<p>Six months after the launch of Windows 8 and shortly after a quarterly earnings report that surprised some with its solidity, Microsoft watchers are asking:</p><p>Is the company the slow-yet-steady tortoise that's gaining on the flashier hares of the business the Googles and Apples?</p><p>Or do the plunging PC market, lukewarm response to Windows 8, and still-minuscule presence in tablets and smartphones foretell an ominous future?</p><p>And what should people make of recent news such as activist investor ValueAct Holdings' market-moving investment in Microsoft largely based on its cloud technology potential, official confirmation that the company is working on smaller Windows-based touch devices, and rumours of all the changes coming with "Blue," the wave of sweeping updates ahead for many Microsoft offerings?</p><p><a href="http://www.afr.com/p/technology/microsoft_office_on_pace_to_becoming_aZXgQ5G2ArhJsk1tCuK3QI">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.itechpost.com/articles/8606/20130501/what-is-a-surface-pro-good-microsoft-office-windows-8-more.htm">What Is A Surface Pro Good For? Microsoft Office, Windows 8, And More</a> (iTech Post)</p><p><a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/13/05/3556323/how-bad-is-microsoft-doing-in-the-tablet-market">How Bad is Microsoft Doing in the Tablet Market?</a> (Benzinga)</p><p><a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/1393411-whither-windows-rt-should-microsoft-let-it-wither?source=google_news">Whither Windows RT: Should Microsoft Let It Wither?</a> (Seeking Alpha)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=d0rtQVzlvcXrKeMqCQ7w2KtCb74dM&ned=us">154 additional articles.</a></p>