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Comment by thriftwy | Hacker News Reader

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They put themselves in the best position to capitalize on AI especially in the enterprise but also by integrating Copilot into Windows. With so many companies already trusting their confidential data to MS, it's easy to justifying using their/OpenAI tech through Azure.

CPU architectures are irrelevant to Microsoft at this point.

Microsoft is also starting to develop their own chips and are expanding more into ARM. They can't just "abandon" x86/64 like people think they can, it's not realistic. If they ever do it will be almost 20 years from now unless ARM just gets -that- far ahead that they have no choice.

Microsoft is the most diversified of the major players. OS, Office, Enterprise, Cloud, Gaming, Devices, AI

I would argue Amazon is more diversified but bogged down by a low margin retail business

Relevant for who? Influencers that have to have MacBook because otherwise they cannot show off their “wealth”.

MS was doing relevant stuff for corporations like banks, insurance companies, public services. That is where real money is Apple doesn’t have any of it.

> […]thanks to the early lead the company has taken in generative artificial intelligence through an investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

Cloud and AI investments are paying off.

Stock price comes from public expectations. This just confirms that the public expects openai to pay off

Their revenue sources are more diverse than you think. Products that are either directlyfrom their portfolio, or from a company they have a large stake in

- Windows

- Office 365, which includes Teams, a product that has boomed in usage since 2020

- Xbox + Activision Blizzard

- Azure Cloud, the 2nd largest cloud computing platform

- Github, by far the largest version control platform for developers

- Linkedin, quickly becoming one of the largest platforms for hiring

- Bing search + their ad network

- OpenAI/ChatGPT

- Edge browser

- Surface line of laptops and tablets

SQL Server is a massive business as well.

And Windows AD and Exchange. You'd struggle to find a large business which doesn't use it anywhere in the world.

Microsoft relies on independent hardware vendors selling Windows PCs, so they can't just go and build their own CPU like Apple can. They partnered with Qualcomm, but Qualcomm underdelivered.

Because they picked a CEO with a background in the very products the company is making. Often companies this size pick a professional bean-counter to man the helm, with predictable results

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