More internal e-mails emerge from Microsoft

“More documents are coming out in court proceedings over the Vista Capable debacle. Internetnews.com has good coverage of HP’s fury over Microsoft lowering the requirements for a Vista Capable sticker, at Intel’s request. “Intel officials may have been pleased that Microsoft lowered standards for obtaining the company’s Windows Vista Capable logo program sticker, but the same can’t be said about HP’s execs. ‘I can’t be more clear than to say you not only let us down by reneging on your commitment to stand behind the [device driver model] requirement, you have demonstrated a complete lack of commitment to HP as a strategic partner and cost us a lot of money in the process,’ said one e-mail from Richard Walker, the senior vice president of HP’s consumer business unit, to [Microsoft executives].” PCPro.co.uk follows the trail of accusatory emails inside Microsoft from there: “HP’s email prompted then Microsoft co-President, Jim Allchin, to send a furious email of his own to company CEO Steve Ballmer. Allchin’s email suggests the decision to lower the requirements was made in his absence by Ballmer, following ‘a call between you and Paul [Otellini, Intel CEO].’ ‘I am beyond being upset here,’ Allchin wrote to Ballmer. ‘What a mess. Now we have an upset partner, Microsoft destroyed credibility [sic], as well as my own credibility shot.’ Ballmer, in turn, blamed another Microsoft executive, Will Poole, in a rather erratically typed reply to Allchin.” Via Slashdot. See also The Seattle Times, and InternetNews.Com

Quality Control at Microsoft. An expose.

Dean Takahashi, one of the most respected tech journos around, spent years putting together this mind-blowing expose that reveals the truly epic scale of the problems that lead to millions of dead Xbox 360s. It really is one of the most stunning flustercucks in gaming history. According to his account, Microsoft willfully ignored deep, systemic problems in the console’s production that reached from chipmakers-initially, only 16 out of every 100 of its IBM-made processors worked-to production lines, where just before launch, an unbelievable 68 percent of consoles made were clunkers. Read the full article at VentureBeat.Com found via Gizmodo

Classic Clips: Bill Gates Chews Out Microsoft Over XP

From Gizmodo.Com:

“With Bill Gates saying good-bye to Microsoft this week, we’re realizing more by the day how much we’ll miss the guy. And when reading through the many interviews floating around this week, we came across this jewel from 2003. A leaked memo from Microsoft, it’s several pages of Gates just laying into his design and programming staff for—among other issues—his personal experience when trying to install Windows Moviemaker. And it’s a very fulfilling read if you’ve ever been frustrated by a Microsoft product.”

Head on over to Gizmodo to see this jewel for yourself. It includes such wonderful quotes as: “The lack of attention to usability represented by these experiences blows my mind. I thought we had reached a low with Windows Network places or the messages I get when I try to use 802.11. (don’t you just love that root certificate message?)” Gizmodo.Com

Top Analysts: Windows collapsing under its own weight; Radical change needed

Microsoft’s Windows juggernaut is collapsing as it tries to support 20 years of applications and becomes more complicated by the minute. Meanwhile, Windows has outgrown hardware and customers are pondering skipping Vista to wait for Windows 7. If Windows is going to remain relevant it will need radical changes.

That sobering outlook comes courtesy of Gartner analysts Michael Silver and Neil MacDonald. Half of a full room of IT managers and executives raised their hands when asked whether Microsoft needed to radically change its approach to Windows. Read the full story on ZDNet.Com

Bill Gates: Vista replacement “Sometime in 2009″

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on Friday indicated that Windows 7, the next major version of Windows, could come within the next year, far ahead of the development schedule previously indicated by the software maker.

In response to a question about Windows Vista, Gates, speaking before the Inter-American Development Bank here, said: “Sometime in the next year or so we will have a new version.” Referring to Windows 7, the code name for the next full release of Windows client software, Gates said: “I’m super-enthused about what it will do in lots of ways.” Read the full story on C|Net News

Court docs reveal Vista requirements lowered to help Intel sell incompatible chipsets.

“So now that the “Vista Capable” lawsuit is a full-blown class action, the judge has unsealed all 158 pages of emails between Microsoft execs trying to sort out what went wrong with the sticker program. While bits and pieces have been blacked out, what remains is still fairly incredible — although Intel’s 915 chipset was initially rejected as incompatible with Vista, MS execs flatly admit that “In the end, we lowered the requirements to help Intel make their quarterly earnings so they could continue to sell motherboards with the 915 graphics embedded” and “We are caving to Intel.” Read the full story on Engadget.Com

McAfee warns of Trojan virus for your Windows Mobile cellphone.

“WinCE/InfoJack sends the infected device’s serial number, operating system and other information to the author of the Trojan. It also leaves the infected mobile device vulnerable by allowing silent installation of malware. The Trojan modifies the infected device’s security setting to allow unsigned applications to be installed without a warning.

