Steven Sinofsky promoted to president of Windows

With Windows 7 just months away from release, Microsoft is putting a new individual in charge of the whole Windows division. Steven Sinofsky -- who was previously responsible for squashing thousands upon thousands of early Win7 bugs as the senior vice president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group -- now has a shiny new title. We're told that as president, Mr. Sinofsky "assumes responsibility for the Windows business including both the engineering and marketing functions for Windows, Windows Live and Internet Explorer." Yeah, pretty broad. Oh, and it's not clear if the former prez's decision to green light that patently disgusting "vomit" spot for IE8 was the straw that broke the camel's back, but whatever the case, there's a new brain behind the future of Windows. No pressure, Steve-o.

[Thank, Neal]

[Neumann @ Jul 8th 2009 5:23PM]

Has anyone got a link to the IE8 spot they are referring to? I seem to have missed it and I always like a little afternoon nausea.

[dan2600 @ Jul 8th 2009 5:25PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB9fhjnJcB0

[Mark @ Jul 8th 2009 5:25PM]

Agreed! Damn you engadget, you always turn every single word into a link except the one that anybody would actually care about.

[dan2600 @ Jul 8th 2009 5:27PM]

damn i shoulda rickrolled...but that is the actual spot.

lol dean

[garrenteed @ Jul 8th 2009 5:59PM]

another steve, we need some diversity

[OneLove @ Jul 8th 2009 6:01PM]

I've just been promoted to president of doors, when I reach ceilings I will know I've made it big!

[OneLove @ Jul 8th 2009 6:04PM]

The developers fixed the bugs and another douche bag manger gets a promotion and raise. life is sweet!

[Slappy Wag @ Jul 8th 2009 7:24PM]

The developers created the bugs in the first place, and only fixed them after testers pointed them out. Isn't giving all the credit to the developers a bit like like rewarding a dog for biting you? ;-)

[OneLove @ Jul 8th 2009 8:12PM]

If the dog bit me, called a cab and took me to the hospital, I would give him a reward. I wouldn't reward the taxi driver.

[Cassini @ Jul 9th 2009 2:51PM]

Whoever chose to make that puk ad was a complete idiot.

What the heck are people thinking when they do that? It's not even funny, just disgusting and stupid.


On a brighter note, congrats, Steve-o. Please make good ads. Thanks!

[MiJaMu @ Jul 8th 2009 5:24PM]

me too. i'm missing the reference :(

[zachdsteele @ Jul 8th 2009 5:24PM]

Well deserved, I think

[AnnoyingPoster @ Jul 8th 2009 5:38PM]

yea dude, they did a hell of a job on win 7

[dan2600 @ Jul 8th 2009 5:27PM]

Steven Vs Steve


THE CLASH OF TITANS!

[Mark @ Jul 8th 2009 5:32PM]

3 Steves actually, Ballmer, Sinofsky, Jobs. Holy crap, Steves are taking over the world! The PTA has disbanded! *jumps out window*

[Hotrod @ Jul 8th 2009 5:55PM]

Don't forget Steve Wozniak, or Steve Gates. Yes, yes Steve Gates.

[DangerZone1223 @ Jul 8th 2009 6:02PM]

No no no! The PTA has not disbanded! (chuckles)

[Poo_and_Wee @ Jul 8th 2009 6:18PM]

It's Adam and Eve! Not Steve and Steve and Steve and Steve and Steve!

[Cy Starkman @ Jul 8th 2009 7:23PM]

Genius LOL. + +

I'm seeing a Photoshop of the Marx brothers. Nyuk nyuk and here's a poke in the GUI

[loocas @ Jul 8th 2009 5:30PM]

If he's the president, I am the Lord of Doors! Or better yet, the Master of Blinds!

[DeaconGTG @ Jul 8th 2009 5:36PM]

So apparently to go anywhere in the computer industry you must be named Steve. Damn my parents...

[Matt @ Jul 8th 2009 5:46PM]

My middle name is Steve... I will be happy with my upper-tiered-yet-not-the-highest job in the near future.

[Wwhat @ Jul 8th 2009 6:04PM]

It's not too hard to change your first name legally, much easier than the last name, and it'll nicely hide what you did before too when you apply for a position 'that isn't my old myspace, I'm steve'
Perhaps it'll become a fad at some point, everybody changing their name when they become let's say 24, namechangeday celebrations and what not, you can even exclude gays and make laws that they can't ;)

[tgluak @ Jul 8th 2009 5:52PM]

Steve, Steve, Steve

[Celedhring @ Jul 8th 2009 6:04PM]

What if you were named Steve Stevens?

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jul 8th 2009 6:21PM]

@Celedhring,

That would make you a has-been guitar player that's probably touring the casino circuit with his other has-been punk-hair buddy.

I'd check them out anyway to bring back the 80s, LOL!

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jul 8th 2009 6:22PM]

Congratulations, Steve! Now go kick Ballmer in the nuts and have him simmer down for a while.

[Scrappy Pup @ Jul 8th 2009 6:27PM]

Also, *Stephen* Elop is the president of the Microsoft Business Division, which produces Office. Apparently that name gets you somewhere.

[Patriks7 @ Jul 8th 2009 6:26PM]

What's up with all these Steve's everywhere?!

