Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Surface: Those three product introductions summed up Microsoft's triumphs and challenges in 2012. Windows is Microsoft's flagship product and cash cow, and the new release seeks to maintain the company's desktop dominance while supporting efforts to move into mobile computing. Windows Phone 8 and Surface represent the company's efforts to become a player in smartphones and tablet computers -- two areas where the company badly lags competitors.

Those weren't the only Microsoft news stories in 2012, of course. Executives came and went, some voluntarily, some not so much. New products were launched, and the company accelerated its efforts to migrate channel partners to the cloud. Here's what we think were the top Microsoft news stories for the year.