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Please post any further questions or followup to the newsgroups for the
benefit of others who may be interested.  Unsolicited questions forwarded
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Hope this helps
Doug Robbins - Word MVP

Well, Marina, that's a good question.

Microsoft is a "company."  They make "software"
and "other products" based on software.

Microsoft wants its "customers" to use their software
at "work", at "home", on the "internet", and
for "entertainment". I realize these are all complex and
possibly foreign concepts for you, but you can look all
those words up at www.m-w.com and you'll get an idea of
what they mean.

Microsoft products include:

*Windows Client*, including the Microsoft® Windows® XP
desktop operating system, Windows 2000, and Windows
Embedded operating system.

*Information Worker*, including Microsoft Office,
Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Visio®, Microsoft Project,
and other stand-alone desktop applications.

*Business Solutions*, encompassing Great Plains and
Navision business process applications, and bCentralT
business services.

*Server Platforms*, including the Microsoft Windows
Server SystemT integrated server software, software
developer tools, and MSDN®.

*Windows CE & Mobility*, featuring mobile devices
including the Windows Powered Pocket PC, the Mobile
Explorer microbrowser, and the Windows Powered Smartphone
software platform.

*MSN*, including the MSN® network, MSN Internet Access,
MSNTV, MSN Hotmail® and other Web-based services.

*Home & Entertainment*, including Microsoft Xbox®,
consumer hardware and software, online games, and our TV
platform.

I hope that helps you understand what "Microsoft" is.