Microsoft is a company in transition.
Since August 2013, when Steve Ballmer announced his plans to step down as CEO, the company has done a lot of things the old Microsoft never would have dreamed of.
It has given products and source code away for free, moved fast to release a bunch of new products, and began to dismantle a toxic culture that developed over the past decade.
Most important, Microsoft has accepted the reality that Windows no longer rules the world.
Wall Street seems to be pleased with the changes, which started in Ballmer's last few months and have accelerated dramatically under new CEO Satya Nadella — the stock is up 53% since Ballmer said he would step down.
Released a really good version of Office for iPad ... before Windows tablets got one
Microsoft was rumored to be sitting on a version of Office for iPad for years. One of the first things that Satya Nadella did after taking over for Steve Ballmer was to finally release it. That happened in March.
It wasn't just a simple viewer, or a port of the then-crummy Office for mobile phones, but a completely new twist on the core Office apps — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote — that took full advantage of the iPad's size and touch screen. The reviews were mostly positive and expressed surprise.
Meanwhile, there's still no touch-first version of Office for Microsoft's tablets.
Then gave Office for iPad away for free*
*Well, kind of free. Originally, iPad or Android tablet users could edit Office files only if they had an Office 365 subscription. Otherwise, they could only view files. But earlier this month, Microsoft announced that consumers no longer needed an Office 365 subscription to use Office on their iPads and Android tablets. But for certain business uses, a subscription is still required.
Gave some versions of Windows away for free, too
Last spring, Microsoft announced that it would give Windows away to companies making devices with screens smaller than 9 inches. In other words, Windows Phone and all versions of Windows that run on small tablets and tiny devices would be free.
Giving any version of Windows away would have been heresy in the old Microsoft, but with Android available at no cost — and dominating the market for portable devices — Microsoft had little choice here.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider