Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, Cult of Mac
Full text of Microsoft exec's "I'd buy a Mac" e-mail
Remember that incident where a Microsoft Executive said that if he didn't work for Microsoft that he'd personally buy a Mac? Today's Seattle Pi has uncovered the full text of that e-mail. You can download a copy of it here (PDF). "I am not sure how the company lost sight of what matters to our customers (both business and home) the most, but in my view we lost our way," he wrote. "I would buy a Mac today if I was not working at Microsoft. If you run the equivalent of VPC on a MAC you get access to basically all Windows application software (although not the hardware). Apple did not lose their way."
Allchin points Gates and Ballmer to an Apple video, highlighting their philosophy. "They think simple. They think fast...If we are to rise to the challenge of Linux and Apple, we need to start taking the lessons of 'scenario, simple, fast' to heart."
In the end, it's not about who wins--Apple or Microsoft--but delivering the best possible product to the consumer, which is why I personally buy Mac. I'd be thrilled, however, to see Microsoft step up its game and take the lessons of Apple to heart.
[via Microsoft-Watch]
Thanks Rich and Mike
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Laurie said 6:50PM on 1-11-2007
Smart email. If I were Steve Jobs, I'd probably have my head HR rep contact Jim as soon as I read this and offer him a job.
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Mike Rose said 10:03PM on 1-11-2007
Steve's comment in the keynote was "Jim's retiring soon... the Seattle Apple Store should watch out for him..."
The iLife '04 video is here: http://www.esm.psu.edu/faculty/gray/graphics/movies/iLife04_m480.mov
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Duane Pandorf said 8:33PM on 1-11-2007
I would think he'll be looking for a new job very soon.
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mduser63 said 8:29PM on 1-11-2007
"the equivalent of VPC"
Seems funny that he didn't realize that the equivalent of VPC on a Mac was VPC, and it was a Microsoft product...
Anyway, I agree with the above poster. The guy was right. MS does need to simplify and do things faster.
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jb said 8:54PM on 1-11-2007
#3 : "I would think he'll be looking for a new job very soon."
Yup, but I think he's already left The Borg ship already as of the end of last month. (12/31/2006), following Vistahorn's 'release'. :
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+to+reorg+Allchin+to+retire/2100-1014_3-5874926.html
But maybe he could get a job at Apple. Sounds like he is more inclined to be a Mac OS X evangelist than a Windows evangelist, and he was the HEAD of Windows! sheesh. ya gotta wonder.
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Aaron said 8:56PM on 1-11-2007
Steve Jobs said that Allchin is planning on retiring, so presumably he won't need a new job.
Sadly, the ilife video cited now gives a file-not-found error.
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Craig Wyzik said 8:59PM on 1-11-2007
He refers to "LH" as being a pig. What product or feature is he referring to?
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tnkgrl said 9:04PM on 1-11-2007
I guess he must have a Mac now :)
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gregday said 9:03PM on 1-11-2007
Unbelievable that even top execs at Microsoft don't realize it's not "MAC." And he seems to think that "simplicity" means stripping out features. Something Microsoft is very good at. Simplicity doesn't mean that. It's about better design.
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Ryan said 9:24PM on 1-11-2007
Craig: I think the LH he is referring to is Longhorn - Windows Vista.
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Kelly Bowes said 9:27PM on 1-11-2007
Do we know that this is legit? It could have EASILY been created by anyone
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Slippery Pete said 9:31PM on 1-11-2007
I kind of admire MS for fostering that kind of brutally honest communication. That email almost looks fictional "To: Bill Gates; Steve Ballmer." Like a Mac fanboi hoax.
Say this for them. They really do understand how bad Windows is. At least they're not crazy.
This also demonstrates Apples incredible market influence compared to its tiny market share.
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Chris said 9:31PM on 1-11-2007
I wonder what "Plan B" was? Start from scratch?
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John P. said 9:44PM on 1-11-2007
Reading that I can totally relate to his frustation. (smaller scale ofcourse) As a middle manager at a company I got fed up and starting voicing my opinions, ultimately getting fired. In hindsight, it was probably the best thing that happened to me.
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Dorsey Coe said 10:56PM on 1-11-2007
Fairly old email, but it is as relevent or more so today. Some of Microsofts own customers have been saying the same things for years, but yelling "iceberg!" doesn't keep a big ship from hitting it. Big ships don't sink fast either, but the crew (like Jim) are the first to know when your sinking. When a passenger does notice trouble, they are almost always reassured with, "nothing is wrong - stay calm" but they know better. I'm glad I jumped ship when I did and it's good to know there are other boats in the water to "rescue" windows users as needed. Oh, Micro$oft, you could've been so much more... MS users, welcome aboard! (Apple market share up 30% year over year - a hole in MS's hull that keeps getting bigger) Whoa if ya think Microsoft is unsinkable! Mr. Gates and Mr. Balmer may not care about a sinking boat at this point as they own or can buy islands now... (Mercury Venus Earth Mars Gates Balmer Uranus Neptune and the rock that's farthest out) I digress.
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Jim Allchin said 10:58PM on 1-11-2007
From: Jim Allchin
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 8:38 AM
To: Bill Gates; Steve Ballmer
Subject: still lost...
This is a rant. I’m sorry.
Well it's three years later and the fat lady is singing.
We are toast. Apple is releasing a mobile phones that are light years ahead of what we are doing. While we are playing catch up with Zune and XBox they are spanking us where it counts.
I have to admit that I have been secretly using a Mac for the last three years. I'm coming out of the wiring closet. To keep my sanity, my kids and I have been making home videos on iMovie. You have to check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRLRjKCGHek
I must tell you everything in my soul tells me that we should do what I called "plan 9" yesterday. We need to get out of the computer business. SB is a pig and I don’t see any solution to this problem. He's probably throwing a chair as we speak.
jim
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bill gates said 5:01PM on 1-12-2007
Keep taking the pills, guys. Mac market share still at 5 percent and holding. Wishful thinking and all the leaked emails you want, nothwithstanding...
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Joe Schmoe said 5:36PM on 1-12-2007
Microsoft has dominated the market by keeping innovation out - to benefit its shareholders. It doesnt take much to realize that there are more customers than shareholders and the customers are pissed. So when they have squashed innovation and bled their shareholders and are left without customers, where will they be? Corporate reorganization, bankruptcy protection, asset liquidation all to stay alive. It's called holding on rather than making real progress.
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Dave said 5:59PM on 1-12-2007
Apparently MS needs a better grammar checker, or smarter execs:
"...the most important problems are customers face are..."
Or maybe they should just switch to 1337 speak so they don't have to figure out the difference between our and are.
"...th3 m0wst !mp0rtn7 pr0bz r c0stmrz f4se r..."
But I bet he's got an MBA so that makes him smart.
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Joe Mama said 6:09PM on 1-12-2007
What the heck? This has to be a fake...
Didn't Apple switch to Intel in 2006, and that the e-mail was sent in Jan of 2004?
How could you run a MS OS on an Apple before they switched to Intel?
the answer- you can't... this is a fake...
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