The future of windows: Is it bleak now?
So the biggest piece of tech news last week comes in the form of Steven Sinofsky, head of the Windows and Windows Live division at Redmond, leaving the company in a bevy of rumour, discussion and debate.
Sinofsky’s exit comes at a befuddling time for the giant, hot on the heels of the launch of their much awaited operating systems Windows 8 for PCs and tablets, as well as their mobile OS, Windows Phone 8, previously code-named Apollo.
Speaking when asked about his unscheduled and what appears sudden departure from a position that was seemingly gaining a lot of positive momentum lately, Sinofsky said, “Some might notice a bit of chatter speculating about this decision or timing. I can assure you that none could be true as this was a personal and private choice that in no way reflects any speculation or theories one might read about me, opportunity, the company or its leadership.”
While it’s all sounding like this timing was a mere coincidence, it is a rather disconcertingly haunting coincidence, indeed. I mean, look at his track record. Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 were both eagerly anticipated operating systems that the company was strongly banking upon. From the looks of it, looks like he delivered on all what Microsoft promised its target audience. Both tablet/smartphone products look solid, and while they still have some ways to go before we can truly assess their performance and gauge whether Microsoft was right on the money with Sinofsky’s leadership, they don’t look like they’ve strayed in the wrong direction.
Who replaces him? Julie Larson-Green and Tami Reller, both current executives who’ve had considerable experience and time with the Windows team that Sinofsky concerned himself with, will now jointly share the mantle, answering directly to the boss man at Redmond, Steve Ballmer. We don’t know what Sinofsky has in mind for himself for the near future, but we sure can tell you that with Windows, the innovation doesn’t need that constant, laser-pointed direction that a leader provides.
With Microsoft sticking to their Metro UI unification ideology anyway, now, with Surface, Xbox and Windows Phones (possibly even a Surface phone in the future) riding in strong with their strong commitment towards providing an unmistakable identity for their product line up, the folks over at Big M aren’t hesitant when it comes to innovating and exacting what they need out of the stores of talent they have. Don’t worry. Windows will still be as good (or disappointing, if you’re on the opposite camp) as you’ve come to expect of it.
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