Surface and Windows lead Panos Panay is leaving Microsoft in major shake up

[Windows Central]

Panos Panay, a 20 year veteran at Microsoft who was most recently in charge of Windows client and Surface, will be leaving the company. Rajesh Jah, Microsoft's EVP of Experiences & Devices, announced the news in an internal email this morning:

Surface and Windows lead Panos Panay is leaving Microsoft in major shake up : Read more

 

[Iamdumbguy]

Great pic. Panos in front of a $5000 computer with a 5-year old processor. Pumped.

 

[bleached]

Looking rough for Surface. It looks like they let politics and partners like Intel make the decisions instead of doing what is right. Surface Go having anything but ARM was the first sign they were done being leaders.

 

[Jcmg62]

I wonder what this means for surface? I can't imagine it'll be business as usual, regardless of what Microsoft says.

They've been struggling with hardware sales of late. Could this be phase one of them reigning back on devices.

 

[Iamdumbguy]

I wonder what this means for surface? I can't imagine it'll be business as usual, regardless of what Microsoft says.

They've been struggling with hardware sales of late. Could this be phase one of them reigning back on devices.

When is Microsoft NOT business-as-usual?

 

[fdruid]

Right. Well, Microsoft is dead as we know it. I mean Surface, at least in what it used to be, which could be said already that it isn't what it was. We'll see what comes next.

 

[Kaymd]

Guess he headed for a bigger scope and opportunity at Amazon.
He may even have greater 'freedom' to do what he wants there, who knows?

Wish Panos the best, and thanks for all the Surface goodness.

 

[Ed Du]

I have a feeling that any chance with a duo 3 will now be gone....
You have to respect Panay for all the work he contributed to the surface line.

 

[naddy69]

I never thought there would be a Duo 3. After only 40,000 Duo 1s were sold - yes, 40,000 - I was surprised there was a Duo 2.

Let's face it. Windows, PCs and Android phones is not the future of Microsoft. PC sales have been dropping for at least 10 years (not counting a temporary surge the last couple years when everyone suddenly needed a PC to work from home) and Android phones are already everywhere. Microsoft needs to move on from these.

Not sure what moving on from PCs and Android phones is. AI? VR? But if I was in charge of Windows and Surface PCs at Microsoft, I would absolutely be looking to move too.

"The memo makes mention of a new Windows and Web Experiences org, which my sources say is working on a secret new version of Windows that will serve as a true cloud and web-first OS designed to compete with Chrome OS."

That's great. Just don't call it "Windows". Because if you do, everyone will demand that "it has to run all of my 30 year old Windows apps".

This is why the Surface Neo was never released. It was originally supposed to be for "new experiences and new software". But it ended up running on Intel CPUs because it had to run ancient Windows apps.

Poof. It was gone.

 

[Kjw24]

Luckily I wasn't drinking coffee I think we might see a new CEO soon

 

[Dumarcm]

I can't imagine my frustration with Microsoft and Surfac and Mobile, and what envision for the brand isn't just stuck in my head - Not Panos and his former team own internal desires.

365 needs software parity across iOS and Android. Period. For Microsoft, that is impossible(because the limitations from Apple and Google) So, the only route would be to make it's own Android distro, not a launcher, not bend the knee to Samsung One UI, a proprietary, Surface OS for Android.

There is no way me alone as a consumer is thinking this.

 

[Arun Topez]

Anyone else get a bad taste with them saying "in an [Artificial Intelligence] AI world". Feels like their moving away from their human-centric motto "empowering every human on the planet".

I think Panos jumping ship to Amazon confirms Microsoft is not moving in the direction he wants them to go. If it was anyone else, I'm sure it would be about other things, but he was super passionate about Surface. And the fact that decisions over the years have been made that go against what he publicly said (e.g. we won't iterate device names for just spec bumps like Apple does, when the last few years Surface has basically been just that). And with pretty much no new innovative devices, and not supporting Duo, Surface Go ARM delay, no new Surface Pro, etc... pretty much shows things are a mess at Microsoft most likely due to them putting all their eggs into AI and cloud. You can tell Panos was struggling to do his usual passionate speeches at last few device launches when they were basically just spec bumps. And I wouldn't be surprised if he lost resources/staff due to all the re-orgs.

I dunno about you all but these last few months I've started to really feel turned off by Microsoft, I don't even know... but just get a bad feeling about them now... which is sad because I used to be a diehard geeked out fan of theirs.

 

[Iamdumbguy]

Right. Well, Microsoft is dead as we know it. I mean Surface, at least in what it used to be, which could be said already that it isn't what it was. We'll see what comes next.

