Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Sunday, 22 June 2008 18:24
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
But in between MS-DOS and Vista have been many other developments, from the original version of Windows, the successes of Windows 3.0, 3.1 and 95, 98, 2000 and XP, the move into Office software, the expansion of Microsoft’s software into education, games, the server space, hardware, .Net, ActiveX, Internet Explorer, Windows Media, DRM, Pocket PCs and Windows Mobile Smartphones, the Tablet PC and much more.
The original Microsoft Mouse is over 25 years old, Microsoft’s Flight Simulator is still loved by desktop pilots, the Xbox and Xbox 360 have proved successful, if not exactly profitable, and Microsoft’s Zune mp3 and video player still exists although no-one is quite sure why.
Of course this is all highly abridged, I’m sure you can think of plenty more Microsoft moments, from the famous “Microsoft minutes” when copying files through to Bill Gates getting a few cream pies to the face a decade ago.
But what will happen to Microsoft without Bill Gates running the show? Well, in some ways, he’s long ago prepared for that. To start with, Steve Ballmer has been CEO for years now, with his retirement date not mooted to happen until about 2017.
Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie have both taken over elements of Bill Gates’ previous roles, with Ozzie being Microsoft’s “Chief Software Architect” and Mundie dubbed the “Chief Research and Strategy Officer”.
Beneath this triumvirate are a host of characters in charge of different Microsoft divisions, spanning Windows, Office, Xbox, hardware and more.
Planning for Gates’ departure has been in effect for years, and Microsoft is being left in a strong position, both in terms of people, and finances.
Sure, it has plenty of challenges and challengers, from legal to Google, from Sony to open source software, from Macs to web apps.
We'll miss ya, Bill... Continued on page 3.
