re: hardware
For purposes of MS Windows, it's roughly true that Microsoft doesn't "make" hardware (using Apple's example of a company that "makes" hardware -- though Apple actually pays someone else to do it, and just sticks a logo on the hardware). There are (largely irrelevant, for these purposes) exceptions, though. For instance, Microsoft is the Xbox vendor; it "makes" that hardware. Microsoft has also been the vendor for the all-time best peripheral pointing device I have ever had the utter joy to experience using, an optical trackball that was a beauty to behold and a pleasure to use. Of course, Microsoft discontinued it, and someone stole my trackball.
