>Mary Jo Foley has written a book on the post-Gates era. I haven't read it yet, but plan to soon. It's called Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era

i think i'll pick it up as well.

the thing that concerns me is that Gates was the guy in charge AND a techie.
now Ballmer is in charge and not as hard core a techie as Gates.

for example, you want the guy in charge of baseball operations for a baseball team..
to have been a player, coach, scout etc...
you want your top baseball guy... to be a baseball guy...

and i think the same applies with building software.

To be more fair to Steve Ballmer I see him as more of a "Gord Ash" type of General Manger ... whereas in Bill Gates we had "Pat Gillick"

Dave.