Two weeks have passed since Steve Ballmer informed all Microsoft employees that Don Mattrick would disembark and pursue a career at Zynga for one reason or another. Initially, Ballmer himself was set to scab the void for an uncertain amount of time, further unsettling the upcoming Xbox One launch without a proper manager to oversee. His reign was cut short, best measured in days, when he appointed Julie Larson-Green as the head of Microsoft Devices and Studios.
… because a Christmas gift without ribbon would just be a box… one X box.
Of course the internet, then, erupted with anxiety: some reasonable concerns, even more (predictably) inane. Larson-Green has a long list of successfully shipped products to her name but, apart from the somewhat cop-out of Windows 7, nothing which resonates with gamers. Terrible sexism and similarly embarrassments boiled over the gaming community, but crazies will always be crazy, especially those adjacent to Xbox Live subscribers.
Operating Systems will be filled by Terry Myerson, who rose to power from the Windows Phone division. This could be a sign of things to come for Windows, particularly as Microsoft continues to push for convergence between x86, RT, and Phone. I would not be surprised to see continued pressure from Microsoft to ingrain Windows Store, and all of its certification pros and woes, into each of their operating systems.
As for Xbox, while Julie is very user experience (UX)-focused, division oversight passed to her long after its flagship product's lifetime high-level plans have been defined. If Windows 7 is any indication, she might not stray too far away from that which has been laid out prior her arrival; likewise, if Windows 8 is any indication, a drastically new direction could just spring without notice.
I only remember her from the
I only remember her from the Microsoft Surface press conference where I was not particularly impressed and she seemed a bit . . . too salesmanish. I mean, until I did some digging during the stream to figure out who she actually was, I thought she was just a really cheesecakey hired actor/presenter.
Scott,
You are far too
Scott,
You are far too abstruse for my obtuse brain.
Scab on a void maybe should be scab on an open wound?
Beyond that point, I pretty much got lost.
“because a Christmas gift without ribbon would just be a box… one X box.”
What is that all about?
Anyway, keep up the prose.
Julie is the one responsible
Julie is the one responsible for the Office Ribbon menu interface change.
ah – the ribbon- i am still
ah – the ribbon- i am still trying to figure that one out
Julie (The Ribbon Lady)
Julie (The Ribbon Lady) Larson-Green, gave us the wonderful, hair pulling UX experience, with the M$ office RIBBON interface! Thus began, even more so than in the M$ of past, the M$ obsession with fixing things that aren’t broken! As users of Full function PCs and laptops are currently suffering one such experience with the TIFKAM, UI/UX/UHELL, and will continue to suffer through 8.1!
Is it any wonder why Chromebooks are such good sellers, people buy Chromebooks, and Install a Full Linux distro with a UI and UX that is not to different from the Windows 7, tried and true, UI! People do not want a steep learning curve with their OS’s UI, they are too busy, with getting work done, and the constant M$ UI game of musical chairs, has left them numb, from the extra amount of time it takes to get their work done, while wrestling with M$’ current UI flight of fancy!
Oh dear,
Female in charge of
Oh dear,
Female in charge of a male orientated business sector.
(Yes, most customers are men.)
I am quite sure she is a talented person, but Microsoft
seems to doing just about everything wrong lately.
Like female car reviewers, is her heart and soul in it.
Women do have a different outlook to men, in general, doesn’t mean their less capable, its just they may look at things differently and when that is not the same way as your customers…well.
How many hours gaming does she put in a week?
How violent does she like her games.
If there is a slightly racy male orientated theme to games?
Some could say thats nothing to do with running a business and managing staff. I think it does. Time will tell. Lets hope she is the exception to the rule.