Top 10 Microsoft Stories Of 2010

Odds are, almost every household in the United States bought or used at least one Microsoft-related product in 2010. From smartphones to game consoles, entertainment software to applications, cloud computing infrastructure to expanded search engine agreements, the developer increased its footprint across earth and cyberspace. This year marked one of new beginnings and some endings for Microsoft, which released its long-awaited Windows Phone 7 operating system, the software giant's answer to Apple's iPhone and Google's Android. In plenty of time for this year's healthier holiday season, Microsoft also unwrapped Kinect, a much-lauded new sensor for its already popular Xbox gaming hardware -- and saw it receive rave reviews from technophiles and, more importantly, the kids, tweens, and gamers for whom it was designed. Likewise, the developer rolled out the third leg of its Halo trilogy, a move almost guaranteed to appeal to the game's legion of followers around the world.

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