tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post7502888568324169580..comments2024-03-29T04:53:26.072-07:00Comments on Mini-Microsoft: The Tumbling Tumbleweeds of SummerWho da'Punkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18205453956191063442noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-58711943483308039542008-07-26T04:27:00.000-07:002008-07-26T04:27:00.000-07:00Jon Shirley would get investors excited, and proba...Jon Shirley would get investors excited, and probably work towards a mini msft (turning us into IBM perhaps, be careful what you wish for mini).<BR/><BR/>How about Reed Hastings?<BR/><BR/>Elop? Maybe.<BR/><BR/>I reserve judgement on Sinofski until I see Windows 7 release. If it ain't received as the second coming, then he is out of the running AFAIC.<BR/><BR/>BrianV would get me pretty excited, speaking of close to the metal for one and creating his own culture for two.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-11117876677208447702008-07-26T04:22:00.000-07:002008-07-26T04:22:00.000-07:00ScottGu might be great, I don't know. But don't g...ScottGu might be great, I don't know. But don't give Silverlight as evidence. Until I need Silverlight to view the web it's a novelty with 'success' nowhere in sight. Not to view the olympics, but to actually make use of the internet. You know, like how that turd Flash is required on my browser daily.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-43710445773217433172008-07-26T04:18:00.000-07:002008-07-26T04:18:00.000-07:00Rudder? The guy who manufactured rumors about bei...Rudder? The guy who manufactured rumors about being the heir-apparent to Gates? Please, more like the guy who dropped the ball with developer division. The ball no one has managed to pick up yet. Remember when developers were key to winning folks to our platform? Rudder makes a good GM, he's out of his league even as VP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-72130698954154507302008-07-25T12:55:00.000-07:002008-07-25T12:55:00.000-07:00Why do so many comments hint towards 70's style, g...Why do so many comments hint towards 70's style, guitar wielding programmers as the next CEO ? Come on, we need a real leader,someone to take create a vision and chop some dead wood out of this huge forest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-15370097889031063812008-07-23T18:34:00.000-07:002008-07-23T18:34:00.000-07:00I think it's way too early to think of a replacem...I think it's way too early to think of a replacement for Ballmer. Not even as caution. Your reasons could not interest the outside world beyond/under the current price of MSFT stock.fChhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08007305273044171670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-25445316156936098452008-07-21T19:55:00.000-07:002008-07-21T19:55:00.000-07:00"As a small example of culture: I'm back to readin..."As a small example of culture: I'm back to reading some business books."<BR/><BR/>What books are you reading, if you don't mind sharing?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-23465687387429571082008-07-21T00:23:00.000-07:002008-07-21T00:23:00.000-07:00>>"I kinda miss JimAll to be honest.&qu...>>"I kinda miss JimAll to be honest."<BR/>>Yeah, he did such a great job with Vista.<BR/><BR/>Maybe its because I don't work in Windows, but does JimAll deserve ALL the blame for the vista fiasco? I'm looking at his <A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/jim/default.mspx" REL="nofollow">online bio</A> and it says he served as "co-president" while sharing responsibilities with Kevin Johnson. Whats odd is how they go out of their way to point out that he "retired" on the same day that Vista was launched. I guess thats a bit like corporate-seppuku..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-80689559768643338482008-07-20T16:04:00.000-07:002008-07-20T16:04:00.000-07:00Stephen Elop is the next CEO. His keynote @ MGX wa...Stephen Elop is the next CEO. His keynote @ MGX was stunning, and I've spoken to dozens of field folk who concur. <BR/><BR/>As for all the comments re KJ and Live etc, I would have agreed with most of those until his own MGX session. Things like this don't change overnight - but the landscape will be very different in 3-5 years and our investments are backing this up. We're in this game for the long haul and I feel the strategy is a good one. The other bonus is that Kevin understands customers and partners, something that PG VP's don't get as well as he does. The supertanker is turning for sure - I've had deja vu all this MGX week by being constantly reminded of where we were at pre the "internet tidal wave" and w2k. Time to take the gloves off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-40296785709125776382008-07-20T12:56:00.000-07:002008-07-20T12:56:00.000-07:00One of the problems is that the smart people are s...One of the problems is that the smart people are so far from the power. And to gain power, requires people to play a game that smart people don't want to play. While the powerful people use their power to avoid having to discuss smart ideas. Just squeezing more sales out of pseudo-monopolies is not going to raise the share price because the market already expects it... so the only way of boosting the share price is to do something (many things) that are surprising. Like shipping a super slick, micro-footprint, open source kernel, MS skinned, OS before end of 2009. Or - adding a multi-touch driver to all OS in the next six weeks (it was possible 5 years ago - must be possible now) - or launching an internal market for applications that could actually ship. But hey - they're just ideas... time for some grass roots action that can't be ignored. Like IBMers taking on the Olympics web site, or Honda engineers building a car in their spare time...