“Looked at from the outside, Ray’s departure might appear sudden or unexpected. But those of us who have watched his frustration build over the years can’t help but wonder what took him this long,” Leonhard reports. “I wrote yesterday about the role of the designer at Apple, and how the veneration afforded designers — who sit on the right hand of Steve — may well be the primary force driving Apple’s ongoing success. Now comes word that Microsoft’s head designer Ray Ozzie — officially Chief Software Architect, de facto the highest level designer in the company, with a purview outside the tired Windows/Office megalith — has decided to take a break.”
MacDailyNews Take: Somebody finally fixed one enough to get it to boot up and Ozzie saw the writing on the Big Ass Table?
Leonhard reports, “Ozzie’s biggest contribution to Microsoft’s future direction has to be the October 28, 2006, memo titled The Internet Services Disruption. An insightful blueprint for the future, Microsoft stood up, took notice, but hasn’t followed through very well.”
“He took on several new projects at Microsoft, but the most visible was Azure. In 2008, at the Professional Developer’s Conference, he described Azure as a cloud-based operating system complete with its own Application Programming Interface. A year later, Azure was a tiny shadow of its former self,” Leonhard reports. “At the end of December 2009, Microsoft went through another re-org, pulling the Azure project out from under Ozzie’s purview. A product called Azure has been released, but the feature set doesn’t even begin to match the lofty initial design.”
“Then there’s the personality thing. Ozzie is anything but a Ballmer toadie. I was — and still am — amazed at the difference in perception and vision displayed at the D8 conference in June. Watch the full interview and you’ll see: Ozzie “gets’ the cloud, no question. Ballmer’s grasp leaves something to be desired. (Ozzie’s correcting Ballmer on-stage rates as a nonpareil Career Limiting Move, even at his level, but I digress,)” Leonhard reports. “Ozzie isn’t the only frustrated genius at Microsoft. The Redmond campus is packed with ’em. But his departure marks a real turning point in Microsoft’s devolution, er, evolution.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully this means that Ballmer is consolidating his power in order to remain ensconced atop the dysfunctional Redmond waste heap for as long as it takes. We like his strategy. We like it a lot.
The D8 conference dynamic between Ozzie and Ballmer was indeed very telling. Every time Ozzie got out half a sentence, Monkey Boy ran it over with his horseshit doublespeak. You could see by the look on Ozzie’s face that he knew his boss was clueless. It’s no wonder he jumped ship.
Did he jump ship? Or get booted?
Did he jump ship? Or get booted?
@Ray Ozzie
It’s just a job, man.
You hated it, most days.
Your position was an homage to Microsoft founder, Bill Gates and Ballmer admitted publicly, your position was unique and he would not be refilling it. You know, that’s code for, Bill Gates’ office was just a playpen and we’re no longer running a day care.
Remember attending the grand opening of the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, Arizona? We shared a moment and I was left wondering what the hell were you doing here? Thanks for the Zune though. I hear someday I may be able to use it.
You may as well accept the offer from HP as the Lead on WebOS. Your vision and ideas weren’t right for Microsoft but they will certainly find a home at HP.
Good luck, where ever you land.
@Ray Ozzie
It’s just a job, man.
You hated it, most days.
Your position was an homage to Microsoft founder, Bill Gates and Ballmer admitted publicly, your position was unique and he would not be refilling it. You know, that’s code for, Bill Gates’ office was just a playpen and we’re no longer running a day care.
Remember attending the grand opening of the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, Arizona? We shared a moment and I was left wondering what the hell were you doing here? Thanks for the Zune though. I hear someday I may be able to use it.
You may as well accept the offer from HP as the Lead on WebOS. Your vision and ideas weren’t right for Microsoft but they will certainly find a home at HP.
Good luck, where ever you land.
I would feel for Ozzie if I did not have to suffer under the load of crap that is called Lotus Note that he “designed” for so many years. Their “Sky” strategy is not a real strategy or fresh design, just more copying of what is out there. If he was hand picked by Gates, what more do you need to say?
I would feel for Ozzie if I did not have to suffer under the load of crap that is called Lotus Note that he “designed” for so many years. Their “Sky” strategy is not a real strategy or fresh design, just more copying of what is out there. If he was hand picked by Gates, what more do you need to say?
I said 10 years ago Microsoft should have started a skunkworks project of a brand new scalable OS but nooooo, everything has to be legacy MS-stinkin’-DOS driven -“we’re scared because a new OS puts on an even level with Apple.”
Proves that MS is not consumer or business driven, they only operate in their own timid best interests, not realizing as Apple does when you do take the customers interest into account you are also taking your own best interests and benefit likewise into advantage.
People like Ray Ozzie reporting to Ballmer is like Einstein reporting to Jim “Ernest Goes To Redmond” Varney. “Gee Vern we really are screwing things up ’round hee-ah.”
I said 10 years ago Microsoft should have started a skunkworks project of a brand new scalable OS but nooooo, everything has to be legacy MS-stinkin’-DOS driven -“we’re scared because a new OS puts on an even level with Apple.”
Proves that MS is not consumer or business driven, they only operate in their own timid best interests, not realizing as Apple does when you do take the customers interest into account you are also taking your own best interests and benefit likewise into advantage.
People like Ray Ozzie reporting to Ballmer is like Einstein reporting to Jim “Ernest Goes To Redmond” Varney. “Gee Vern we really are screwing things up ’round hee-ah.”
A genuine scientific explanation as to why Ballmer (and maybe even someone you know) is as stupid as he is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect
A genuine scientific explanation as to why Ballmer (and maybe even someone you know) is as stupid as he is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect
“Microsoft stood up, took notice, but hasn’t followed through very well.”
Wrong! Microsoft followed through all right – but what follows through from M$ is normally small, brown, and flushed down the pan (and we’re not just talking Zune here…)
“Microsoft stood up, took notice, but hasn’t followed through very well.”
Wrong! Microsoft followed through all right – but what follows through from M$ is normally small, brown, and flushed down the pan (and we’re not just talking Zune here…)
Microsoft HAS a software design department?
Microsoft HAS a software design department?
Chief Software Architect? Shouldn’t that read ‘Thief Software Architect’?
Chief Software Architect? Shouldn’t that read ‘Thief Software Architect’?
So he goes. It will not change anything in the big picture. Businesses, small medium and large will continue to buy and demand microsoft software. They will continue to require the use of microsoft sql and microsoft outlook and exchange though other less expensive, perhaps better options exist. Microsoft software has become the IBM of this decade.
So he goes. It will not change anything in the big picture. Businesses, small medium and large will continue to buy and demand microsoft software. They will continue to require the use of microsoft sql and microsoft outlook and exchange though other less expensive, perhaps better options exist. Microsoft software has become the IBM of this decade.
I saw a big ass table on TV. I think it was that terrible Hawaii Five-0
I saw a big ass table on TV. I think it was that terrible Hawaii Five-0
Go, or stay, doesn’t matter. MicroSoft owns the rights to everything Ozzie creates, past, present, and future.
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose”
Go, or stay, doesn’t matter. MicroSoft owns the rights to everything Ozzie creates, past, present, and future.
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose”
“Designer”?
“DESIGNER”?!
Microsoft has ever employed a real “Designer”?!!!
“Designer”?
“DESIGNER”?!
Microsoft has ever employed a real “Designer”?!!!