Reviews for Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-gates Era

1. A very professional look inside the greatest company of all times

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, September 12rd, 2009

   First of all, I have to confess I'm a big Microsoft fan since I was little. I became Computer Engineer thanks to them. Yes, I know it's not "cool" for people like me to be a Microsoft follower, for we should always talk about Linux, etc. but that's the true story about me. I wanted to say this first, before anyone could think I'm a Mirosoft worker (I wish!) or someting like that, so if you don't like that, you may stop reading this.
   
   Ok, as I mentioned before, I'm a big Microsoft fan, true. But not one of those that say: "They are the best, and they are perfect!" Not that. As in real life, people do good things, and sometimes bad things, and yes, Microsoft are inside that group. Nevertheless, I think they've done it "The Way I Would Have Done IT". In concrete, "The Bill Gates Way".
   
   This is why I bought this book. Now, Bill G. is no more Microsoft chairman. If I were working in Microsoft, maybe I wouldn't read this book, but thats not the reality (for now :) ) and the best way I may know what's happening, is from one person that knows about them, maybe more than most of their own executives, and that's Mary Jo Foley. I like the way she treats Microsoft. I mean, ok, I can't agree with everything she says, of course, but she writes the facts, and tries to put several points of view about them. Then she says what she thinks about in those particular cases.
   
   I must say, that the book may not be an easy read for everyone! It's not a standard company biography. It treats very technical aspects of the company, many products and services that many people that are not in "The tech-computing World" may have never heard about (not everything in Microsoft is about Windows, Office, Zune and X-Box).
   
   Mary Jo Foley takes us from a small "during Gates" era, and through its transition to Steve Ballmer's way of taking over the company.
   
   I don't want to write here a book about a book, just to say I enjoyed the book. And I think you should buy it if you also have this "feeling" inside that tells you that Microsoft is not over, and has much to say in this Google, Mac, and Open Code era.
   
   In this book you will find facts, opinions, and reviews about the company structures, marketing plans, deals, etc. As I said before, it may contain some specific business language, but its quite easy to read on, and I have to admit, that now I know a little bit more of the company that was present with my 286,and still very present at home,my job and day by day. In factI think is a very interesting read for people that took them too young, or not so young, the day MSDOS was released. Like me, that I can see how times change, and see how I'm more and more aware that the entertaiment, new experiences, and consumer market has grown up so much, while in the background, company and enterpirses also carry an important evolution.
   
   I found this book not just a "fact book" about what a company has done, and is lately doing, but it gave me clues of what they will become, and how they will change the way things are, as they have always been doing since the beginnings of the home and business computing times.

2. Olavi Soosaar

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, February 12th, 2009

   Mary Jo Foley sums up the doings of Microsoft, but makes a lot of far reached assumptions for the future that may or may not come true. Gives insight on what are their strong and weak points carring out those future plans.

3. More a collection of notes and lists on Microsoft than a tech book.

   Rated 3 out of 5 stars, August 12th, 2008

   This book is a little difficult to describe. While it touches on company history and the company politics and structure at the point of Gates leaving, it's also bulked out considerably with long laundry lists of current and future projects and divisions with fairly minimal original commentary on what most of it means. It contains about as much interesting material as, and looks as if a leading tech reporter on microsoft was forced to collect all their notes on microsoft in the next 3 years and staple them into a volume without adding more commentary, which was disappointing. People who can't stomach an obvious pro-microsoft viewpoint will find this book makes them angry.