Sizing up Microsoft's new Windows chief

[Brad Isaac]

"That was the question on some analysts' minds when Microsoft announced Tuesday that Kevin Johnson, its former sales chief, would succeed chief Windows architect Jim Allchin next year when he retires.
Johnson has spent most of his 13 years at Microsoft rising through the company's sales and marketing ranks. He landed the top sales post two years ago and has since helped Microsoft keep up its double-digit growth, an impressive feat for such a large company." more..

[Hantra]

Originally Posted by Brad Isaac

Kevin Johnson, its former sales chief, would succeed chief Windows architect Jim Allchin next year when he retires.
Johnson has spent most of his 13 years at Microsoft rising through the company's sales and marketing ranks.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Man this is bad news for all of us, even non-MSFT shareholders. I was just getting excited about. . . . . Vista (a name no doubt finalized by Kevin himself), and was reading about the "defragging" that MS is going through, and it all looked promising. Until I saw this.
Jim Allchin is nearly impossible to replace. To try and replace him with a SALES and MARKETING guy is just. . . well. . . It's like Bush giving control of the second largest investigative agency in the country to Julie Myers.
OK. . Actually it's not. At least Microsoft is solvent, profitable, and wildly successful. Hell if Immigrations and Customs Enforcement were a business, it would likely have been bankrupt for the last 20 years. So I guess someone with zero experience can't do a WORSE job.
I strayed. Sorry.
Long live Allchin!

[Hantra]

Allchin is a freaking hero. They need to do what they have to do to keep him.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1...ys_us_page_one