Deals last week, and deals this week. While the start of the month was all about promotional discounts, this time it is all about executive decisions. Decisions during development of an operating system, to end retail sales, to stay firm on a retirement date, to land a new company leader, and more.
The fantastic five for the week:
Saga of the Week
Who’d have thought the end of retail sales would become the talking point regarding the ever popular Windows 7? After an honest mistake that resulted in someone editing the website to show that Microsoft was considering extending the retail sales of Windows 7, Microsoft confirmed that it was not.
Suggestion of the Week
In the column of friendly advices, from European antitrust regulators no less, we have an official from the EU commission asking Nokia (whatever that is left after Microsoft’s buyout) not to become a patent troll. The desire to turn towards the dark side is usually strongest in those that have a patents portfolio.
Stand of the Week
Windows XP once again spiraled to the top of the news heap this week, as Microsoft broke its silence on requests to extend support for users of the operating system in China. The answer, as expected was no, with the software titan noting that everyone should plan on moving away from the aging OS soon.
Mistake of the Week
Being a CEO is a tough job. Just ask Steve Ballmer. The simplest of decision can have enduring and terribly long-lasting consequences. Take Windows Vista, for example. A project that spiraled so out of control that Ballmer once again termed it his only mistake. Hard to disagree here with big Steve.
Entry of the Week
The search for the next Microsoft CEO has started taking us places, with a handful of new reports shedding light on how things are going at Redmond. The latest is that Alan Mulally is no longer in pole position, and a new entrant in the mix is Qualcomm COO Steve Mollenkopf. A Steve for a Steve, eh?