Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc (GOOG), Facebook Inc (FB), And How Big Tech Returns to the Wild West

The reason Windows 8 is so important, however, is that it is an acknowledgement that the very core of personal computing is changing. The ink that’s been spilled about why Windows 8 is terrible is copious to be sure, but it’s still at the center of the conversation. A few years ago, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) was barely mentioned. The OS may be the product people love to hate, but it has propelled Mr. Softy back into the limelight. Furthermore, because being the subject of discussion is not enough alone, Windows 8 has had a sweeping impact.

Nokia’s Windows Phones have become serious contenders in several markets, making the battle for third place even more interesting, and that’s before Tizen gets into the game this summer. While the Surface RT and Surface Pro haven’t been huge sellers, they’ve spawned an explosion of Windows-based tablets and hybrids that has opened up the space. You now can choose between iOS and Android with flash memory, or a Windows machine with more complete capabilities. Hate Windows 8 all you want, but this is the point, and it’s working. Microsoft phones and tablets didn’t exist a few months ago, and now they’re in the thick of the conversation.

Without going into a discussion of each of the technologies mentioned, suffice it to say that advances are numerous and significant. Big tech has returned to the Wild West, and the prizes have gotten larger and the stakes higher. The ultimate beneficiary is the consumer, and the savvy and, yes, Foolish investor finds ways to benefit from this new, open landscape.

The article Big Tech Returns to the Wild West originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Doug Ehrman.

Fool contributor Doug Ehrman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Facebook, Google, and Intel and owns shares of Apple, Facebook, Google, Intel, and Microsoft.

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