It was John Connors, Microsoft's chief financial officer, who first said out loud what others were thinking: "The question is," he declared, "Are we nuts? Is this the mad-dog investment company?"
Mr Connors' candour at the company's annual conference with financial analysts may have raised nervous laughter but the question is worth asking. The software giant is embarking on a startling series of investments and multiple product launches that threatens to leave its competitors trailing. But the strategy carries risk too. The world's largest software provider, always liable to hubris, must be careful not to overreach itself.
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