The Trojan was packed inside a number of legitimate installation files and distributed widely. It has been distributed with Google Maps, applications for stock trading, and a collection of games” Read the full story on ZDNet
I still can’t believe Microsoft wants to be more involved in the medical industry and that Bill Gates said he would trust his LIFE to Microsoft powered hardware in a hospital.

Bill Gates: ["Vista Sucks"] [video]

Gizmodo recently interviewed Bill Gates at CES. They posed a carefully worded question to the man and got a surprisingly frank answer…

Wow. See more of the interview at Gizmodo.

David Letterman on Bill Gates retirement. [video]

Hi, I’m a Programmer. I’m In love with my new Mac because…

“…I’m just like you, seriously! I’ve been using Microsoft stuff since 1992! That’s right, I’ve been a windows user most of my life. I remember 3.1, NT, 95, 98, 2000, ME (fucking stupid, 2000 in a different box, right?), and then on to (OOooOOoo) Windows XP. Luckily for me, the buck stopped here.

It’s about here that I meet Jay Phillips. Jay, a fellow hacker, is the creator of a very successful Telephony application called Adhearsion. He will be the first to tell you owes some of his coder success to his MacBook. Honestly, Jay even looks like the Mac guy on the commercial (see right). Anyway I was in the mood to debunk this obviously misguided coder (because coders need TECH machines, not pretty toys, right?) and I can honestly say from the deepest techie place in my heart: I got PWWWWWWND. This is why: Read the full post on SiKaNrOnG.com (found via SwitchingToMac.Com)

Soviet Microsoft: How Resistance to Free Markets and Open Ideas Will the Unravel the Software Superpower.

“…Somewhat ironically, one of the most financially successful capitalist companies of the 90s has positioned itself as a modern counterpart to the old communist Soviet Union. Microsoft’s ideological contempt for and resistance to free markets and the open expression and propagation of fresh ideas and technologies is not only a close parallel of the old USSR, but also a clear reflection of why Microsoft is currently failing and why its troubles have only just begun. Here’s a comprehensive look at why this is the case.” Read the full article on RoughlyDrafted.Com

Microsoft’s Latest Invention: The iPhone

Patent application from Microsoft. Words fail me. Read what Wired.Com had to say.

Looking for a good movie to rent?

I posted this a while ago but I’ve decided to refresh the post since there are a lot more readers now than when I first posted this.

Look for a copy of ”Pirates of Silicon Valley”. Based upon the book, Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer, by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine, this film documents the rise of the home computer/personal computer through the rivalry between Apple Computer and Microsoft. Here’s a clip…

C|Net: Why Microsoft must abandon Vista to save itself

While Vista was originally touted by Microsoft as the operating system savior we’ve all been waiting for, it has turned out to be one of the biggest blunders in technology. With a host of issues that are inexcusable and features that are taken from the Mac OS X and Linux playbook, Microsoft has once again lost sight of what we really want. Read the full article on C|Net

Bill Gates Raves about the Mac (1984)

Back when Macs were new and Windows hadn’t been invented made by Microsoft yet, Bill Gates was interviewed at length about his thoughts on Macs. What did Bill have to say about them? You’d be surprised.

It’s kinda like those old razor ads that had the president stating: “I liked them so much I bought them company” but without the buying the company part. Read more.

Bonus: Video Clip

Off Topic: Bill Gates and McDonalds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates disclosed on Tuesday his foundation holds stakes in McDonald’s Corp. The filing revealed that the trust holds 740,000 shares of McDonald’s, the world’s biggest restaurant company. While this isn’t really relevant to computers. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use this All your base picture. Read more.

Dvorak: Microsoft: End of an Era

Personally, I wonder if the company can survive without Gates there on a day-to-day basis, berating the masochistic coders with his chiding. Two of his favorites include, “Do we actually pay you to work here?” and “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve EVER heard.” People always complain that Steve Jobs is a big meanie to the staff, but Gates is just as bad. Read more.

Microsoft should buy discovered security exploits

“WabiSabiLabi generated some controversy recently by announcing their eBay-like site for security researchers to sell security exploits to the highest bidder. But WabiSabiLabi didn’t create the black-and-grey market for security exploits, they merely helped draw attention to it. There’s nothing that companies like Microsoft can do about the black market where security exploits sell for tens of thousands of dollars, but there’s one obvious thing they can do to help protect users: offer to buy up the security vulnerabilities themselves. Read more.

Bill Gates causes Hometown Clerk’s office to switch to Linux

When Bill Gates was building his house in Medina, WA, the sheer volume of permits it required forced the County Clerk’s office to move to a Linux based operating systems. The town looked into using NT to go with their Windows LAN, but went with Caldera’s Linux instead.

read more | digg story

Bill Gates Live Windows 98 Crash [video]

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this one.

I once made an audio clip from it which I used as my Windows error sound effect. I had to get rid of it though because hearing it that many times a week… it got old quick.

Bill Gates declares Vista could run life support systems in Hospitals.

Journalist: Let’s imagine a hospital where life support systems are running Vista. Would you trust it with your life?

