Ballmer: with Vista (Longhorn) We Tried Too Big a Task

Mitchell_A

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Feb 7, 2009
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One of the few pieces of criticism that Microsoft got for Windows 7 was related to the apparently modest plans it had for the operating system, with some calling the new OS just a minor upgrade from its precursor. Under the leadership of Steven Sinofsky, president, Windows and Windows Live Division, it was clear that the strategy for the Windows project had become underpromise and overachieve, a home run with Windows 7. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer would undoubtedly call the work that went into Windows 7 good management of innovation.

“The saga of our Windows product is probably one of the better chronicled, and I'm sure many people went through as sort of a cycle, either at home or at work, with our Vista product. Just not executed well, not the product itself, but we went a gap of about five, six years without a product,” he stated during the Microsoft CEO Summit 2010 in Redmond earlier this week. (via Seattle PI)

“I think back now and I think about thousands of man years, and it wasn't because we were wrong-minded in thinking bad thoughts and not pushing innovation. We tried too big a task, and in the process wound up losing essentially thousands of man years, of innovation capabilities. And so a discipline and an execution around the innovation process I think is essential,” Ballmer added.... Link Removed - Invalid URL

I'm glad Microsoft has realized this. I have always had this feeling about Vista, and still do; even with SP2.
 
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