Intellectual History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Intellectual History - Term Paper Example One could call it the easiest way to explain natural processes. But it is also the only option available in order to interpret and articulate the world with limited knowledge, sophistication and maturity. In the eyes of the primitive humans, the natural phenomena such the setting of the sun, the changes in the season, the very wind that shakes the trees, and the rumble of thunder were beyond understanding. They were inexplicable, terrifying and spectacular all at the same time. By conceiving a metaphysical world, several mysteries were readily answered. The all powerful entity of god, for example, resolved the question of why man lives and dies, why the rain pours and why calamities strikes. Consider the many religious practices discovered as archaeologists unearthed and studied ancient civilizations. They provided invaluable insights not only in regards to how man perceived the world but how he came to terms with his relationship and experience with the world around him. Sacrifice i s a case in point. It is, as explained by Watson, both a gift and a coercion, provided to force the god to behave in a manner man wished: â€Å"to propitiate them, to defuse their anger, to get, to get rid of, to atone† (134). Natural phenomena that impact humans such as disasters, famine, disease and those favorable events like good harvest and victory in war were attributed to the workings of the gods. Thus, they were considered to be subject to some semblance of human control through sacrifice. For example, when famine struck, primitive people would think that gods were displeased or their offerings inadequate and, hence, would redouble their efforts in the next agricultural cycle (136). The rituals evolved into more elaborate ceremonies with far more important sacrifices as way of life became more complex. Human sacrifices became a prominent form of sacrifice later on. According to Watson, this came about on the strength of the idea that it is a form of self-denial and th at the degree of importance of the offering came to be perceived as the more effective or the worthier sacrifice to appease the gods’ anger or to ask for far more important blessings (135). In the Greek island of Knossos, for instance, bone fragments of children offered as sacrifices to the gods were found. These remains, dating to 2000 BC, were said to have existed during the bull-worshipping Minoan civilization and were killed to avert catastrophe, such as the earthquake that eventually led to the civilization’s demise (133). The most basic and the earliest sacrifices involved the use of objects, keeping the first seeds or the first ears of corn for the gods. Later the sacrifices became more elaborate and more cruel. This was a logical evolution in the backdrop of human ignorance about the natural processes that they observed on a daily basis. These were mysteries that occur constantly and they become the basis for the practices such as human sacrifice. The concept o f the after life also emerged early in human history. Ancient Egyptians, for example, were buried with their worldly goods in the belief that they would need the treasure in the after life. The Hindu religion also believes that the dead can be reborn. Watson explained that this was

No topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

No topic - Assignment Example This is a perfect representation of democracy as it is the voters’ opinions that are reflected on the elected leaders. #2.The voters are allowed to make independent choices too. They are never forced towards making a decision that satisfies the previous leaders’ wishes. Instead, they are issued with at least two leaders or choices to make in case of a referendum in the ballot paper. Hence, it is up to a voter to make his choice, which counts, in the final tally of the total. #3. In the aftermath of the elections, there are losers too. They are rather termed as the minority in the government. The minority are guaranteed rights such as freedom of speech and expression and the right to access the media/press. #4. All these actions of the minority are in an attempt to keep the majority (government) on toes to fulfil their promises to the citizens and live up to the expectations of a good government. The government then leads the country effectively and cannot be subdued by personal opinions/

