:: Deepquest ::

A former Microsoftie says addiction to Windows revenue, mediocre products, and missed opportunities could doom Seattle?s most successful company.
“I began using Microsoft products 23 years ago, at age 11, and I worked for Microsoft from 1991 to 1999 as a technology manager. For many years, I was a Microsoft loyalist. While aware of Microsoft?s shortcomings, I always believed that the Soft did its best to improve products over time, as it did with Windows XP. But recently, I?ve had a crisis of faith. Perhaps I?ve rebooted Windows one too many times.”

“I began using Microsoft products 23 years ago, at age 11, and I worked for Microsoft from 1991 to 1999 as a technology manager. For many years, I was a Microsoft loyalist. While aware of Microsoft?s shortcomings, I always believed that the Soft did its best to improve products over time, as it did with Windows XP. But recently, I?ve had a crisis of faith. Perhaps I?ve rebooted Windows one too many times.

Over the past year, my frustration with Windows grew, as did my envy of Apple?s cool new products. Finally, last month I went out and bought an Apple Macintosh G5 and began using the new Mac operating system, OS X. It had been years since I?d used a Macintosh. Until recently, I dismissed those who did as impractical, elitist hipsters, and I mocked the Mac ?switch? ads on TV.

But in the first five minutes on my new Mac, I was surfing the Internet, sending e-mail, and ripping a CD. OS X has been a breath of badly needed fresh air after Windows.

This made me wonder about Microsoft?s willingness to innovate and compete. Why are Microsoft products still so difficult to use and so unreliable? Why is the company improving them so slowly? Is Microsoft losing its competitive edge? Has the company seen its best days?”

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