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-55748187807387117562008-07-19T13:42:00.000-07:002008-07-19T13:42:00.000-07:00Do you really want the next Microsoft CEO to be so...Do you really want the next Microsoft CEO to be someone socialized in the dysfunctional leadership environment we currently have at the company?<BR/><BR/>I certainly wouldn’t, which is why I think you either have to look at someone new to the company, like Stephen Elop (formerly CEO at Macromedia), or someone external who is a Lou Gerstner turnaround type, like Mark Hurd at HP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-70545666987341738572008-07-18T20:40:00.000-07:002008-07-18T20:40:00.000-07:00Bring back Bob Herbold please.Bring back Bob Herbold please.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-16772366660359013372008-07-18T19:01:00.000-07:002008-07-18T19:01:00.000-07:00Bobmu - but he seems too sensible and pragmatic to...Bobmu - but he seems too sensible and pragmatic to be a CEO. Server has had a great few years due to the strategies he started. Everyone else has to stay the course, don't fuck things up, and have some luck. Bob ensured no one chased Linux on price and no one stuck new unproven technology though out the server. Laing got really lucky he couldn't ship at the same time as Vista.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-84571578246730365232008-07-18T17:07:00.000-07:002008-07-18T17:07:00.000-07:001 more vote for BobMu, he knows how to make money ...1 more vote for BobMu, he knows how to make money and he's done grat with Server and Tools. He knows how to build winning teams and hire great managers who build great teams.<BR/><BR/>And no freaking way for anyone from E&D. Been there, done that, hated it, they aren't that bright, I was amused by how MJF cast Allard as a response to Jobs. <BR/>Ha! <BR/>More like a foil to Jobs. (sadly for us stockholders)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-13057601130121315222008-07-18T14:50:00.000-07:002008-07-18T14:50:00.000-07:00Visionary leaders are like fortune tellers.Ha, thi...<I>Visionary leaders are like fortune tellers.</I><BR/><BR/>Ha, this analogy might be more apt than you expect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-38881333508267191162008-07-18T12:06:00.000-07:002008-07-18T12:06:00.000-07:00Mini,If you really want to gut the bloat, then I r...Mini,<BR/><BR/>If you really want to gut the bloat, then I repectfully submit my candidate for CEO of Microsoft, the one and only, <A HREF="http://www.businessweek.com/1998/27/b3585090.htm" REL="nofollow">Mr. Al Dunlap</A>.<BR/><BR/>This guy would make each division stand to account. While he completely Borked Sunbeam, Crown Zellerbach (a once well-known paper company that operated a paper mill near where I lived in Camas, Wasington) became a much more efficient and competitive James River Corporation after he split the company up.<BR/><BR/>If not Al, then someone just as agreessive at cost-cutting and increasing shareholder value.<BR/><BR/>Goodbye Entertainment Division!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-26864985682765060472008-07-18T08:51:00.000-07:002008-07-18T08:51:00.000-07:00Such Jostling in the vacuum of space is bound to e...Such Jostling in the vacuum of space is bound to excite the electrons! Well, after reading the complete blog here, it reminded me of that scene in 'Sleeper' where all these guys are dressed up as sperm, bumping into each other trying to get somewhere, anywhere. Pan out of the wet paper bag they are all in, pan out a little more to show the crumpled up bag in a trash can, pan out a bit more to show bill gates kicked back at home and the trash can under an office nerfball hoop. To give his tosses a little weight, he soaks em in water in a bowl on his desk.<BR/><BR/>So here are all the jostling spermatozoans:Some guy from New.Zealand.will.work.from.home.SteveSi?ScottGu!Jeff Raikes.Eric Rudder.Sinofsky.Robbie Bach?Loses Microsoft Money Every Day.You, of course, Mini.Richard Branson.what the f&%# kevin johnson is doing?ChrisCap.Bill Veghte needs yahoo to succeed-lame?they view me as serving Satan.BillG's 2003 Movie Maker rant,movie maker still does not effing work.jim allchin:"I'd buy a Mac".Scott Guthrie.??Steve Jobs. Imgaine what he could do...after answering the 64 lb question. . .mary jo.not.Mark Zuckerberg?Bob Muglia or Iain McDonald.BillV == WinMe.?Bill Laing,??and last but not least, from crf, marvin martian and his dog k-9.