The other day I read something that made me think: “ Microsoft earnings report show the future of the company: Enterprises first, consumers last .” "... the way to the enterprise often first goes through consumers. But more and more, Microsoft will be a company dependent on sales to big...

(Written late last night, this addresses the long saga I've had with Google in confirming my name on their services.) Busy week this, given we have so many great people in town for TechReady 14 in Seattle , but I'll still try and find time to celebrate my eleventh anniversary at Microsoft. In my time...

I was asked today: "just what are you doing at Microsoft these days? And what is this CPE thing I read about" More of the same actually, as I originally noted here. (As well as this humourous look .) In short, I work with product and services groups across the company to improve satisfaction...

I count myself among the many Tom Peters fans out in the business world, and just started his new book “ The Little BIG Things ”. I noticed on his blog that Mr. Peters has released a summary PDF version of the book available for free download - I highly recommend it. What you'll likely...

Someone asked today on a local mailing list for suggestion on local television options: Dish, DirecTV or Comcast (our local MSO). I noted that it used to be that if you wanted to get reasonable TV service throughout your home, cable offered the best option requiring no additional set top boxes for...

As noted on Twitter , even Microsoft employees use the MicrosoftStore , especially when there's a sale on some of the latest PCs around. Needing to replace an older model (tried and true) Sony Vaio that is headed to the repair shop, I ordered a new PC from the Microsoft Store last week , a new HP Pavilion...

A little more than three years ago as I noted here , I joined the Windows division working in COSD for Jon DeVaan with the rest of his management team (as I initially noted here ) to work on Windows 7. I've certainly enjoyed the run in Windows, this being my second stint: I joined the engineering program...

As I recommended today, friends don't let friends download bad things from peer to peer . So wait until the official downloads to the Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7 are available. As noted online today, the Windows 7 RC posted today (April 30th) for TechNet and MSDN subscribers. Materials provided...

I recently solved the Word Completion problem I was having on my AT&T Fuze (HTC Diamond). I received a new phone from AT&T in late December and found that Word Completion was not working, even when selected in Settings>Input. I found that the phone is configured out of the box with Word...

I recalled tonight an old quote: Fortuna favet fatuis. If you know me, you'll likely understand my personal, off-hours affinity for such a quote and my penchant for Monty Python humour. But in all seriousness, I'm reminded of a past post in which I noted that fools may find fault with ease. It takes...

Sitting down with a glass and a controller in my hands, I logged into Xbox Live for a post getting-the-kids-to-bed Xbox 360. Ooh, that's a new screen. Turn off the non-responsive Xbox 360. RROD . Another Groundhog Day : it's Saturday night, after the phone agents are gone at 1-800-4MY-XBOX...

My life as a customer. This week, it's cable television and the proposed digital television transition... not be confused with that other digital TV transition … as Tweeted today . If you read my post about my email and Tweet exchanges with Comcast , you'll recall that I wrote to register my complaint...

An interesting metaphor given the wet, rainy weather we have this week in the Redmond area: 40 days and nights from now, the television world should be changing to digital broadcast in the States. But not if Obama’s team request for a delay in digital TV transition is heard. As Joelle Tessler, technology...

As I posted earlier, the new Microsoft Answers beta kicked off this week.  And it looks like folks are noticing the new site, as noted in the this Washington Post article from Rick Broida of PC World.  Broida noted the new site "aims to clear up Vista's mysteries--and invites you to do...

A new site has hit Microsoft.com, in support of our customers: the new community on the Microsoft Answers Site , Microsoft’s first consumer-focused support community. Chris Kilbourn (the Lead Site Manager for TechNet) posted today about the launch... "A few times in my career, I've been lucky enough...

It's been and will continue to be a busy week filled with reviews, planning and report, not to mention some real work with some of our best folks on product quality, customer service and satisfaction. So here's a quick post of what I've read over the last week. I love it when words that don't somehow...

Over the weekend I twittered about a follow up visit to Best Buy.  Given the volume of mail I received in response to my post on shopping trips to local Apple Store and my neighbouhood Best Buy (the good, the bad... you get the picture), I thought that it would be a good idea to revisit the store...

I twittered tonite (I can stop any time) that Matt Richtel wrote in his article in the Times yesterday, Industry Rethinks Moneymaking Software Practice ... "Before they ship PCs to retailers like Best Buy , computer makers load them up with lots of free software. For $30, Best Buy will get rid of...

John Wayne Airport saw that customers were inconvenienced and came up with a simple solution, showing that sometimes more (power plugs) is better... and need not be expensive. Picture this, frequent air travelers: you're at the airport, awaiting a flight, and unable to get to the airline lounge. You...

A quick note to let you know that Knowledge Base article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914387 " How to configure daylight saving time for Microsoft Windows operating systems " reflects the manual changes and additions DST and TZ.  KB 914387 should contain all DST changes made since RTM.   The cumulative...

When Katie Couric asks, "Are you satisfied?" what's your answer? (Thanks to Jane for the link and info...) "An annual survey recently said that most of us are - at least when it comes to being consumers. The report on consumer satisfaction found that Americans are generally happier with products than...

In an update to my post No Safari option for me on Apple Software Update , thanks (as always) to Microsoft MVP Blake Handler for this update. Dan Cunningham documented how to disable this update .... Offered as an FYI, YMMV, as modifying the registry (if you don't know what you're doing) may not be wise...

It's a busy season, and it's taken a toll on my ability to post this week. But a canceled meeting and I pop up my head for lunch as well as a look at the RSS feed for news... So, it's interesting to note the news today: looks like the mood changed at Apple related to Safari (pushed to customers without...

Breaking: Sony Won't Charge $50 To Remove Bloatware | Gadget Lab from Wired.com Peter Sayer of infoWorld noted noted in an article yesterday that Sony initially offered to remove some of the trial software installed on new laptops for a fee... "Buyers of the configure-to-order versions of its...

NJ.com (The Times site) has an article this week, How to Get Some Satisfaction Customer complaints can pay off with several basic steps by Greg Saitz... "It's likely almost every adult resident of New Jersey has felt stepped on and ripped off, insulted and ignored, bullied and browbeaten by a business...