Game console industry Essay Example for Free

Game console industry Essay Provide an overview of the company. Include any information you think is pertinent to this company (5 points) Nintendo is a company that creates video games and game consoles. Nintendo is the creator of the Game Boy, Super Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube and of course the Wii. Nintendo is only one of the few companies that create gaming systems, and is in constant competition with Sony (PlayStation) and Microsoft (Xbox). Nintendo’s revenues in 2009 were $19,308. 1 million, with a net income of ,930. 8 million. 1. What are the defining business and economic characteristics of the video game console industry? What is the industry like? (10 points) Sales of video game consoles, software, and accessories reached a record high of $23. 1 billion in 2008. Despite the increasing intensity of competition, the video gaming industry as a whole had continued to grow through the end of 2008 in the face of the downturn in the general world economy. 2. What is competition like in the video game console industry? Do a five-forces analysis to support your answer. Complete the following as part of your answer. Make sure to explain the reasons for your answers. (10 points) a. The bargaining power and leverage of buyers is a low competitive force b. The bargaining power and leverage of suppliers is a low competitive force. c. Competition from substitutes is a high competitive force. d. Threat of entry is a low competitive force. e. Rivalry among competing video game console producers is a high competitive force. Overall assessment: 3. What forces are driving changes in the video game console industry? Are these driving forces acting to make the industry more or less competitively intense? Are the driving forces acting to make the industry more or less profitable in future years? (10 points) 4. What is Nintendo’s strategy? Which of the five generic strategies discussed is Nintendo using? What are some of the recent offensive and/or defensive strategies that Nintendo has employed? Have these tactics been successful? (10 points) 5. How well is Nintendo’s strategy working in terms of the financial performance it is delivering? Should shareholders be pleased? Why or why not? What 2-3 weaknesses do you see in Nintendo’s financial performance? (15 points) |Performance Ratio |2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 | |Revenue Growth |16. 61% |73% |89. 79% |-1. 11% |n/a | |Gross Profit Margin |. 43 |. 42 |. 41 |. 42 |. 42 | |Operating Profit Margin |. 30 |. 29 |. 23 |. 18 |. 22 | |Return on Assets |25% |24% |18% |14% |13% | |Return on Equity |. 13 |. 14 |. 18 |. 24 |. 25 | 6. What does a SWOT analysis reveal about the attractiveness of Nintendo’s overall situation? Is the company’s competitive position as solid as top management seems to believe? Does the company have a competitive advantage? If so, what is the basis for this competitive advantage and is the advantage sustainable? (10 points) Nintendo’s Resource Strengths and Competitive Capabilities Nintendo’s Internal Resource Weaknesses and Competitive Liabilities Nintendo’s External Opportunities Nintendo’s External Threats 7. What does a competitive strength assessment reveal about whether Nintendo has a competitive edge? Complete the chart as part of your answer. You are to determine the success factors you deem most important. (20 points) |Key Success Factors |Importance Weight | Nintendo | Sony | Microsoft | | | |Rating Score |Rating Score |Rating Score8. What recommendations would you make to Nintendo to improve its competitiveness in the video game console industry and to maintain its favorable positioning vis-a-vis Microsoft and Sony? (10 points).

