Annual Revenue of $60,000,000

Microsoft Corp. with Annual Revenue of $55,000,000

Lotus with Annual Revenue of $53,000,000

Digital Research with Annual Revenue of $45,000,000

VisiCorp with Annual Revenue of $43,000,000

According to this list in 2001, the top five were;

Microsoft Corp. with Annual Revenue of $23,845,000,000

Adobe with Annual Revenue of $1,266,378,000

Novell with Annual Revenue of $1,103,592,000

Intuit with Annual Revenue of $1,076,000,000

Autodesk with Annual Revenue of $926,324,000

So the only leftover is the Microsoft, and atta a leftover. Microsoft enjoys the biggest chunk of the market, and the margin from its nearest competitor is huge. Without any doubt, the personal computer software market is ruled by the bad old Microsoft. So again, is this due to the best marketing strategies?