Blog: Microsoft is perfect example why executive pay is broken

Microsoft lays off more employees while executives still rake in the dough

By Mitchell Ashley | 09 November, 2009 08:43

Tags: Microsoft, layoffs, executive pay, Windows 7, unemployment

iPhone, Android and Storm hurt RIM's subscriber growth

BlackBerry maker, RIM, just reported it's first drop in subscriber growth since 2006 back when they were in patent litigation.

By Mitchell Ashley | 20 June, 2009 04:12

Tags: iPhone, Android, blackberry storm

Windows 7 Starter Edition for netbooks loses 3-app limit

A reversal seemed highly likely from the moment Microsoft announced a three-application limit in the Windows 7 Starter Edition OS planned for netbooks.

By Mitchell Ashley | 28 May, 2009 17:15

Tags: Windows 7, netbooks

Microsoft: Vista saves the world one car at a time

Did you know that by converting from Windows XP to Windows Vista, you are helping the environment?

By Mitchell Ashley | 01 December, 2008 09:18

Tags: Windows Vista

Intel Core i7 drops goodies onto desktops

Delivered promptly in my email inbox this morning was a Micro Center ad heralding the availability of Intel's new generation of desktop CPUs, the Core i7. Get them starting today, Sunday, and Monday at retail locations (in-store pickup only).

12 tips for safe social networking

Social networking is the killer Internet app, but it can also lead directly to identity theft.

By Mitchell Ashley | 16 October, 2008 10:15

Tags: social networking

5 rules for guaranteed failure at SaaS, without even trying

We're all too familiar with outages in Google's Gmail, Salesforce.com and the RIM BlackBerry network. Recent failures by Apple MobileMe, Jott and Cuil online-delivered software demonstrate that software-as-a-service -- or Software+Services, as Microsoft would call it -- isn't just a matter of putting your software up on the Internet, gathering users and declaring your Version 1.0 ready so you can start charging for services. The three recent examples of MobileMe, Jott and Cuil clearly demonstrate other major pitfalls in trying to deliver online software. Are all online software services destined to repeat these same mistakes, or will we learn from the mistakes of others? I certainly hope the latter.

By Mitchell Ashley | 29 August, 2008 10:13

Tags: SaaS

Linux not the savior for our economy

You knew the argument had to come up sometime: survive the economic down turn by using open source to help you save money. Now Computer World's Steve J. Vaughan-Nichols makes that claim in Linux Will Save Us'.

7 skills for IT fame and fortune

With the economic downturn on everyone's mind, assumptions about job security come under question, and everyone starts reexamining their skills. There are lots and lots of valuable jobs performed in IT, but some skills are valued even more highly than others. With all the upheaval we're experiencing in IT, many new skills are in high demand or rapidly increasing in value. Here are my Top 7 skills that could help you not only keep that job, but secure an even better new job, positioning you to work on the next generation of IT applications and software products in the era of Web-delivered online applications.

Microsoft - Stop Open Source Assimilation

Wayne Kelly, leader of the open source Ruby.Net development project, announced last week that he intends to discontinue development of Ruby.Net and join up with Microsoft's IronRuby open source efforts. This might sound good on the surface, but it is a bad idea.