PC World writer’s advice for Microsoft: ‘Stop making crap’
Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 12:26 PM ESTPC World magazine's Stephen Manes offers some parting advice for Bill Gates as he "transitions" out of Microsoft:
• Quit kidding yourself. Do some soul-searching and publicly disown the longstanding public-relations fantasy that Microsoft has something to do with "innovation." Your business has always been about taking others' ideas and selling them with a Microsoft badge. Period. After CP/M came DOS; after Mac came Windows; after Palm came Pocket PC; after Netscape came IE. And those are just the most obvious examples.
• Insist on quality and security. Microsoft ads say "Your potential. Our passion," but the real motto should be "Do the Minimum." Whenever I pick up a Microsoft product, I expect stupid or dysfunctional design. You rarely disappoint me.
• Shake up the talent. Nobody in a position of authority at Microsoft ever seems to get fired. Many should be. How many times can a product jettison features and miss deadlines before its handlers get the boot? How many security flaws can pop up before their creators walk the plank?
• Stop making crap. Software has to run, not crash, before it can fly.
Full article with more here.
MacDailyNews Take: So true, but Microsoft has little chance of actually executing any of Manes' suggestions.
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Related articles:
The Economist: Apple’s Steve Jobs is Bill Gates’ secret ‘Chief Software Architect’ replacement wish - June 22, 2006
Requiem for Bill Gates - June 16, 2006
Bill Gates to transition out of a day-to-day role in Microsoft - June 15, 2006

Hmm. Some of the natives seem to be getting a bit restless....