The great thing about people responding to posts that have data with generalised assumptions is they usually don't add data. Do you have any data to support your claim?
I know that this year, MS has had a drop in sales as a result of the global economic slowdown, but so has pretty much everyone else out there, so before you say "But XYZ company hasn't...", realise this, they're probably one of the outlier cases.
In an economy that has claimed several banks, 2 automotive institutions and countless other businesses, Microsoft is still able to maintain a profitable position even after having to fork out close to $300 million in severance packages, in a down market.
You also forget that Microsoft has the Xbox platform, their Windows Mobile empire and they are attempting to diversify their businesses further into many more markets.
They're not in a bad position. Their growth alone certainly seems to contradict everything you're saying.
These are well known facts. The yearly income fluctuations do not matter, Microsofts problems are of structural matters. The markets for Windows and Office are more and more saturated and not growing any more. http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/375410/microsofts_ca...