DRAMA The Verge is reporting that Steven Sinofsky, the Microsoft executive in charge of Windows, has resigned. Apparently Julie Larson-Green is stepping up to assume control of Windows software and hardware engineering. CFO Tami Reller will be in charge of the Windows business. Mr Sinofsky made the following statement:
“It is impossible to count the blessings I have received over my years at Microsoft. I am humbled by the professionalism and generosity of everyone I have had the good fortune to work with at this awesome company.”Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, meanwhile, said “I am grateful for the many years of work that Steven has contributed to the company.” Regarding Julie Larson-Green, The Verge has the following:
Julie Larson-Green has been at Microsoft since 1993 and was responsible for program management, user interface design, and research on Windows 7 and 8. Her new role will encompass “all future Windows product development in addition to future hardware opportunities,” and Ballmer described her as “the best possible person for this job.” Just two weeks after the Windows 8 launch, however, the real question is why now is the time for Sinofsky to go.Stay tuned for more…]]>
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Market Share · Microsoft · resignation · resigns · Steven Sinofsky · Windows President
All Comments
Julie looks better anyway 🙂
Agreed.
Maybe Sinofsky was embarrassed at how stupid the new OS is…
Spoken like a true idiot !!!!!!,
Yep, Windows 8 the writing was on the wall!!!
Obviously, I’m just guessing here, but if this was a mutual separation, maybe he just wanted to move on to other things after successfully getting Windows 8 and the Surface tablet to market. Or maybe there was a power battle over the design of Windows 8, Julie Larson-Green won, and there will be a patch in tomorrow’s batch-o-patches bringing the Start menu back. 🙂 It will be interesting when more information comes out.
Nah we don’t need the Start menu. But I hope the button is back!
What would be the purpose of the button if there’s no Start menu?
I don’t understand your rationale!
The fact that Windows 8 in its current form made to the market says that Sinofsky won
Maybe you didn’t see the little smiley face. I wasn’t serious about that. I’m guessing he resigned because he achieved his goals with Windows 8 and wanted to move on to other things outside of Microsoft.
Doubt it.
Timing too abrupt.
So according to his resignation letter, it looks like I was right. He achieved his goals in bringing Windows 8 and the Surface tablet to market, and it’s time to move on to other projects outside of Microsoft. I hope he does well.
Speculating here but since that’s all we can do until there is more clarity…
1. Health reasons
2. Strategic alliance with another partner such as RIM maybe (a la S. Elop)?
3. His own ego was injured by Balmer’s comments about Surface sales being Moderate.
4. Balmer Sinofsky had a bet that Surface would beat Halo 4 and Balmer won
5. A competitor made him an offer he couldn’t refuse (Yahoo, Google, Apple, et al) are all in the market
1 – Doubt it. It wouldn’t have been abrupt.
2 – He’s resigning not stupid.
3 – Nope.
4 – Nope.
5 – Not enough money in the world. He’s not exactly poor…
For myself, I can se why, anyone that could come up with something as stupid as
Windows 8 I would fire them on the spot. I don’t think they knew the first
thing how to complete with Apple. For me Windows 8 was a big mistake
downloading it to my laptop. I hate it!!! I do not find it very usurer friendly.
Guess I am just to old and stupid to learn it.
I guess you must be much older than me… but I’m loving it (and I’m very old)… got it on my pc, my wife’s pc, my surface RT….. it is MUCH better than that toy iPAD (which I have too, but the grandkids play games on it – thats about the full extent of its usefullness).
So let me think why you dont find it user friendly…. mmm… could it be that with the arrival of touch interfaces you have to learn a ton of new ways of carrying out all these super enhanced functionality???? lets see file>open is dead easy, you click here and click there….. its time to move on Manray49…. learn or fail to use new technologies which are fast emerging and feel frustrated.
MS has worked very hard on this product and additional stuff they are planning to launch soon…. not everything is perfect and there will be things to fix along the way. My message to you though is learn and embrace the journey.
george
I don’t know if he was in charge of making the key decisions on Windows. In spite of what everyone says I see nothing wrong with Win 8. It is just different, that is all. I am an old guy too but I found it relatively easy to learn.
Can he not take windows 8. with him?
Well I retired but don’t have any probs with win8
Sounds like to me (Having worked for Mickey Soft myself) he had issues with management. At some time everyone does. KICK BALMER OUT!!!!!!
I am not too surprised about this! Knew it would happen eventually! Ha!
If she was in charge of the user interface for windows 8, then I guess that is good.
Just have to wait until his tell-all book comes out to find out his half of it. Anything else is just speculation.
dafuq..?? happening to Microsoft… but yeah maybe julie is better
It looks like the separation was sort of mutual.
Windows represents $19B in revenue to MS with a $12B in profit.
The rest of the divisions don’t even compare.
Sinofsky was being asked to share the wealth and let others impact his world.
Stuff like Xbox code in Windows, Skype, Yammer, Office, and other new stuff that he probably wanted to control if they were to impact his world. The company was at a crossroads. Transform into Sinofskysoft or reinvent itself as an integrated products that work well on other platforms but really shine on windows 7/8.
Sinofsky wanted his way, Ballmer wanted it a different way…
I am not surprised, after running since build release one and now W8 Pro for the desktop
it is full of crap, i thought all the “glitz” serious users will never use would be removed in the final release, It looks cheap and straight out of side show alley ,long live windows 7 !!