[Tom @ Jul 8th 2009 6:39PM]

Step 1: Toss out Windows completely. All of it. Well, except for XP mode in Windows 7.
Step 2: Toss out all the worthless management that helped Vista become a disaster
Step 3: Go to the research group, and take Singularity
Step 4: Make a new OS, free from the legacy crap complicating Windows
Step 5: Bolt XP mode into the new OS, along with some better hooks to make the transition less difficult (ala Classic mode in OS X)

I doubt this will happen, but it's what they really need to do. Windows is really starting to look like Mac OS did in the mid 90s.

[Mark Anderson II @ Jul 8th 2009 6:41PM]

Shut. The. Fuck. Up.

Seriously.

[simon @ Jul 8th 2009 7:23PM]

Thank you Tom for demonstrating why you are not senior managment. Your display is very convincing.

Simon

[Tom @ Jul 8th 2009 8:07PM]

Wow, quite the harsh response there Mark Anderson the second. All I was doing was offering advice to the new president of the Windows group. Must have been the Mac OS comment or something that triggered a fanboy response. The only reason I put it there is to point out an example from history, when Gil Amelio was trying to get the Mac OS back on track.

Seriously, are you actually a developer that has to see the insane trainwreck that is the inner working of Windows and have experience on other platforms to compare to? If not, take your own advice.

Microsoft really needs to come up with a way of cleaning up the mess under the hood. Longhorn was supposed to be the start of a new push towards managed code, something Bill Gates was trumpeting all the way back in 1995. Sadly Microsoft's own attempt at this (.Net) failed to grow into OS grade code, and this hindered Longhorn development for months. After their core OS team came back from fixing the security issues in XP (SP2) and 2003 (SP1), they also found that the .Net code was crumbling under the weight put on top of it. So they scrapped everything, restarted off the 2003 code base, and shipped Vista 18 months later.

Tons of developers love C#, including myself. But there is clearly a reason why a lot of software is still being written on C++. When not even Microsoft can show how powerful .Net is by having a good chunk of the OS written in it, something is wrong.

It's clear at this point that the only way Microsoft is going to manage to move away from their legacy APIs will be to start over. Singularity is a great start, and with the right management team and developers, could ensure MS has an OS to carry them far longer then Win32 will.

I suppose I should probably find a community elsewhere that is willing to actually discuss things. The comments here these days are just barley a level above YouTube comments. It's sad really.

[Hung @ Jul 8th 2009 10:15PM]

Agreed. OSX dropping OS9 support was the best thing that could have ever happened to Apple devs. Apple wouldn't have seen nearly as much success if not for the decision to aggressively start anew, so there's no argument there. Microsoft might follow suit, but too many casual users are crying over XP compatibility. People don't understand that the Vista code is good, but the complexity associated with building on top of an older OS instead of a fresh start leaves programmers writing more intensive software. That's why Vista might be as or more polished than OSX or XP at launch, but lags behind those two when it comes to performance.

Don't worry about Mark and Simon. Anyone who uses their full name (AND legacy) or signs their comments is a douche beyond measure.

[crescentdavid @ Jul 9th 2009 4:33AM]

there's simply no way windows ... ala vista and win7 could look as dated as the 90's mac. I mean really ... who would ever make battleship gray their holy grail? Who'd promote that dull, 2D, pewter (brushed aluminum) look year after year after year after year ... well, you get the idea.

[Phyx @ Jul 9th 2009 12:49PM]

I agree, Shut. The. Fuck. Up.

[Mark Anderson II @ Jul 9th 2009 1:43PM]

Hung? As in "Hung like a baby carrott"?

Tom - yes I have and you're so full of crap it's beyond belief. Now seriously, shut the fuck up.

[Daniel Smith @ Jul 8th 2009 7:01PM]

Congrats steve! You did an amazing job with Office 2007 and an even better job with Windows 7. Just make sure that lady behind the ribbon UI and W7 taskbar stays with you.

[Alex Chopra @ Jul 8th 2009 9:25PM]

Anyone else think that M$ is just setting this guy up to be the fall-man if anything goes bad with the Win7 release?

[Wwhat @ Jul 9th 2009 11:34AM]

Yes and no, I think it might be in the back of their head to have a front like that, but I don't think their prognosis is bad in w7 since people are already quite enthusiastic about it so I don't think it's the primary motivation.

[Alex Chopra @ Jul 9th 2009 1:21PM]

Don't you think that's even more the reason to set him up right now. Everyone is expecting something awesome, just like many were thinking Vista was going to be awesome. If something goes wrong they have someone who seems to have put in a lot of work into Win7 to lay ALL of the blame on and can right off the bat. Vista seemed to lack this person and more then anything led to the M$ brand being tarnished. Maybe with this guy out there, the direction can be placed more upon him rather then the company brand.

[strider_mt2k @ Jul 8th 2009 10:38PM]

It's better than President of Calendars...

[Zune Claus @ Jul 8th 2009 11:18PM]

Was that video ever aired on tv? WORST COMMERCIAL EVER.

[fredjb @ Jul 9th 2009 2:34AM]

Perhaps Steve S. should speak to Steve J. about going from "Pink" to "X".

[Rajesh @ Jul 9th 2009 2:45PM]

Smash those windows 7 bugs...haha