Microsoft gets its mojo back

Microsoft has enjoyed something of a renaissance this year. The software company is once again leading from the front; Project Natal, its potentially game-changing controller-free, motion-sensing gaming system, was one of the most exciting product demos seen this year. A much-needed overhaul of its mobile operating system has stopped Windows Mobile dropping too far behind Android and the iPhone, while it has refreshed its search offering, with the launch of Bing in the US and UK and real-time search deals with Facebook and Twitter. And with the successful launch of Windows 7, Vista seems like a distant nightmare. CB