Barry Ritholtz seems to be one of the few tech pundits who understand how Microsoft lost its mojo:

Microsoft had its deal with the devil: Its lightning in a bottle was not some awesome technology or brilliant breakthrough -- it was a clause in a contract that led to an enormously profitable monopoly...

Once the Justice Department and the European Commission found the company in violation of antitrust laws, it was forced to compete fairly. It is no coincidence that as the company lost its vice grip on the desktop, its dominance faded. Revealed as a dinosaur, it was unable to compete with the smaller, more-nimble mammals.

Nothing I haven't said before, but my opinions aren't published in the Washington Post ;-)