Why Microsoft Employees Should Own a Mac

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Sun Apr 9, 2006 11:16 AM EDT

Article Source: msdn.com

technology, microsoft, mac, employees, boot-camp

I own a Mac because, as a Microsoft employee, I should. I should use competitors' products. Everyone should. Nothing says "arrogant" more than believing that Microsoft's stuff is so good that there's nothing to learn from our competitors, and shouldn't see what they are doing really well (or really poorly.) By using Apple products, I discovered Apple's communities. I've used Apple's forums (they call them "discussions"—think different.) There are some things they do that we could really learn from. There are also some things they do that I would never, ever want to do with our site. Getting help in Visual Studio is, in my opinion, much easier than it is in Xcode. How would I know though if I didn't take a peek?

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{"commentId":90512,"authorDomain":"cavemonkey50"}

Ronald Heft

The author of this article makes a really good point. You need to use your competitors product to see what's wrong with your own product. Only then can you begin to improve on your product.

I hope Microsoft as a whole company takes up this idea. Let your employees use iPods, etc. Banning them only hides the truth.

{"commentId":90512,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"cavemonkey50"}

4 votes

#1 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 12:18 PM EDT

{"commentId":90574,"authorDomain":"strongbad"}

Sean Balsiger

I think Microsoft has gotten plenty of ideas from Apple...

I also found this on his post about Boot Camp and thought it was hilarious

3.) If Microsoft was naming this app...would we leave the name "Boot Camp Public Beta"? Probably not. I was thinking "Microsoft Windows XP Boot Loader for Apple Computers intel Edition 2006 April Community Technology Preview".

{"commentId":90574,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"strongbad"}

10 votes

#2 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 1:31 PM EDT

{"commentId":90598,"authorDomain":"jragon"}

jragon

The new guard at Microsoft are the ones that had Macs (or fiddled with them at least) before the Intel switch, understand that design isn't just a "nice to have", have installed Linux, use iPods, have Playstations, and are ready for their company to kick ass again.

It's the old guard you have to worry about. The people that, until recently, thought MS would win because of their lineage.

To a MS-hater like myself, I never thought they got where they were because of high quality. It was because of Bill Gates' a one-in-a-trillion business mind, combined with Apple and IBM not understanding the MS threat until it was too late.

That said, they're making some very sure-footed steps in the right direction. The new guard is being heard.

{"commentId":90598,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"jragon"}

2 votes

#3 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 1:57 PM EDT

{"commentId":90839,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}

Cary Quinn

The "Old Guard" used to be early adopters too, though. There was a time when if you wanted to find some hot new technology, you could usually find an example of it somewhere on the Microsoft campus. That was back when they were trying to figure out new markets for MS OSes, and new technologies that they needed to make sure that the OS and applications would support in the future.

A few things have changed that may have affected that focus, causing the "old guard" to be more concerned with maintaining the business position that allowed them such easy access to new technology, instead of the pursuit of that new technology itself.

I don't think a Microsoft Employee should have to own a Mac, anymore than an engineer working for GM should have to own a Toyota. But GM might not be in as much trouble now if they had paid closer attention to what the other automakers were doing, and Microsoft in in an even better position to benefit from paying attention to what Apple is doing. Not just to see what Apple does that is different, but to also see what Apple does that can be a benefit to Microsoft's business, or what Microsoft might be able to offer in that space that nobody else has touched upon yet.

With the release of Bootcamp, I'm surprised MS has not made a bulk purchase of Intel Macs on which to test OS installation, and to use as baseline machines to compare the functionality of Office (and other cross platform apps).

{"commentId":90839,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"cqtech"}

#3.1 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 6:44 PM EDT

{"commentId":90760,"authorDomain":"kylerove"}

Kyle Rove

Maybe someone should forward this to Mr. Balmer (CEO of Microsoft), as he banned his kids from owning iPods or using Google.

{"commentId":90760,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"kylerove"}

6 votes

#4 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 5:16 PM EDT

{"commentId":90878,"authorDomain":"slade"}

slade

Ballmer, not Balmer.

{"commentId":90878,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"slade"}

#5 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 7:33 PM EDT

{"commentId":90933,"authorDomain":"unlogikal"}

UnLogikal

This has two sides. One, if you do use a competitors product then you're sort of in a position of potentially being lazy and copying the competition. In some cases I find this perfectly fine. However I'd rather have a bit of a revolution in computing rather than simply evolution and improving existing methods of doing something.

