Matthew Buckland has decided that Microsoft is getting its "cool" back. He explains when in Memeburn today, starting from his moment of revelation at Le Web in December last year, through the analysts thoughts, Microsoft's strength in retail, and the assumption that the pure-web vision of sites like Facebook will not always be the constant beacon they are now.

So when Microsoft gets its products right, and combines this with an exceptional business prowess, you know something special is about to happen. On a business level, Microsoft has now paired a brilliant mobile operating system, with the world’s largest mobile manufacturer. Suddenly the Nokia deal seems like a genius move. It sees two giant companies, who have faced stiff competition from Apple, coming together in a powerful alliance.

And it’s why I run a mile from expensive Apple shares and I’m rather interested in the cheaper-looking Microsoft shares.

He's certainly got a point that Microsoft's share price has stayed steady when compared to Apple's rise, but that doesn't mean they are going to rise - but if any company is going to carve out a chunk of the Apple/Android axis, then it's not going to be Research in Motion, the recently open sourced WebOS, or the army of new Symbian devices.

It's going to be Microsoft. The question of the perception of Redmond therefore becomes vital. If they are seen as "cool" again, then that can only help.