Re: BALLMER: 'WE MADE MORE MONEY THAN ALMOST ANYBODY ON THE PLANET'
"GOOD versions of Windows (98SE, XP w/SP>2, latterly Win7)"
MS have a history of releasing unfinished products which the masses have rushed in sheep like droves to buy. Usually a Service pack or two down the line, the product is what it should have been on release. A least with a Linux desktop, you know it's work in progress, and now regular "Service Packs" from the commercial players.
"PC Gaming means Windows Gaming, too- Linux isn't there yet"
There has been no alternative to the defacto standard until recently. Valve & Steam are changing that for good. Most casual gaming now done on tablets/phones, so PC gaming probably peaked.
"At no point has it been as tekky as Linux"
Only because it's been a black box & the internals not generally available.
One trawl through the Windows registry & it's tekky enough.
All depends on what you're doing on each system I guess.
"Without Microsoft, we'd be in a far bigger mess."
Really? Say IB/M with OS/2 had won the day - IBM had a reputation for well engineered stuff.
Or, if Linux had been out earlier & got commercial backing sooner, it might be the standard desktop, just as Android has become the defacto standard smart phone O/S.