| 6/20/2012 @ 2:23PM | 1,628 views Can Microsoft Get Back into the Game? I know, I know. Microsoft is the world's largest software company. Its Windows OS and Office Productivity Suite remain leaders in most ways that you can measure them.  But the truth of the matter is that the company has lost its luster in recent years and some would say it has also lost its relevance. There has been a long, steady decline, lasting more than a dozen years since the days when the Redmond giant ruled the Earth, striking holy terror into both competitors and its own customers. Today, it may still have the heft of a fierce giant, but its past muscle has turned to paunch in the eyes of many observers. Lately, however, there have been signs the giant is getting in shape for a comeback and it might be a good idea to take them seriously. The term "release preview"means there isn't really a product yet, and the company could get away with omitting such details as the price, or exact date of availability. It also makes one wonder if Microsoft is following Apple, Google , Amazon and probably Facebook into the hardware business. Acer founder Stan Shih thinks it is just a temporary tactic. If so, it seems to me an expensive and distracting ploy. But even so, the world seems to me to be a little more interesting with Microsoft stepping back into the game. It's interesting to see Microsoft in