Microsoft paying for the stuff is a problem in itself. When analysts come up with reports, in general people assume somebody must have paid, but in many cases they don't ask too hard. In the case of reports favourable to Microsoft, however, there is a general presumption (which generally turns out to be true) that Microsoft must have paid for it. And then, in light of the company's history of serial duplicity and ham-fisted sponsoring subterfuge, they assume it must be rubbish. So we really can't see why Microsoft should bother.