#10. Microsoft
Ballmer: Doing 'very well in mobile'We're so cool (well, aren't we?)
For years, the software giant has been aggravating customers -- not to mention investors. Take Windows Vista. Plagued by bugs, software incompatibilities, sluggishness and annoying security alerts, the almost universally detested operating system nearly destroyed the tech giant's reputation with its customers. Then there are the countless product misfires. Windows Mobile: Flop. Zune: Seriously, do you know anyone who owns one? Through all of its problems, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (right) continues to live in the past and praise the PC -- even as multiple forecasts show mobile devices overtaking PCs in a matter of years.
The company's stock has gone absolutely nowhere in the past five years and Apple now is worth more than Microsoft. The generally positive reaction towards Windows 7, Office 2010 and the new Xbox 360 have taken away some of the sting, but Microsoft is still a company that has a lot to prove to customers and investors.
Last updated July 02 2010: 11:38 AM ET