Research Proposal On Global Warming Environmental Sciences Essay

Research Proposal On Global Warming Environmental Sciences Essay This research paper explores the issue of global warming and the shifting attention that the skeptics are receiving in the recent past. This paper focuses on the global warming as defined by the scientists and the skeptics point of views in the debate. The skeptics of global warming are attracting attention from the public while gaining a respect from the climate scientists. Despite the skeptics calling for a sharp role back to political and industrial sources thought to contribute to global warming the climate scientist are playing defensive and are not backing down either. The increased momentum in the shifting of the public views over the past years have led to controversy over whether global warming is real or not and whether human activities really contribute to its occurrence. research ha shown that the acts of skeptics of global warming is changing the view that people have on the issue regarding global warming and increasing number of individuals are a strong to believe on th ese skeptics and it might lead to compromised efforts in curbing the menace. This research will provide and in-depth analysis of both the scientific and the skeptical views regarding the causes and effects of global warming on the planet earth and the survival. It will focus on the views of various skeptics that seem to be shaping the thoughts of the public which play a critical role in preventing further global warming. In addition to that the result of this research will help the environmental scientists to strategize on dealing with the skeptic ideas which jeopardize the efforts being put into curbing the causes of the global warming for instance in terms of public education. Finally the research will yield information on whether the global warming is really caused by human activities as climate scientist claim or its just a fallacy as claimed by the skeptics. Literature Review Global warming is described by climate scientist as a phenomenon that contributes to increase of temperature which is near the earth surface as well as in the oceans which started in the mid-twentieth century and its has been projected to be a continuing process. Assessment done by intergovernmental panel on climate change has shown that global service temperatures has been increasing and its attribute to various reasons which include: increasing concentrations of the greenhouse gases which are caused by the human activities like the burning of fossil fuel and deforestation (Mintzer, 129). The green house gases; nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide and water vapor, which traps the heat and like from the sun in the earth atmosphere which in turn serve to increase the temperatures which affects humans, animals and plants. Interruptions resulting from climate change when tolerance level of the living organisms is exceeded leads to death e.g. extreme high and low temperatures causes ex tinction of less tolerant species. Global warming as been argued to result to a rise in the global temperatures which in turn leads to a rise in the sea level as well as altered patterns of precipitation thus expansion of the subtropical deserts. In addition to that the change lad to retreating of the glaciers, sea ice and the permafrost in the polar regions, increase of extreme weather events like cyclones, erratic rainfall and dry spells, extinction of species and changes in the agricultural yields hence affecting human survival. Finally the rising atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to more acidic oceans a phenomenon predicted by climate scientists to continue. Projections derived from climate models indicate that the global surface temperature is going to rise further during the 21st century. These projections are marred with uncertainties as estimates from these models were obtained from models with differing sensitivities to greenhouse gas concentrations and use of varying estimates of the future concentrations of greenhouse emissions. The climate scientist have a consensus that anthropogenic global warming is an occurring phenomenon but the political as well as the public debate rages on whether that consensus is actually true or false. This debate has been in the recent past intensified by the increasing skeptics of the global warming who have gradually changed the scientific perception of the public on the issue of the global warming. Many people in the world question whether global warming realty exist or not and if it does exist, what are the reasons of its existence. But the fact is that there has been an increase in the surface temperature of the earth in the past century from 0.45 to 0.6 and believers of the global warming belief that its the warming is a proof of tits existence but skeptics believe that the warming is just a natural phenomenon and it should pose no worry at all. The debate takes a very interesting angle as both skeptics of the global warming and its believers have a valid scientific data t hat proofs the justification of each side of belief. Skeptics of the global warming have a belief that global warming is not an environment problem and think that the recent increase in the earths temperatures does not causes any alarm. In addition to that skeptics of global warming also belief that the earths polar caps and coastlines does not show any signs of disappearing in the near future. They have a strong believe that the models that climate scientist use to proof the occurrence of global warming and predict its effects are misrepresented and go further to argue that the models prediction showed that the effects of global warming was to more adverse in the last century than t actually was. Skeptics also argue that temperate increases has been occurring and fluctuations are widespread through out time even before the widespread emissions of the carbon dioxide that climate scientists link to be the root cause of global warming. Skeptics of the global warming argue that the models sued to predict effects of global warming are entirely based on facts hence ca not be trusted. Some believed that climate change is part and parcel of the planets cycle which has taken place before. Bellamy states that the sun is growing old and is becoming warm than before, its spots do affect the earth by warming it up and subsequently the atmosphere. Other natural activities or rather processes deemed to cause global warming include out gassing, solar radiation, microbial activities, variation in sea salinity are much responsible for global warming while anthropogenic impacts are negligible. Nicola summarizes all these by saying, At least 60% of warming the earth observed from 1970 seems to be induced by natural cycles which are present in the solar systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In addition, skeptics of global warming are of the opinion that the projections about global climate are likely to be inaccurate due to inadequate of current models about global climate changes, although it is not stated whether or not the values are high or low. According to Richard, (11 and 12) he holds that there have been an increase in average surface temperature, increase in carbon dioxide level which is a greenhouse gas with the potential of warming up the earth, but he further said that we cannot confidently coin the past change in climate to carbon dioxide and similarly, we are not capable of predicting future climatic conditions. The argument here is that if the increase in carbon dioxide emission warms the earth, at present, the earth could have been warmer. The same is echoed by Garth who said incase there is an increase in emission of the gas so that it is large enough to be recognized, it is not yet fully accounted for/answered. Skeptics of the phenomenon, global climate change, have challenged these view held by the majority on the basis of the following that global warming that stimulates GCC is actually not taking place, the causes of global warming is purely a natural process and man has not played any part and if yes the impacts are negligible, some say that the causes of the phenomenon is not known, the negative implications of global warming are few compared to the perceived accrued benefits, and the accuracy of instrument used to project issues relating to climate are deemed questionable. Despite these two contradiction opinion about global warming, those on both sides opt to carry out more studies in order to substantiate their claims and facts. For instance, it is important to correlate carbon dioxide emission and global warming as well as developing global climate change models that are of fewer errors (Nikkhah, 96). Although there is a very strong consensus that global surface temperatures have risen in the recent past, there are those who are of the opinion that global climate change is not as serious as the way it has been put. The accounted causes of global warming among others include; high solar intensity that keeps increasing, oceanic circulation cycles, biosphere impacts, change in ultraviolet radiation, volcanism, reflectivity, variation on earth rotation, changes in solar systematic, change in galaxy positions and anthropogenic effects. The effects of the phenomenon being rise in the sea level, melting of arctic sea ice, rise in sea-surface temperatures, melting of glaciers and permafrost, prevalence of heavy down pour leading to flooding, desertification due to extreme drought conditions, increase in average surface temperature which affects human health, increase in strength and frequency of hurricanes, increase in frequency of heat waves and acidification of sea water as well as chan ge in ecosystem. Research methodology To carry out this research the methodology to be employed will focus on obtaining the ideas and views from the public regarding the debate on the global warming. The manner in which the research is conducted will employ both the qualitative and quantitative methods and bring out clearly the entire mechanisms involved in collection of data, analysis as well as in the interpretation of the research results. Both secondary and primary sources of data will be used to obtain the information from the public on their beliefs on the issue of global warming. The data required will also be collected using the secondary sources and case studies will be utilized in soliciting for relevant information. The data obtained will then be analyzed and presented using charts and tables where appropriate (Gleick, 90). To ensure that the data required for the research is obtained to ensure that it addresses the objectives as well as the research question, both secondary and primary sources will be of great help. The types of primary sources to be used in the research include: conducting interviews, issuing of questionnaires and personal observations. After obtaining permission from the relevant authorities, the questionnaires will be distributed to the randomly sampled public and collected at a later date. Use of questionnaires ensures that a larger population is covered at a time as they are distributed to different participants at same time. The secondary sources used include the use of the internet source like online publications, the library sources like books, journals and research dissertation to obtain blended information on global warming and past research findings and reports from organizations. Finally the information obtained in the field will then be analyzed using the non parametric a statistics and this is done after filtering, modeling and transformation process. The analysis of the data will then yield information necessary for drawing conclusions and recommendations. In addition to that descriptive statistics will also be utilized in analyzing the data especially in description of the sample under study. In order to for the significance differences of the hypotheses and research questions a T-test is carried out (Stern, 201). Use and dissemination of research findings The findings of this research paper will be of great benefit to various stakeholders engaged in conducting public education regarding the causes and the effects of global warming. Information from the research will play a critical role in identifying the options and views that the public have on the controversy surrounding the existence of the global warming hence they will be able to target in changing the stated views to garner their effort in curbing the menace. Ina addition to that research finding will be used by students and researcher who are interested in the debate and may also be used to elaborate on the issues especially on the part of the literature review of other future projects. Another use of the research findings include increasing understanding on the concerns of global warming by the public hence acting as a resourceful source of information (Watson, et al, 124). The research findings will be disseminated using various channels like: posting and publishing then in the online resource centers to be accessed by internet users across the world and hard copies will be printed as a dissertation to and distributed to libraries to be accessed by anybody interested in the obtaining information on global change.