<BR/><BR/>Your company really needs a leader with an attitude and a ray gun . . . (er, . . .Marvin Martian once said, like a Bill Gates role model --he IS older than Bill; "I claim this planet in the name of Mars, er, isn't that lovely?").Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-45678543470407672792008-07-17T23:09:00.000-07:002008-07-17T23:09:00.000-07:00The challenges in the Net is very fierce. But acco...The challenges in the Net is very fierce. But according to history, innovation can beat Giants. (Remember MS vs the Big Blue) <BR/><BR/>I think what MS must do is shop again for new innovative startups but don't eat it up but just let it grow naturally (company growth and brand growth). Adding it to the bureaucracy is a big mistake.<BR/>Should there be any leader in the business that is in the way of innovation then he or she must be FIRED.<BR/>When shopping new startups, negotiation skills are put up front and Bill's visionary ability must be put at all will. Visionary leaders are like fortune tellers. They can tell the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-55009054172567434002008-07-17T16:44:00.000-07:002008-07-17T16:44:00.000-07:00Mini - which Welch book are you referring to that ...Mini - which Welch book are you referring to that explains the rewards system?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-7838825718533711172008-07-17T09:17:00.000-07:002008-07-17T09:17:00.000-07:00"No one mentions Bob Muglia or Iain McDonald. Both..."No one mentions Bob Muglia or Iain McDonald. Both of them come from very strong teams and the fact that they are so close to metal can be beneficial."<BR/><BR/>I was thinking Bill Laing, even with the Vista code as a base he made sure we created a kick-ass server. <BR/><BR/>I agree that Brian took the fall for Jim. Sucked.<BR/><BR/>SteveSi hasn't proved himself in Windows yet. Hi s whole "no cade names" nonsense feels like a bad sign of things to come. He feels quite a bit like Jim v 2.0 when I think about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-56971995237269563712008-07-17T01:08:00.000-07:002008-07-17T01:08:00.000-07:00Business and technical acumen are both important, ...Business and technical acumen are both important, as is having some kind of visionary insight into the future of computing, but ultimately the most important thing for the company comes down to being an advocate for the customer. That's what Steve Jobs is and that's the only reason why Apple is successful now. Whoever's in charge of Microsoft next needs to call BS on the sort of stuff that drives your grandma nuts about Windows, so that people will once again get excited and line up around the block to buy the next version.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-15368804239819935232008-07-16T23:53:00.000-07:002008-07-16T23:53:00.000-07:00If you want a CEO for growth purposes and building...If you want a CEO for growth purposes and building new businesses from scratch then Robbie Bach is your CEO.<BR/><BR/>If you want a CEO for improved operations and maintaining existing businesses then Bob Muglia is your CEO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-79234480896667653472008-07-16T23:11:00.000-07:002008-07-16T23:11:00.000-07:00what is classic is that good stuff like this can g...what is classic is that good stuff like this can go on for decades impacting windows update service<BR/><BR/>http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2008/07/13/if-you-want-a-realtek-driver-i-just-may-have-one.aspx<BR/><BR/>What is wrong with the driver publishing story?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-79570992407066041822008-07-16T22:23:00.000-07:002008-07-16T22:23:00.000-07:00Hey Mini, I love your blog. I'm an ex-Softie, and ...Hey Mini, I love your blog. I'm an ex-Softie, and it keeps me communicative with my Microsoft espousal unit. We watched the the videos together for that silly "Standards of Business Compliance" or whatever -- guess what -- video #3 is the blogger who gets caught blogging about stuff he shouldn't blog about. <BR/><BR/>I freaked, hoped they hadn't caught you, and dashed right out here to see if you were still here:<BR/><BR/>Whew!<BR/><BR/>Guess it's just wishful thinking on their part... :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-33646226184684868622008-07-16T21:09:00.000-07:002008-07-16T21:09:00.000-07:00BillV == WinMe. Not sure what he's done since the...BillV == WinMe. Not sure what he's done since then. Today, BillV is responsible for fixing Vista's image. It will be good to see how that in action.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555958.post-35913776463892061002008-07-16T20:33:00.000-07:002008-07-16T20:33:00.000-07:00did you know scottgu has 0 transfats and is made o...did you know scottgu has 0 transfats and is made of candy<BR/>by the way bill veghte can bench press 700 pounds<BR/><BR/>Sheesh Scott and Bill this is a sad way to get attention have your wives and parents find a more subtle approach to name droppingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com