Former VP Calls Microsoft Clumsy, Uncompetitive

[Marcus Yam]

A previous Microsoft VP blasts Microsoft for its uncreative environment.

Former VP Calls Microsoft Clumsy, Uncompetitive : Read more

 

[Guest]

Sounds like someone's posturing for a job at Apple.

 

[ta152h]

This isn't just for Microsoft.

When I was at IBM in the late 80s and early 90s, they destroyed the company with this type of nonsense. The reason we use Windows now is because of IBM internal issues, and has little to do with Microsoft.

Bill Gates actually wanted to create OS/2 for the 386, but IBM said it had to be for the 286. Why? Because their hardware division was selling a bunch of 286, and IBM didn't want the PC line overlapping into higher margin areas like the AS/400 line, or later the RISC/6000 line.

So, OS/2 couldn't multi-task DOS apps (286 didn't have Virtual 86 mode, so the processor had to be essentially rendered unconscious and brought back up into real mode every time you task switched into the "penalty box" as the DOS compatibility box became known), and Windows/386 could. People care more about this than all the advanced features of OS/2, and eventually IBM got frustrated with Microsoft and told them to stop supporting Windows so well. Microsoft refused, IBM and Microsoft broke up. Microsoft was working on OS/2 3.0, which was what became Windows NT (which, we derisively referred to as Windows NotThere). As we all know, Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 isn't the greatest. OS/2 was, in my opinion and many others, so much better.

Whenever companies pull this crap, it's almost invariably to their detriment. The whole arrogant presumption that if a group in your company doesn't create it, your other product will not be impacted by the technology dismisses the inevitability that someone else will invent it! Microcomputers moved upstream anyway! IBM just didn't benefit from it, other people did.

It's almost always (I hate sbsolutes, thus the "almost") to let your company create something that marginalizes a product you're making. There are bright (and for that matter, stupid) people all over the world, and they'll do it if you don't.

Intel, to their credit, rarely, if ever does this, so this is not a shot at them. But, if we look back just a little ways, we remember how Intel didn't want to create a 64-bit extension for the 386 instruction set, because it would compete with the Itanium instruction set. It happened anyway, despite their arrogance. They learned quickly before it was very damaging, but it just goes to show even the most powerful companies, even today, are not immune to these lessons. It's a recurring situation, with the same result. Why don't they learn this?

 

[Humans think]

Although Microsoft posted a $6.7 billion profit for the past quarter, Brass says the bulk of that comes from old, traditional Windows and Office products.

I don't see a problem about that. Microsoft has always focused on the software, and no very much on product development.

At least Microsoft is giving power to the people (with some exceptions like throttling concurrent connections for botnet protection). For a large company it still insists on giving a fully operational operating system working on many platforms (unlike Apple) that does not depend on clouds (see Chrome OS) and does not yet condone the console bandwagon like Apple's appstore (iPhone, iPad). It's freedom is only surpassed by Linux, FreeBSD and the like.

Sure it keeps many of its protocols locked and fortunately some people reverse engineer it but these practices are expected from an American (capitalistic/imperialistic/fill in whatever you want) company that wants to keep profits high.

It seems though that the giant has become old and tired... Anyone remembers the civil war inside Apple Macintosh VS Rest of Apple. At the end the jar-heads, managers, counselors, marketing guys and advertisers always take command of the companies and guys with innovative ideas get pushed in the sidelines because when you start a company it is important to have good ideas but when they grow larger it is more important not to make mistakes.

A friend of mine works in Google and he is thrilled by the working environment but ask yourselves what will happen when Google becomes like Microsoft...

PS: sorry for large post

 

[tsnorquist]

I think the title sums it up....

... and this guy isn't making the money at his current job that he was at Microsoft.

 

[ngeorge9757]

I live near Microsoft, and once worked there. In my Experience, Microsoft tents to hire from a single mold. They place all their emphasis on hiring "right brain" types and don't hire many "left brain" types much at all. This makes them really great at getting a lot of good technical things done, but without any creativity or imagination guiding their efforts.

Microsoft was full of some the smartest people I have ever met, also some of the most arrogant and unimaginative people I have ever met too.

 

[ngeorge9757]

I live near Microsoft, and once worked there. In my Experience, Microsoft tents to hire from a single mold. They place all their emphasis on hiring "right brain" types and don't hire many "left brain" types much at all. This makes them really great at getting a lot of good technical things done, but without any creativity or imagination guiding their efforts.