Statement of Philosophy and Goals Essay -- Philosophy of Education Tea

Statement of Philosophy and Goals As a child playing school with the neighborhood children, I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher. Since the first day of kindergarten, watching the teacher teach us how to do basic things like counting, writing, and reading is what interested me in teaching. Throughout my elementary and secondary education I became even more interested in the teaching field. I thought that being a teacher would be the best thing in the world because a teacher has an immense amount of knowledge. Now I am in college where I am currently studying to be a secondary mathematics teacher. There are several reasons why I want to become a teacher, but the two most important reasons are to make a difference and to enrich the learning process. Everyone has to have some reason of why he or she decides to pursue his or her particular career choice. I want to become a teacher so that I can make a difference in a young person’s life. My high school calculus teacher, who was also my role model, made a difference in my life. It was her class that made me decide that I wanted to become a secondary mathematics teacher. I had a first hand experience at what it is like being a teacher during my senior year of high school by being my calculus teacher’s teacher assistant. While being her teacher assistant I experienced several things that a teacher does on a daily basis: making copies, grading papers, constructing lesson plans, and teaching/ tutoring students. I hope that when I become a teacher that I will be capable of inspiring a young person, just the same as my high school calculus teacher did for me. Another important reason why I want to become a teacher is that a teacher is constantly learning new things... ...e level I would like to teach is at the high school level. While pursuing my career as a teacher I plan on continuing my education by going on to graduate school. I am currently enrolled in college to learn how to become a teacher. A teacher must learn a variety of teaching methods and how to manage a classroom. There are six philosophies of education, and I agree with certain arguments in each one, but the three that are most important to me are essentialism, progressivism, and behaviorism. The most important of the three is essentialism; the back-to-basics approach which was enforced after the launching of Sputnik. My goals as a teacher are to make a difference and to become a role model. A teacher is continuously learning new things, and I plan on continuing my education. By going to college I am fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a teacher.