Also, if you're a "leader" in software as Microsoft tends to suggest they are, then you shouldn't really concern yourself so much with the competition and instead focus on just making a product easy to use and doing what your customers want. Microsoft, despite seeing the competitions product hasn't made much of their software easy to use. Copying their features aren't necessarily going to make the software easier to use, it just means more bloat in the case of Microsoft's last endevours in "copying" the competition.

Also, what is "better" is all reletive to the person using it. I find my Mac perfect for my needs and usage. However I know plenty of people who find Windows better... I don't see how, but if it works better for them then so be it, but it's just a reletive term.

{"commentId":90933,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"unlogikal"}

#6 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 8:39 PM EDT

{"commentId":90984,"authorDomain":"jragon"}

jragon

One, if you do use a competitors product then you're sort of in a position of potentially being lazy and copying the competition.

I disagree. Artists will try dozens of different ideas already around before settling on theirs. Seeing other ideas can help you see how yours can shine. (such as the iPod)

{"commentId":90984,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"jragon"}

2 votes

#7 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 9:49 PM EDT

{"commentId":91084,"authorDomain":"unlogikal"}

UnLogikal

You realize that 99% of all other players FAIL to reproduce anything better than the iPod despite actually copying it?

PERFECT example of how copying it but failing miserably

{"commentId":91084,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"unlogikal"}

1 vote

#7.1 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:00 AM EDT

{"commentId":91161,"authorDomain":"tinycg"}

Matt Edmunds

As an artist I agree, but to unlogikal's point.. good artists copy, great artists steal.

To that point, Mike D had a great post on his blog last september that I just redug up.. fitting that its now in a Newsvine post, he's making his own news: Mike D: Originality in Logo Design

and if you are a designer and you haven't read this too.. then you probably should: Sitepoint: Good Designers Copy, Great Designers Steal

{"commentId":91161,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"tinycg"}

#7.2 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 2:15 AM EDT

{"commentId":91323,"authorDomain":"rickypc"}

Ricky

Innovations in this world does always happen by miracles. it is usually a product of smart market analysis, current product alignments, and building up on the existing scenarios. iPod, though a trendsetter, is by no means the first portable music devicde. That was Sony walkman. Nor is it the first hard drive MP3 player. I forget the name, but it was something else. iPod is the result of Apple realizing the market opportunity, applyiing its strong design fundamentals, and marketing the product in the right way.

So, if you think innovation happens by ignoring the competitors or the market. You, I believe, then have never innovated.

{"commentId":91323,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"rickypc"}

#7.3 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:36 AM EDT

{"commentId":91324,"authorDomain":"rickypc"}

Ricky

Whoops..missed a word in the first sentence.

Innovations in this world does always happen by miracles.

It should be:

Innovations in this world does NOT always happen by miracles.

{"commentId":91324,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"rickypc"}

#7.4 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:37 AM EDT

{"commentId":91733,"authorDomain":"unlogikal"}

UnLogikal

The first MP3 player was the Rio if I recall correctly Ricky.

{"commentId":91733,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"unlogikal"}

#7.5 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 3:25 PM EDT

{"commentId":92065,"authorDomain":"rickypc"}

Ricky

Yup..that's it!

Anyways, i am sure even the apple guys must be using XP. (it doesn't hurt to check out what bad designs can be!)

{"commentId":92065,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"rickypc"}

#7.6 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:34 PM EDT

{"commentId":91291,"authorDomain":"mendyourfuelishways"}

MendYourFuelishWays.com

I really like your attitude. I am a Mac user, always have been. I used to hate using MS products, JUST because it was MS. But, I will admit that there were always some features in the Office product that I really liked. Even now, there are things in the XP operating system that I wish the Mac OS.

{"commentId":91291,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"mendyourfuelishways"}

#8 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:01 AM EDT

{"commentId":91351,"authorDomain":"ISPY"}

I SPY

I can see how it would get more switcher's Once you go Mac you never go back :)

{"commentId":91351,"threadId":"6066","contentId":"161325","authorDomain":"ISPY"}

2 votes

#9 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:12 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"6066","isPrivate":false}

	John Siracusa's take on Boot Camp	Ars Technica	Mon Apr 10	1
	Daring Fireball: Several Asinine and/or Risky Ideas Regarding Apple's Strategy That Boot Camp Does Not Portend	Daring Fireball	Mon Apr 10	0

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Why Microsoft Employees Should Own a Mac

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