The Separation Of Bill Gates And Microsoft

After 30 years, it looks like the end has come for Bill Gates and Microsoft. The end not being a termination of course of either but instead a change in relationship. Bill Gates is finally stepping down and is now just going to work part-time. Taking it easy I guess. Must be the stress.

Everybody thinks Gates is some genius. The college drop-out who was once the richest man in the world with one of the most innovative companies around.

I do agree that Bill Gates is sort of a legend now. It's good I guess that he's stepping down. Sort of sounds like the end of an era so to speak for the tech world. It would be a shame if he were to go down in flames, beaten bad by Google. So this is the smart approach to bow down in grace while still retaining the image that you're still at the top of your game.

Bill Gates was interviewed by CNet on what might it be like for him After Microsoft and what his thoughts were on the future of technology and Microsoft as a company. He also talks about the failed Yahoo buy-out. Apparently Microsoft already has a stand-alone strategy of its own. Probably as a Plan B, should the acquisition fail - which it did. But anyway, their goal is probably just the same as all the other companies. How do we grow? How do we scale?

Read the complete CNet interview here.

Microsoft's and Apple's Approaches To Security Disclosures - The Carpet Bomb Case, Microsoft Says Stop Using Safari

This shows how 2 companies can be very different in approaching dilemmas. I guess it's company culture combined with executive decisiveness.

I do not criticize Apple for being the way they are. It's great to come clean about a problem and say, "Yes we have a problem and yes we have the solution." But it doesn't help in the interim if it takes 3 months to find the answers.

I also see Microsoft's point of coming forward early in the game and calling out the competition. We all know something is wrong with Safari and they have acknowledged that Safari coupled with Windows poses a very vulnerable spot for users versus hackers.

This article in Computer World quotes nCircle's Storms, "Microsoft has really embraced the enterprise, and decided that disclosure and a regular patch schedule is what the enterprise needs to support and maintain its products.

"Apple, on the other hand, appeals to consumers, and believes that for the majority of consumers, issuing an advisory without a patch would probably just create FUD [fear, uncertainty and doubt]," Storms concluded.

As Storms noted, Apple has remained silent on the Safari carpet bomb problem. Last week, it did not respond to a request for comment on its security team's decision against adding a user-approval option to Safari. The company was not available Saturday.

Microsoft did say that it was working with its rival, however. "[We] are working with our colleagues at Apple to investigate the issue," said Tim Rains, a product manager in Microsoft's malware protection center, in a post to the MSRC blog.

No timetable has been set by Microsoft for patching its software to block combined Safari-IE attacks. As it often does in security advisories, the company only said that it may issue a patch.

Well now I'm glad I'm using Mozilla Firefox instead of the reportedly bugged Safari and Internet Explorer.