Sinofsky resigns from Microsoft. Let's meet the new boss of Windows.

[40hz]

Like Bob Dylan said: ...the times they are a-changin'...





With the surprise sudden departure of Steven Sinofsky comes an even bigger surprise - the appointment of an advocate for collaborative development (and a team player!) to head the Windows hardware and software engineering effort.

There's an interesting article to be found over at The Verge on Julie Larson-Green, former VP of 'Windows Experience,' self-taught programmer, 19-year industry veteran - and now, the executive in charge of Windows. (Link to article here.)

Hopefully this will bring some sanity back to Microsoft and not simply be a quick fix to fill a vacancy in the org chart.

Sinofsky resigns from Microsoft. Let's meet the new boss of Windows.

From what I've seen of Ms. Larson-Green's CV, this looks rather promising however. Even if I am still a little leery of her, considering she was one of the leading advocates for the Microsoft Ribbon interface. Oh well...I guess nobody's ever perfect.

More on Sinofsky's departure can be found here.

[TaoPhoenix]

Does anyone know if the Win8 Was-Metro push, was that Sinofsky's doing or Ballmer's? (Eew grammar fail!) Did Sinofsky resign now to get out before the ship sinks, or is it that theme again where you see one last milestone through then retire?

[40hz]

^I think it's really more a case of "You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus."

Industry opinion of Sinofsky seems to say he was too much of a silo and empire builder to fit in with Microsoft's critical need to now consolidate and coordinate it's development efforts and have everybody working off the same page. With the advent of Surface, Microsoft absolutely must make the entire Microsoft "experience" feel seamless - much like the Apple user experience (mostly) is. That's something Sinofsky apparently never felt the need for or wanted to be a part of. And it cost him in the end.

Supposedly he also has a pretty combative and non-cooperative style which didn't endear him to many of the people he worked with - and that included company officers such as Steve Ballmer. Not exactly what you'd call a smart career strategy in most places.

Word is, nobody much at Microsoft was sorry to see him leave the company.

[f0dder]

Word is, nobody much at Microsoft was sorry to see him leave the company.

-40hz (November 14, 2012, 08:58 AM)

Probably not (m)any of the non-MS application developers either.

Here's a couple of articles for y'all:
http://www.lhotka.ne...eHopeForWindows.aspx
http://arstechnica.c...fective-immediately/

[zridling]

If Larson's first move is to separate tablet-phone UI from desktop UI, then she'll be a hero to ordinary (and business) users the world 'round. Like so many big corporations, they employ a million rules along with 20,000 personalities (half of those found in Steve Ballmer himself, or with someone like Steve Jobs), and Sinofsky's ran up against it. From what I hear, there are apps to cure the  Win8 Start Menu and de-ribbon MSOffice, woohoo!

[f0dder]

Sources familiar with discussions to the naming of Sinofsky to manage the Windows division stated that it was an area of "concern" for both Ballmer and Chairman/co-founder Bill Gates. "Bill and Steve both knew Steven's flaws," said one former senior leader. However, the pair were willing to dismiss their worries as he fixed the problems within the Windows group after the launch of Windows Vista.

-http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Steve-Ballmer-Microsoft-Windows-Sinofsky,19099.html

If you act like a tool, you'll be used like a tool - that only sounds fair to me

[TaoPhoenix]

From what I hear, there are apps to ...and de-ribbon MSOffice, woohoo!

-zridling (November 14, 2012, 05:33 PM)

There are and I used one for years, so if that's important we can go into a spinoff topic about that. Though lately once you could build your own ribbons I did that too.