Bureau of Correction Essay

Corrections in the Philippines started during pre-colonial times when the task was community-based. It was only during the Spanish regime that an organized corrective service was made operational. The main penitentiary was the Old Bilibid Prison at Oroquieta Street in Manila which was established in 1847. It was formally opened on April 10, 1986 by a Royal Decree. About four years later, on August 21, 1870, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City was established to confine Muslim rebels and recalcitrant political prisoners opposed to the Spanish rule. The facility which faced the Jolo Sea had Spanish-inspired dormitories and was originally set on a 1,414-hectare sprawling estate. When the Americans took over in the 1900s, the Bureau of Prisons was created under the Reorganization Act of 1905 (Act No. 1407 dated November 1, 1905) as an agency under the Department of Commerce and Police. It also paved the way for the re-establishment of San Ramon Prison in 1907, which was destroyed in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. It placed under the auspices of the Bureau of Prisons and started receiving prisoners from Mindanao. Before the reconstruction of San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm, the Americans established in 1904 the Luhit Penal settlement (now Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm) on a vast reservation of 28,072 hectares. It would reach a total land area of 40,000 hectares in the late 1950s. It was located on the western most part of the archipelago far from the main town to confine incorrigibles with the hope of rehabilitation. The area was expanded to 41,007 hectares by virtue of Executive Order No. 67 issued by Governor Newton Gilbert on October 15, 1912. Other penal colonies were established during the American regime. On November 27, 1929, the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City was created under Act No. 3579 while the Davao Penal colony in S outhern Mindanao was opened on January 21, 1932 under Act No. 3732. The CIW was founded to provide separate facilities for women offenders. To date, there are two Correctional Institutions for Women, the one mentioned in Mandaluyong and the other one is located in Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Dujali, Davao Del Norte. Owing to the increasing number of committals to the old Bilibid Prison in Manila, the New Bilibid Prison was established in 1935 in the southern suburb of Muntinlupa City. The old prison was transformed into a receiving center and a storage facility for farm produce from the colonies. It was later abandoned and is now under the jurisdiction of the Public Estates Authority. After the American regime, two more penal institutions were established. These were the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro under proclamation No. 72 issued on September 26, 1954 and Leyte Regional Prison under proclamation No. 1101 issued on January 16, 1973. The Bureau of Prisons was renamed Bureau of Corrections under the New Administrative Code of 1987 and Presidential Proclamation No. 495 issued on November 22, 1987. It is one of the attached agencies of the Department of Justice. The Bureau of Corrections presently has seven satellite prisons, namely; the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, the Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte, the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City and the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Dujali, Panabo, Davao Del Norte. Of these prison satellites, the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City as the Central Office serves as the main penitentiary as the Central office is also located in there. As of August 2012, the total population of prisoners confined in all satellites of the BuCor is 20,000. It is at this juncture, that handling, managing and taking care of the records of these inmates are of complex types of work which have to be performed by the competent personnel assigned at the â€Å"Inmate Document and Processing Division.†

