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Tag: Steven Sinofsky

  • Former Windows Boss Knew Windows 8 Would Be Polarizing

    Shortly after completing work on Windows 8, former Windows boss Steven Sinofsky left Microsoft. He hasn’t said much since, but he finally opened up during an interview yesterday at D11. The general message seemed to equate to he knew Windows 8 would be polarizing, but it was the right thing to do.

    Early on, Sinofsky was asked about the reaction Windows 8 received from the early testers. If you recall, there was a lot of negativity surrounding Windows 8 from longtime users of Microsoft’s operating system. Sinofsky says that feedback may not be the best, especially when dealing with a product that betrays their expectations:

    “When you test a product before it’s in market, the people who naturally go to use it will push it in the same way they pushed the old one. They like the old direction — that’s why they signed up [for the] pre-release. You have to break from them, and those first hundred people will be very upset, but you want a million people, not a hundred.”

    Speaking of that million people, Sinofsky says that he’s pleased with the 100 million Windows 8 licenses Microsoft has sold since it was released late last year. Of course, it should be noted that Microsoft has only reported 100 million licenses sold, and that number is not indicative of actual use. According to the latest numbers from IDC, manufacturers are buying a lot of licenses, but not selling a lot of machines. That’s not exactly a healthy business in the long run.

    Regardless, it’s obvious that Sinofsky is proud of the work he and his team did with Windows 8. If that’s the case then, why did he leave so suddenly after shipping the OS? All he’ll say is that “it was time for a change.”

    You can watch the entire conversation with Sinofsky below:

  • Former Windows Boss Steven Sinofsky Will Be An “Executive In Residence” At Harvard

    Last month, Microsoft and Windows boss Steven Sinofsky parted ways. The split appeared amicable on the surface, but other reports suggested otherwise. That’s all behind us though and Sinofsky is focusing on the next chapter in his life.

    Sinofsky announced on Twitter this afternoon that he will be heading to Harvard Business School in the spring semester to teach. He’s calling the gig a sabbatical so it’s hard to say just how long he’ll be there.

    Since the announcement, Sinofsky has been offering more details on what he will be doing at HBS besides teaching. It sounds like the former Windows boss will be pretty busy when he takes up the mantle of “Executive in Residence” this Spring.

     
     

     
     

     

     

    It will be interesting to see if Sinofsky reveals any secrets about the development of Windows 8 over the next few months. I’m sure NDAs prevent him from speaking out on a lot of it, but students will undoubtedly try to gain any nugget of wisdom they can from a man who worked at Microsoft for so long and oversaw the development of Microsoft’s most recent software launches.

    [h/t: Microsoft News]

  • Windows Boss Steven Sinofsky Leaves Microsoft

    2012 will be remembered as the year of major product launches and corporate shakeups. After Apple had launched the iPhone 5, the company let go of iOS boss Scott Forstall and a recently hired Head of Retail John Browett. Now Microsoft is following suit, but the situation appears to be far more amicable.

    Microsoft announced yesterday evening that Windows boss Steven Sinofsky, who had just recently come off of launching Windows 8 (and riding a Surface skateboard), would be leaving the company. Microsoft has promoted Julie Larson-Green to Windows software and hardware engineering lead. Tami Reller will continue as CFO for the Windows division, and both will report directly to company CEO Steve Ballmer.

    The abruptness of the Windows shakeup has many people assuming it was a situation similar to the aforementioned shakeup at Apple. A source speaking to Business Insider claims that Sinofsky quit after Ballmer refused to name the Windows boss as his successor. Microsoft didn’t comment on those rumors, but the emails sent out by Ballmer and Sinofsky were acquired by Forbes. In those emails, the split appears amicable with Sinofsky wanting to pursue other interests outside of Microsoft.

    Ballmer’s letter doesn’t address the rumors that are now swirling around, but Sinofsky tackles them head on in his letter to employees:

    Some might notice a bit of chatter speculating about this decision or timing. I can assure you that none could be true as this was a personal and private choice that in no way reflects any speculation or theories one might read–about me, opportunity, the company or its leadership.

    As I’ve always believed in making space for new leaders as quickly as possible, this announcement is effective immediately and I will assist however needed with the transition.

    At this point, it seems like Sinofsky will still be involved with hardware and software development at wherever he ends up. It’s likely that hardware and software developers are already aiming to get him considering his experience in building Windows 8 and Surface. Whatever he ends up doing, it’s sure to be exciting.

  • Microsoft’s Surface Lives A Secret Double Life As A Skateboard

    Microsoft’s Surface, which just sold out this morning, is being billed as an incredibly sturdy device. The outer shell of the device is made with VaporMg, a material that’s meant to feel like a luxury watch while being incredibly thin and resilient. To test that resilience, Windows boss Steven Sinofsky did the only reasonable thing – he turned the Surface into a skateboard.

    Sinofsky tweeted out two images of the Surface skateboard yesterday via Twitter. A 10-inch rectangle would make for a rather awkward skateboard, but Sinofsky proved his point. The Surface can take a lot of abuse.

    This is obviously a publicity stunt, but it’s a fun one. I just wish they would have taken a video of what must have been an awkward ride. Thankfully, Business Insider points us to a similar stunt pulled off by professional skateboarders a few years back when they converted the original iPad into a skateboard.

    New iPad Test – Will It Shred? from Todd Dever on Vimeo.

    After the Surface and the iPad, we should make things a little more extreme. Will any skaters take up the challenge of skating on a Nexus 7? The smaller tablet would prove to be a much greater challenge, but it would be that much more of an accomplishment.