Microsoft's biggest threat

"1) What was it that made Google such a serious net platform player, with enough power and flexibility to serve the world's Internet needs?

2) What was it that made netbooks possible in the first place?

3) What gives netbook manufacturers enough leverage to screw Microsoft down on OEM licence costs?

4) What is it that makes products like Amazon's Kindle and hundreds of other e-book, portable media and mobile Internet gadgets possible, all by eschewing Microsoft's embedded OSes?"