http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/02/the-three-patents... http://androidcommunity.com/barnes-noble-reveals-microsofts-...
>> Most have nothing to do with OS. If any is related, MS is too scared to disclose it because it would be against Linux or Unix (which is around for 40-50 years).
40-50 years patents are non-existent, at least in the USA. And "Most have nothing to do with OS" is irrelevant, Microsoft has tens of thousands of patents, all they need a few dozen key OS patents to work with.
A search for "strength Microsoft patents" yielded this http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/272100/survey_microsof...
"The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) annual Patent Scorecard, released in December 2008, gave Microsoft the top score among all categories. This is the second consecutive year Microsoft has topped the list.
IEEE’s Patent “Pipeline Power” ranking takes a number of factors into account, including the number of patents held, year-over-year portfolio growth, the variety of technologies influenced and the number of times a company’s patents are cited in the patent applications of other inventors."
I am going to take their word over yours. Sorry.