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A company I wouldn’t work for

Fred Oliveira on September 18, 2005

I’ve always said it. I would never work for a company that doesn’t innovate. Which is exactly why I’d never work with Microsoft - even though as I grew up I dreamt about it. But before I get crucified by Scoble and a horde of Microsoft aficionados though, I’ll clarify:

We see no innovation at all coming from Microsoft. Even all the hype surrounding the PDC, Windows Vista, the new WinFX platform strikes me as nothing but marketing or word of mouth from people who just don’t know any better. When was the last time you actually saw Microsoft do something new that would radically change your life? I haven’t in a long (perhaps too long) time.

Windows Vista Windows Vista is clearly needing $100M investments to look (and I do mean just look) decent - it doesn’t pack any of the features I was waiting for (WinFS, Monad, etc), and instead it packs a whole bunch of limitations imposed by the need for DRM monitors, 2 gigs of RAM and 256mb graphics cards. Office 12 has no real features I need, and the new toolbars look like a perpetuous excuse to scream “Where are my functions?”. So why should 2006 be the year of Microsoft? You have to be kidding me.

Still, despite all the people who are waking up to the disappointing reality that Microsoft is stale (and has been for years now), there’s still guys who blindly believe Microsoft is doing new stuff when it’s clearly not. Ideas inspired by Cupertino, extremely late adoption of RSS, trying to frame Apple by patenting the iPod, not embracing standards, being flaky about features for Vista - these are all tips to the great conclusion that Microsoft is late in the game and they want a piece of a cake that’s just not theirs anymore.

2006, year of Microsoft? No, not really. As Douglas Adams would say, “So long, and thanks for all the fish”. There are new players in the field.

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Pete Cashmore

Fred,

Om Malik’s been talking about Microsoft a lot recently, comparing them to Google. I think most people agree that Google’s the more exciting company, but Microsoft still dominates the entire PC market and will continue to do so for a long time. Sure, Microsoft doesn’t innovate, and they seem to be headed in the wrong direction, but they ain’t going away anytime soon.

Fred

Absolutely true, Pete. They’re not going away, and to be totally honest, the world needs Microsoft because people are so used to having them around that it’d be awkward to have a new “leader” in the computing business (even though I believe Google is stepping up to the plank).

But even so, there’s a lot in Microsoft that I’d say goodbye to without a blink. Particularly their idea that they don’t have to do anything to be successful. Luckily they have real competition now and things are going to look ugly on their side soon. Maybe that will wake them up.

Mario Bai

Harsh statement you give at this age, 22 or is it 23? Anyway never say never. I heard these kind of statements before however it is rear to find people not going through their knees for a multy million contract. I thought my dad was a boogy man 20 years ago, I think different now. In that time I had plenty knowledge, now much more wisdom. Mmmm…

I just did a search on the web on what happened with the good old BeOs. What a pitty it never made the real light. I wonder why as so many people in the business now screaming bout a 2.0 how perfect Aplle OS is (is it???) but not one with the multy millions of dollars took up the Beos OS, there was no community (not enough) to make it happen for this sublime peache of software. Why didn’t the developpers pick it up?

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