Microsoft Swot

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington that develops, manufactures, licenses and supports a wide range of products and services related to computing. The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. Microsoft is the world's largest software maker measured by revenues. It is also one of the world's most valuable companies. Microsoft was established to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800.It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems. The company's 1986 initial public offering, and subsequent rise in its share price, created an estimated three billionaires and 12,000 millionaires from Microsoft employees. Since the 1990s, it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made a number of corporate acquisitions. In May 2011, Microsoft acquir ed Skype Technologies for $8. 5 billion in its largest acquisition to date.  «About Microsoft inc. As of 2012, Microsoft is market dominant in both the PC operating system and office suite markets (the latter with Microsoft Office). The company also produces a wide range of other software for desktops and servers, and is active in areas including internet search (with Bing), the video game industry (with the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles), the digital services market (through MSN), and mobile phones (via the Windows Phone OS). In June 2012, Microsoft announced that it would be entering the PC vendor market for the first time, with the launch of the Microsoft Surface tablet computer.In the 1990s, critics began to contend that Microsoft used monopolistic business practices and anti-competitive strategies including refusal to deal and tying, put unreasonable restrictions in the use of its software, and used misrepresentative marketing tactics; both the U. S. Department of Justice and Eu ropean Commission found the company in violation of antitrust laws. Microsoft just lost a world-record to Apple. Microsoft was valued to $619 billion during the last tech bubble in 2000, and the current value of Apple is $623 billion – so Apple currently is the most valuable publicly traded company of all time (If you ignore inflation.IBM was worth $1. 3 trillion in 1967 if you adjust for inflation). Microsoft seems to lose more and more of their market shares to competitors. Google's web-browser Chrome is the largest web-browser – Microsoft Explorer has the second place. Is Microsoft the next large tech company to fall into the graveyard of the old once mighty forgotten companies? To find out, one way is to make a SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis StrengthsWeaknesses †¢Strong brand †¢Increasing research and development investments †¢High financial strength†¢Lack of innovations †¢Bugs †¢No proud users OpportunitiesThreats Windows 8 †¢Xbox 720 †¢New logo†¢Piracy †¢Tablets competition †¢Open source model Strengths †¢Microsoft is the number 1 in the following areas: oXbox 360 – 47 percent of the market before Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii oOffice – 94 percent of the market  «Microsoft. com » oWindows is the largest operating system in the world – 92 percent of the market before Apple with 6 percent  «Microsoft. com » †¢Microsoft may not always be number 1, but they are number 2: oExplorer is the second largest web-browser – behind Google Chrome oBing is the second largest search engine – behind Google Sometimes you don't have a choice. If you are buying a PC today, you are going to buy it with Microsoft Windows pre-installed. If you are working at a large company, you are going to use Microsoft Office †¢Microsoft is a company with a high financial strength: oDistributes a dividend 4 times each year – currently $0. 23 per share oAre buy ing back shares – the 2012 outstanding shares have decreased by 16. 6 percent since 2006 oRevenues in 2012 have increased to $73,723 million from $44,282 million in 2006 oEarnings per share in 2012 have increased to $2. 72 from $1. in 2006  «Can the once mighty Microsoft rise again?  » Weaknesses †¢Lack of innovation. Microsoft and Facebook both spent about $1 billion. Facebook bought Instagram, and Microsoft bought patents  «Microsoft. com » †¢Lack of innovative company culture. The employees are competing with each other – not with other companies – thanks to the management system inside Microsoft that says that everyone in a group can't be top performers. Each unit is forced to declare a certain percentage of employees as top performers, good performers, average, and poor – no matter how good they are.One of the employees said: â€Å"It was always much less about how I could become a better engineer and much more about my need to imp rove my visibility among other managers. †  «Can the once mighty Microsoft rise again?  » †¢Bugs – Microsoft has a reputation for making software with bugs. Everyone can remember when Bill Gates was going to make a presentation and the famous blue screen appeared. Go and check it out here if you have missed it: YouTube. Have you ever seen a similar presentation by Apple?The problem with creating a software such as Windows is that Windows needs to work with many different computers from different manufacturers. It is easier for Apple to create software without bugs since they are manufacturing their own computers †¢No dedicated users. Apple users loves to show that they are using Apple devices, but who's proud of using a device from Microsoft? Opportunities †¢Next generation products such as Windows 8 and Xbox 720 †¢Microsoft has just changed its corporate logo – and the logo now includes a symbol Threats Microsoft is a PC company while mor e and more people are shifting to mobile and tablets. They are trying their best with Surface – their own tablet. It's hard to compete with Apple today since you also have to compete with iTunes Store with millions of apps. If you create a better iPhone competitor, people are still going to use the iPhone because of all the apps available †¢Open source models: oLibre Office is free and as good as Microsoft Office if you are only using the basic functions oOuya – the open source Android video game console may be a low-cost competitor to the Xbox