Microsoft announced its first-ever quarterly loss.

There are lots of reasons for this, but I think the biggest one is focus.

This quarter, Microsoft announced its new Surface tablet, to compete with Apple and the Android tablets.

Earlier this year, Microsoft acquired a significant percentage of Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader.

What does Microsoft do in the world any more, anyway?

Productivity software?

Then tell me, where is Microsoft Office for the iPad and Android tablets?! This would be a $100 million annual business for the company. Where is it?

Microsoft is suffering its first loss because of its massive, unbridled, ever-growing lack of focus. It appears there is no larger strategy. The road map leads nowhere and everywhere.

The greatest thing Steve Ballmer can do for his company is to corral its many directions, and focus it on a handful of products and services.

Focus.

It’s something Microsoft hasn’t had in at least 10 years.