yes, it was just a joke (depending on your definition of "joke"). but it was never funny. people who still say that are obviously stuck in the past -- in terms of their maturity, argumentative skills, critical thinking abilities, senses of humor, and general cultural awareness.

people who say "Micro$oft" are idiots. the existence of people who are humorless and lame enough to say it in the year 2013 -- that's what's offensive. it's not that people give a shit about microsoft or whatever