Here's an interesting post by Jon Gruber discussing what Apple could have done differently over the last two decades to gain PC OS market dominance.  According to Jon, evolutionary (not revolutionary) change and playing off of past successes seem key to attracting and retaining your customers.  I have to agree - I was an Apple customer in the Apple II days (back when the Apple was my “gaming PC“), but I had no compelling reason to stay that way when the Mac was released.  Despite the attractiveness of revolutionary and innovative technology, the laws of marketing still apply.  That doesn't keep me from salivating over the 30” Apple Cinema Display. :)

Steve Ballmer wishes we were first to market with every cool technology (so do I), but when we arrive we would still rather be first to make serious money.  Looking forward, we're definitely in the process of building an innovative software platform.  I think we're going to have a number of “firsts” when Longhorn is released.  But Longhorn simply won't fly if we break away from everything which has made Microsoft successful today.  We'll see new types of applications, but more importantly the old stuff will still work.  With backwards compatibility, users can take the revolutionary changes in comfortable baby steps.  Thank goodness.

I'll be happy so long as we keep Solitaire in there ... I swear, it's the ultimate productivity app!