Following the reports yesterday of dysfunctional data downloading on the iPhone 4 via AT&T's network, AT&T sent us an email today with an offical response -- saying it's a software problem in Alcatel-Lucent equipment that will be fixed shortly.

Here's the response from AT&T:

"AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent jointly identified a software defect -- triggered under certain conditions – that impacted uplink performance for Laptop Connect and smartphone customers using 3G HSUPA-capable wireless devices in markets with Alcatel-Lucent equipment. This impacts less than two percent of our wireless customer base. While Alcatel-Lucent develops the appropriate software fix, we are providing normal 3G uplink speeds and consistent performance for affected customers with HSUPA-capable devices."

It had become popular in the mainstream media to popularize the "dying" of Microsoft. This is absurd. What is common with a "dying" company is a deterioration of its financial position and diminishing assets. Microsoft is a money machine.

I'm not saying that Microsoft does not have challenges. I'm just saying that the negative sentiment against the company does not reflect certain business fundamentals.