Breaking Windows: How Bill Gates Fumbled the Future of Microsoft

by David Bank

Furnishes a gripping account of the people who executed Bill Gate's plan to establish a monopoly in the 1s and 0s of digital code by creating a new kind of business orgamism, and how they are dealing with the limits of Microsoft's growth and their own mid-life crises. 50,000 first printing.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, History, Technology, Biography

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Scott Cederberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting inside history of Microsoft, but on the other hand some of the things that remind you why journalists can be annoying when they write books. One thing that irks me is the inconsistency between the subtitle ("How Bill Gates Fumbled the Future of Microsoft") and the book's closing sentences ("I say he shoots the moon. I say Gates rises to the new challenge. I say he goes out a winner."). Making matters worse are the two paragraphs explaining the game of Hearts and what it means to shoot the moon. What better way to remove all surprise from the final sentences than by patronizing the reader for a while? Ugh.

[Annette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I read this book too late. It was published in early 2001, so it is not updated to cover the anti-trust appeal and the ensuing litigation. I was looking to learn more about the trial itself, but alas, was left an empty vessel.

i did learn a couple of things that Microsoft (a/k/a Bill Gates because Microsoft did NOTHING w/o the express micromanaging consent of Gates) did that were absolutely sleazy outside of bundling the IE browser to Windows. I would say, don't read this book it's totally boring and written poorly. ie. We're talking about some guy's role at Microsoft then all of a sudden we're talking about Bill Gates singing Twinkle Twinkle. What in the hell does that have to do with ANYTHING?

Moral of the story: Gates should have admitted to having a monopoly in the software department and simple unbundled their browser. he could have saved a hell of a lot of time and money. Oh, and if you're a circuit court judge, perhaps you shouldn't be giving media interviews about how a party in the case you're presiding over is an abomination...it'll surely have you overturned, you dumb ass.

[Amar Pai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this-- full of corporate politics and intricate details of the organization difficulties faced by Microsoft in the late 90's & beyond-- but I'm biased towards this kind of inside baseball due to my profession I think. (And having worked at Microsoft briefly; just a summer internship though.) Basically, Gates 'strategy tax' of forcing all Microsoft products to lock in consumers to Windows ended up demoralizing his nascent internet division and causing Microsoft to fall helplessly behind in the internet client/server arena. That's a half assed summary cos I'm lazy, sorry.

[Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Silicon Valley tech guy, I was very much against Microsoft business tactic. Was so glad to see its lose to the DOJ. This book offered a lot of insight into the how and why it happened. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Ahmad Badghaish · Rating 1 out of 5]

قرأت ١٠٠ صفحة من الكتاب (ثلث الكتاب) ولم يعجبني، ولم أقوَ على متابعة قراءته. الترجمة بداية جدًا سيئة، من الأستاذ رضوان الأبرش، وغير مفهومة إلا بصعوبة. ومن ناحية الكتاب نفسه ؛ فالمؤلف بداية مجرد صحفي حظي بلقاء هو ومجموعة صحفيين مع بل غيتس، وبناء على ذلك أنتج كتابًا، وهذا مزعج جدًا .. لأن الكتب التي تحكي عن المؤسسات يجب أن تكون ممن ينتمي للمؤسسة، أو على الأقل تعاقد مع المؤسسة لإنتاج الكتاب.

[Leo Polovets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and interesting look at what went on in the upper echelons of Microsoft during the late 90s and the antitrust trial. The author managed to get a lot of 1-on-1 interview time with the top execs, including Gates and Ballmer, and that lends this book additional credibility.

[Alain van Hoof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the Dutch translation. Very interesting to learn how Bill started with a concept but stuck to long to it. This book ends in 2001, just before Internet really took of and Google took over and unlike Open source and Linux is not the book.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read on how they've been unable to compete on anything that's not Windows or Office. Even in the ten years since this book was written not much has changed.