Bill Gates: …The answer to your question is that, absolutely… Read more.

If Microsoft made toasters

I believe that Microsoft’s domination of the PC software market has dulled and altered our expectations of the ‘fit for purpose’ and ‘use from the box’ aspect of all – not just computer software – products we now shell out our hard earned for. Read more.

A thought from the author: PC vs Mac

I came to a realization the other day while surfing around the net looking for things of interest. I happened to read a comment on a site from a PC user to a Mac guy. It was a very biased and ignorant comment that left me envisioning this PC user as a 5 year old kid with his index fingers in his ears yelling “Lalalalala. Macs suck. Lalalaa I can’t hear you!”

But then it hit me. I used to be one of those guys!

Microsoft’s security leaks and dirty business tactics since 1999

I stumbled across this site this morning. Although the author decided to abandon it in 2005, it’s currently serving as an excellent historical record of Microsoft’s doings. If not for this archive this information might have been forgotten by the public with it’s short-term memory. All the information contained there is pretty overwhelming (ie: long read) but it only takes a quick browse of the archives to be reminded of just how and poor quality their software is, and how corrupt the management is. Is Microsoft above the law? Read more.

Microsoft considered abandoning Office for Mac in order harm Apple

Yet more criticism of Microsoft’s business practices has emerged in the wake of the recent Iowa anti-trust trial. Documentary evidence that Microsoft considered abandoning Office for Mac in order to cause “a great deal of harm” to Apple has emerged. An emailed memo from Microsoft-founder Bill Gates to then Mac Business Unit chief Ben Waldman dated June 1997 talks about morale in the Mac Office development camp. At that time Microsoft’s senior management were considering dumping Mac support. Read more.

Bill Gates Will Punch You in the Face if You Call Him a Nerd

Apparently money can’t buy a sense of humor. In a recent interview with AdAge, Bob Garfield asked Bill Gates about his thoughts on the John Hodgman “I’m a PC” character from the Apple ads. Read more.

Researcher: [Microsoft is] the key architect of the greatest financial pyramid scheme this century.

Bill Parish, a respected Investment Management and Researcher is authoring a book on some of the business practices of Microsoft. His page makes an interesting read. Here’s some snippets:

“I would buy a Mac today if I was not working at Microsoft.”

This is old news but I’m posting it for those that may not have ever stumbled across it. Did you know that Jim Allchin was Co-President, Platforms and Services Division of Microsoft. Did you know that after 17 years with the company, he retired on January 30, the day Vista shipped to consumers. The reason?

Vista sucks.

Here is the famous internal e-mail he sent:

Former Microsoft Insider Speaks Out

It is quite a rare thing for someone who was an employee of Microsoft to openly speak about the actions of a company that in the past tried to eliminate any potential competition.  He states that GNU and Linux are superior to Microsoft Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer. Read more.

The Top 15 most colorful, controversial Microsoft statements ever

In the pantheon of controversial Microsoft comments CEO Steve Ballmer’s quote this week about the Apple iPod: “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item,” ranks right up there. But Between Ballmer and Chairman Bill Gates that comment would be hard pressed to crack the Top 15 all-time most controversial or even colorful things the two of them have uttered in the past oh, 20 years or so.  Read more.

“Religion is not very efficient.” Bill Gates Quotes

Bill Gates is the Co-founder and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft Corporation. For the past 12 years, he has been considered the richest person in the world. Here are some of his famous quotes.

read more | digg story

Debunking Bill Gates’ 40 million Vista sales victory claim

The headline is simple, 40 million copies sold. Wow, we rox0rz! This is twice as fast as the XP adoption rate. What he didn’t mention is that sales of PCs have more than doubled since XP came out. Silly Vole, no statistical cookie.

read more | digg story

Vista sales rate cut in half.

Sales point to a rapid slowdown in adoption of the new operating system. Microsoft had observed that it sold 20 million copies in the first month, which doubled XP’s achievment, but now indicates that the average number of copies sold has been cut in half during March and April.

Microsoft has so far declined to compare its most recent figures with the relative size of the market today or to any decline that may have occurred during XP’s 2001 release. Although heavily anticipated, Vista has been plagued by sporadic issues with missing drivers or incompatible software that have caused hesitation in some buyers. Read more.

How the US National Security Agency access was built into Windows

A careless mistake by Microsoft programmers had revealed that special access codes prepared by the US NSA have been secretly built into Windows. The NSA access system was built into every version of the Windows operating system in use. The discovery came close on the heels of the revelations that Lotus, had built the same thing in its Notes program

read more | digg story

Open source protestor crashes Bill Gates’ speech in China

We’ve certainly seen a variety of crashings go down on stage, but a determined protester and undeterred advocate for open source software rudely (albeit humorously) interrupted Bill Gates’ speech at Peking University in Beijing, China.

read more | digg story

Bill Gates vs. Ubuntu: A Unique Financial Analysis

If you think the Kings of Redmond are scared of Google or Linux (in general) then check out the story behind the “$3 software.”

read more | digg story