By the time big tech companies approach middle age, they either wind up reinventing themselves or start sliding into mediocrity.
It happened to Microsoft, to mention one of the best recent examples. Say what you like about Bill Gates, but he oversaw an ambitious refashioning that left his company stronger than before.
The same can't be said for Sun Microsystems, a one-time high-flying server maker whose strategy--if you can call it that--has been to throw a lot of stuff against the wall and wait to see what sticks.
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