Jim Allchin for president!

August 26 2003

Computerworld has published a two-part interview with Microsoft Group VP Jim Allchin.  The questions are about Longhorn, Windows service packs, viruses and security.  The answers, well:

  • "It is very early, and we have a general plan that we're working to, which I'll explain at a philosophical level"
  • "It's still a long time off, and it's just too early."
  • "And that's about as much as I'll say right now. "
  • "If we don't change our mind. ... There are many things that can help drive that."
  • "We can always change our mind, but"
  • "It's all in a question of definitions, which I try to really caution people about."
  • "Stay tuned. "
  • "It's not some hard-and-fast thing."
  • "I don't want to get it locked down to a particular path, because something may come up."
  • "It's all a question of probabilities. That's our target. But there's a probability it may make it, it may not. ... The truth is, these are targets. ..."
  • " But no one should be right now locking onto this. Let's see how the developers like it. Let's see how the Beta 1 goes. "
  • "We'll do right by our customers. "
  • "We don't know enough to say anything more right now. I mean, I don't know the date."
  • "I think I've concluded that we have to take a different tack than what we've been taking. I have nothing to report now, but you can stay tuned"
  • "All software has problems."
  • "It's occupied a lot of time, and we take it very, very seriously. "
  • "There's lots of different answers to that. ..."
  • "how it gets moved into the market, I don't know. "
  • "it's not an easy question. "
  • "There's just a lot of opportunity if we can get this nailed. "
  • "I just feel really bad personally about this worm. I wasn't impacted."

Two reactions:
1) I don't miss Paul Flessner all that much
2) Do customers really put faith, credibility, and respect in these kinds of answers from their supplier?

Ed Brill | Dearborn, Michigan USA Category: Add/View Comments [11]

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  1. 1  Alan Lepofsky  | 8/26/2003 8:03:37 PM

    So I walk away with the though that MS does not have a story to tell. The only area they do have anything concrete to talk about is security problems, for which they say "no comment". Aren't we all working in the new era of Trust Worthy Computing? I guess that idea failed.

  1. 2  Tony C http://www.tonycocks.com | 8/27/2003 1:00:57 AM

    ... :o)

  1. 3  Paul B  | 8/27/2003 9:37:50 AM

    Sorry but I have a unrelated Question.

    Question: Is Lotus Workplace really Collaboration Center with QP and St behind....or a totally new beast that looks like QP and ST...?

  1. 4  jonvon http://jonvon.net/ | 8/27/2003 10:12:18 AM

    ed, you are too funny. laughing into my venti caffe mocha...

    :-)

  1. 5  Jess Stratton http://www.mattandjess.net | 8/27/2003 12:18:33 PM

    That was too funny. And to think that so many people look to MS for 'innovative direction'? It seems like what they REALLY do is look to the people to wait and see what direction they NEED to take.

    Reminds me of the time I asked my friend what would happen if her baby boy missed a nap in the afternoon. Her reply? "It means he'll either go to sleep tonight, or he won't."

  1. 6  Tom Duff http://www.twduff.com | 8/27/2003 6:02:49 PM

    ... when I saw it in the paper this week, but I was having the same impressions you were. Everything was couched in such vague terms, and there was nothing of substance that he could be held to later. I wonder if the writer slanted the article to have that effect, or if it was handed to him on a silver platter like that?

  1. 7  Tony C http://www.tonycocks.com | 8/28/2003 3:27:36 AM

    ...I'm sure the 'partisan' views of the article sampled here could equally be aimed at the musing of say Steve Mills and besides Allchin is condemed because he works for the same organisation as I do.

    Equally, as those of you who know me, I do not go in for the 'leader cult' that does exist in certain parts of MS as it did at Lotus and undoubtledly does at IBM.

    I've seen Allchin present and he comes across as a faily balanced guy.

  1. 8  Gerco Wolfswinkel  | 8/28/2003 4:42:17 AM

    Hi Paul,

    Lotus Workplace is really a different beast. See http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/wpforum.nsf for the LW Messaging forum if you have any concrete questions.

  1. 9  Rob Witte http://www.witte-family.net/blog | 8/28/2003 12:33:39 PM

    Let's stack this next to the uncertainty of Lotus developers caused by IBM's failure to articulate a clear vision of Domino's future with Websphere and J2EE.

    I don't think IBM is in any position to cast stones here.

  1. 10  Paul B  | 8/28/2003 1:02:38 PM

    Hey ED

    it now seems clear to me that colaboration center is a different box to Lotus Worplace collaboration center (me thinks) but how unclear is this and if we went and used CC can we migrate to WP ?

  1. 11  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 8/28/2003 1:11:16 PM

    Which is good from the interesting perspective of the fact that two recent comments on the blog (not just this thread) come from IBMers who are not in support of IBM's position at the moment. But also not good for Paul B -- I can't really answer questions about upgrades and "if we went and used CC can we migrate to WP ?" I try to answer the questions when I can, but this is one of those places where I don't feel comfortable answering.