Microsoft was full of some the smartest people I have ever met, also some of the most arrogant and unimaginative people I have ever met too.

 

[ngeorge9757]

I live near Microsoft, and once worked there. In my Experience, Microsoft tents to hire from a single mold. They place all their emphasis on hiring "right brain" types and don't hire many "left brain" types much at all. This makes them really great at getting a lot of good technical things done, but without any creativity or imagination guiding their efforts.

Microsoft was full of some the smartest people I have ever met, also some of the most arrogant and unimaginative people I have ever met too.

 

[cybrcatter]

I think it's presumptuous to assume that he has M$ in his cross hair simply because he was a VP there.
Considering its vast resources, we should have had an equivalent to Win7 many years ago. It wasn't until Apple started to bring some heat(a few % points are indeed heat) that we started to see some innovation, or at least adoption of more modern conventions.
M$ software was like how Apple hardware is now: not up to current standards.

 

[nicklasd87]

Its too bad that this article was based on a guy that stopped working there in 2004...I think allot has changed since then with Microsoft actually testing their operating system before release, starting with Vista. For those of you that remember, XP was shit when it got released when it came to bugs, and it was released right near the end of the time this VP was there. In comparison, Vista was much better than xp was when it launched when it came to bugs, it just wasn't received at all. Win 7 is over 9000 though.

 

[requiemsallure]

if they do not fix the problems internally i dont know if windows 8 will get much support if what is reported in the article is true will there be any good software engineers left in microsoft, if so this is funny, i wonder if microsoft fails where will all of the game makers go to.. Apple ftw.

 

[requiemsallure]

if they do not fix the problems internally i dont know if windows 8 will get much support if what is reported in the article is true will there be any good software engineers left in microsoft, if so this is funny, i wonder if microsoft fails where will all of the game makers go to.. Apple ftw.

 

[Humans think]

[citation][nom]ngeorge9757[/nom]Microsoft tents to hire from a single mold. They place all their emphasis on hiring "right brain" types and don't hire many "left brain" types much at all. This makes them really great at getting a lot of good technical things done, but without any creativity or imagination guiding their efforts. [/citation]

Nice point, I get what you are saying but you have to check left- and right brain types definitions

 

[akhodjaev]

I think this guys had to leave that company earlier... he was milking Microsoft, and did shit to a company... because of people like him who only can blame the whole unit and whole company struggles and end result will be crappy product. This guy from what he said failed being a VP hiring a right and motivated people to innovate... furthermore he did not motivate and acknowledge peole who were on the board... what would you aspect MF. I would appreciate if VP would do something good instead of checking just emails and confirming secretaries responds to those emails...

 

[DjEaZy]

... so true...

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Both individuals made comments that may or may not be valid. Most of the comments appear to be related to internal conflicts.

 

[randomizer]

This is not the first former M$ employee who has spoken poorly of the internal corporate culture.

 

[retirepresident]

Its call NO COMPETITIVE. That I only support AMD/ATI.

 

[masterjaw]

[citation][nom]randomizer[/nom]This is not the first former M$ employee who has spoken poorly of the internal corporate culture.[/citation]
Internal corporate politics might really exist. Anyway, most of the big companies have those type of culture, especially seeding from those people who are afraid to lose their precious position to someone with better ideas.

 

[Maxor127]

[citation][nom]Humans think[/nom]I don't see a problem about that. Microsoft has always focused on the software, and no very much on product development.At least Microsoft is giving power to the people (with some exceptions like throttling concurrent connections for botnet protection). For a large company it still insists on giving a fully operational operating system working on many platforms (unlike Apple) that does not depend on clouds (see Chrome OS) and does not yet condone the console bandwagon like Apple's appstore (iPhone, iPad).[/citation]
You have it backwards. Apple gives a fully operational operating system for the price of a Windows upgrade. It sells basically one version, while Microsoft sells 5 different versions, each with artificial limitations imposed on them to lock out features. As for the console bandwagon, you must not have heard of something called the XBox or XBox Live.

 

[eyemaster]

In response to ta152h:

Companies do learn, but it's because it costs money and to predict the future is not an easy thing to do. While these internal battles are happening, you don't realise at that moment what is happening.

Alas, hindsight is 20/20...

 

[ossie]

When did micro$uxx innovate? Never. To call it clumsy, and uncompetitive is a gross understatement. What it's best at, is monopolistic behavior, one of the greatest patent trolls, and grabbing others innovations, by buying out, or simply stealing. It's also great at killing competition with dirty tactics - also one of intel's "strengths".