Microsoft takes some of the blame in the Vista debacle too. It was not just the hardware vendors' responsibility.
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Hey Laura, yes, Microsoft wasn't blameless. The "Vista Ready" sticker and the UAC issues are examples of mistakes Microsoft made.
It's just that IMHO, many people still think Vista was a terrible OS, nobody but Microsoft was to blame, and Windows 7 was infinitely superior. I'm just trying to change that sentiment, which is why I tend to stand on the other side of the argument.
I place most of the blame for the Vista debacle on a failed business model... a PC OS business model that requires Microsoft, hundreds of PC makers, and thousands of hardware developers across the globe to work together, flawlessly, and on time. It has never worked. It never will work. It has repeatedly prevented Microsoft from innovating in the OS space, at least on anything that goes beyond desktop background colors and icon images, as Microsoft knows full well they will take the blame, should any on of those thousands of participants not be involving themselves to the degree consumers expect. The Vista debacle was the result of Microsoft realizing that many low-level changes could be postponed no longer, if Microsoft was to stick around for the long haul.
BTW: Interestingly, Android has a very similar OS business model (although on a smaller scale), while Windows RT is Microsoft's first step in attempt to free themselves from those shackles.
MS is almost completely redefining who they are. They're making some pretty radical changes. I think it's a huge stretch to claim he [Steven Ballmer] doesn't have vision.
He may make different decisions than you would. Sure. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have vision.
Hey Winning Guy, as far as I am aware:
- Windows 8 and Windows RT were primarily Sinofsky's vision, not Ballmer's.
- Ballmer wasn't a fan of the metro UI and initially campaigned against it.
- the biggest innovations at Microsoft were developed entirely from the bottom-up (by individual engineers, creative-directors and lead-designers).
All of that is hearsay, but I'm hearing a lot of it and little to the contrary. I have yet to hear of anything visionary directly attributed to Mr. Ballmer himself. That is why I don't feel it is a huge stretch to claim Ballmer doesn't have a vision, but lets face it, most people (including managers) aren't visionaries. I suspect Ballmer has a vision that relates to corporate structure and management styles, but I doubt he has a vision that relates directly to their products and ecosystem. I suspect Ballmer is perfectly fine letting others develop that vision for him. Despite this, I still feel Ballmer has done rather well.
We certainly don't have the same kind of friends. Most people I know hate Microsoft and despise the new Windows 8... a lot of them call it "childish" or "unprofessional".
And regarding Windows phone 8... all they do is point out what WP8 can't do that Android and iOS can do.
Could it be that your friends are the source of many of your "facts"? Could it be that you are mistaking your friends views of Microsoft and their products as the predominant world view?
Either way, you really need to stop interpreting my challenges to your "facts" as personal attacks on you. You can say whatever you want, but when you are wrong, your statements aren't worth two cents, they are worth nothing, and you should rejoice in standing corrected. Apparently my writing style doesn't suite everyone, but it isn't my intent to offend. All in all, the community is better off when inaccuracies are challenged, right?