Good hardware is plentiful. Don't need Microsoft for that. What MS is needed for is software and that's just not happening. Remember, they popularized the Surface Pro form-factor, but Windows and Windows apps have only got worse in tablet mode and pen improvements are barely there.

 

[Iamdumbguy]

Anyone else get a bad taste with them saying "in an [Artificial Intelligence] AI world". Feels like their moving away from their human-centric motto "empowering every human on the planet".

I think Panos jumping ship to Amazon confirms Microsoft is not moving in the direction he wants them to go. If it was anyone else, I'm sure it would be about other things, but he was super passionate about Surface. And the fact that decisions over the years have been made that go against what he publicly said (e.g. we won't iterate device names for just spec bumps like Apple does, when the last few years Surface has basically been just that). And with pretty much no new innovative devices, and not supporting Duo, Surface Go ARM delay, no new Surface Pro, etc... pretty much shows things are a mess at Microsoft most likely due to them putting all their eggs into AI and cloud. You can tell Panos was struggling to do his usual passionate speeches at last few device launches when they were basically just spec bumps. And I wouldn't be surprised if he lost resources/staff due to all the re-orgs.

I dunno about you all but these last few months I've started to really feel turned off by Microsoft, I don't even know... but just get a bad feeling about them now... which is sad because I used to be a diehard geeked out fan of theirs.

In what way was Panos passionate about Surface?

• Surface Pro has barely changed since SP3. The ARM models are trash (MORE expensive trash- I have an SPX).
• Surface Book detachability never worked right. Abandoned.
• Surface Laptop is decent, not good, and way overpriced (compare to ASUS Zenbook or Lenovo Yoga).
• Surface Laptop Studio: good, overpriced
• Surface Studio has never had anything close to an up-to-date processor and is about double the price it should be. More or less abandoned. Anyone got Surface Dials?
• Duo/Duo 2. Nothing needs to be said here. Abandoned.
• Surface Go/Laptop Go should be considered child abuse.

 

[Iamdumbguy]

I never thought there would be a Duo 3. After only 40,000 Duo 1s were sold - yes, 40,000 - I was surprised there was a Duo 2.

Let's face it. Windows, PCs and Android phones is not the future of Microsoft. PC sales have been dropping for at least 10 years (not counting a temporary surge the last couple years when everyone suddenly needed a PC to work from home) and Android phones are already everywhere. Microsoft needs to move on from these.

Not sure what moving on from PCs and Android phones is. AI? VR? But if I was in charge of Windows and Surface PCs at Microsoft, I would absolutely be looking to move too.

"The memo makes mention of a new Windows and Web Experiences org, which my sources say is working on a secret new version of Windows that will serve as a true cloud and web-first OS designed to compete with Chrome OS."

That's great. Just don't call it "Windows". Because if you do, everyone will demand that "it has to run all of my 30 year old Windows apps".

This is why the Surface Neo was never released. It was originally supposed to be for "new experiences and new software". But it ended up running on Intel CPUs because it had to run ancient Windows apps.

Poof. It was gone.

Preach. Microsoft should get out of not just phone hardware, but phone software too.

I don't agree about the Neo. I don't think there was ever anything close to a finished product here (prove me wrong). The CPU architecture has nothing to do with why it would fail. These experiments will always fail because Microsoft refuses to actually make application platforms.

• The Office apps they charge monthly for: Win32.
• A barely-there smattering of WinUI in inbox apps. Media Player and Photos are the crashiest apps AND perhaps the best examples of WinUI.
• MAUI and Xamarin are trash for anything but the most basic viewer apps. Really pathetic stuff considering what Google is doing with Flutter.

 

[Arun Topez]

In what way was Panos passionate about Surface?

• Surface Pro has barely changed since SP3. The ARM models are trash (MORE expensive trash- I have an SPX).
• Surface Book detachability never worked right. Abandoned.
• Surface Laptop is decent, not good, and way overpriced (compare to ASUS Zenbook or Lenovo Yoga).
• Surface Laptop Studio: good, overpriced
• Surface Studio has never had anything close to an up-to-date processor and is about double the price it should be. More or less abandoned. Anyone got Surface Dials?
• Duo/Duo 2. Nothing needs to be said here. Abandoned.
• Surface Go/Laptop Go should be considered child abuse.

Read the follow-up as to why he left. Those points you listed were all out of his control and due to those above him with all the cut backs and playing it safe. They wouldn't allow him to do what he wanted to do with Surface.