Even Microsoft wants G5s

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This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on October 23, 2003). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

UPDATE: Please take the time to read my followup post, Fifteen Minutes of Fame, for my thoughts on what happened after I posted this picture, why it happened — and most importantly, why I don’t blame Microsoft for their actions. Thanks!

It looks like somebody over in Microsoft land is getting some new toys…

Microsoft's shipment of G5s come in

I took this shot on the way into work on the loading dock (MSCopy, the print shop I work in, is in the same building as MS’s shipping and receiving). Three palettes of Dual 2.0Ghz G5’s on their way in to somewhere deep in the bowels of Redmond. Hopefully they’re all in good condition when they arrive — the boxes are slick enough that a few of them took a bit of a tumble (you can see them back in the truck)!

443 thoughts on “Even Microsoft wants G5s”

  3. You obviously did not hit MS on anything, yet they hit you right in your ars#hole.
    Imagine how long that hole’s bruise will last my mate.
    Think before you want to hit something… especially if you want to hit the most desperate company in world.

  4. Aos poucos vai se revelando a verdadeira cara do pessoal da MS…
    E pensar que o Steve tentou fazer um acordo com o Mr. “BG” no passado…
    People three hurras to the Big, really Big Apple!!!!

  5. Lo siento que perdieras tu empleo…

    la verdad Microsoft se pasa…

    es tiempo de cambiar…

    la mejor de las suertes

  6. First off, taking a picture of some thing that’s public knowledge like that truck with a dozen G5’s in it is not something anyone could expect to get fired for.

    Here’s an eye opener for all of you, especially the moron who says “don’t violate your non-disclosure agreement”!

    If your employer bothers to have agreements that allow them to violate your rights according to the constitution, then do you NEED to work for them?

    If your employer is willing to fire you for posting things like this, then do you NEED to stay working for them?

    Heck, if you’re bright enough, you know enough to do what they do. Start a company in direct competition and try to make your own fortune instead of slaving away for your ex-boss.

  7. U did news in Brasil too…
    http://informatica.terra.com.br/interna/0,,OI200966-EI553,00.html

    Brasil with a S not with a Z the country is ours then we determine how and when Brasil in right speeled or not…
    And I´m thinking about changing to THE BRASIL…
    I´m going to THE BRASIL!! Ohh yes…

    We Rock at the World Cups …
    We Rock on the internet …
    And we go to (the) U.S. I took the off… We are THE best!
    and fuck the big tits bitches!

    LOL ;-)

  8. Well, yeah, sorry for you.

    I mean, you’re absolutely right. I don’t think you did anything but to display the trouth, and if ms is willing to scak you for this, it’s their fault.

    Hope you find a new job soon. Try it at Apple :-)

    Good luck,
    K.

  9. You’re a champ buddy, good luck in finding your new job. I beleive getting fired for this is a bit much though. So what if they got a few mac’s….

    it’s not as though they don’t have a need for them… mac’s have some similar software… and testing things with macs might be a bit of a pre-req when actually developing anything for them … sheish. Talk about an overkill of a reaction.

    Nice photo tho… live on!

  13. This shows what will happen to us if we don’t stop monopoly.
    You, brilliant people, stop joining the Microsoft team.
    Support other alternatives. Diversity will bring safety to all of us.
    Long live Open Source.

  17. Po cara sinto muito pelo emprego, mas eu tb concordo que voce fez a coisa certa,
    a Apple apavora a Microsoft sem duvida… Como muitos falaram Tente um emprego na Apple,
    afinal voce provou ser um bom fotografo…hehehe!!!

    Apple4ever…

  18. dear michael

    if a non-geek like me who lives in malaysia and who happens to dislike microsoft intensely knows about what you blogged, microsoft has succeeded in scoring a huge, worldwide own goal!

    you made the front page of danish newspapers as well.

    good luck with your job search.

  20. Hei, Im brazilian, and you are famous here, God bless you, but we…
    he, he, he… we just FUCK THE BILL GATES!!! and his MICO…SOFTS (LIKE MONKEYS SOFTS). Well, Im nobody, you know, and neither know how to speak your language very well, but I think that what he did is not a good thing. Here we use to smile of the fact. Come to my country, we have a lot of problems, but are still humans (like you of course).

  21. Whoever pays you owns you… you gonna keep getting jobs then your’ll always be a slave to the person that signs your checks. Don’t be suprised if they decide to take your check away from you for whatever reason they want to. You want to call the shots, then you be the boss.

  22. The G5 computers are for the Longhorn division, of course. How should MS be able to develop a new user interface for Windows without looking at the Mac? They really like traditions at MS and this is they way they always work. :-)

  31. Live and learn. Don’t impugn the folks who pay you, especially if they explicitely prohibit against doing so in their policies such as “Sending or posting messages or material that could damage the Company’s image or reputation.”

  32. It goes to show you how ruthless Micrsoft really is? I guess you can do anything when are declared a monopoly and get away with it?

    Hey, you should get a job with SUN. Aleast their Star Office is getting to be a world class competitor against MS Office and at a fraction of the price of the new MS Office.

    After seeing this type of employee abuse, it makes me think closely about the vendors I would choose to do business with. Microsoft will not be one of them if I could do anything about it.

    Recondo

  33. Ethical unprofessionalism at MS Headquarters…

    In my opinion, if this whole scenario does NOT comply with the Company’s ‘Conflict of Interest’ Policy, then MS should be SUED! How does MS define exactly what a ‘Security Violation’ is?

    Does this mean that if a shipment of SUN Sparcs showed up one day at MS (say for Res. & Dev. purposes, comparative OS Platform study, etc.) and another Photo was taken, what would be the case?

    Similarly, just suppose that an employee in said R&D was previewing a Linux variant on his/her PC at the Office (eg. reviewing the new StarOffice for MS Office comparisons and another person decided to take a photo of said environment to post on a personal Website for family, friends to see what the workplace is like, and that Linux shot came out in the frame, what would be the case, who would get fired and for what reasons?

    We do not know what are MS’ policies with regards to the aforementioned ‘Security Violations,’ hence it will be difficult to grade the situation. Whilst one has to sympathize with the guy, one might have to assume that MS is very, very secretive and tight-lipped about what goes on in their Compound.

    If so, then their Employee Handbook (they must have one), should be explicit in detailing the use of photgraphy, departmental snapshots and security. Wonder if they’d fire someone for leaking the Box Design for the new OS when it comes out?

    All in all, it seems quite an infantile, ridiculous thing to do to someone who was just pointing out the simple fact that many of the OS/Hardware players will always see what the competition has to offer.

    What better way to do that, than to invest in a shipment, especially if you have a product division that caters to that market segment. My current IT department setup involves primarily Mac G3’s and G4’s, with some Solaris & NT/2000 Servers, but I would not mind having a SunBlade, G5 or a Dell to do more R&D.

    Heck, I’d be proud to show off to the public that I’m embracing technologies from the competition. At least, it would demonstrate that I have a serious committment to supporting the products that I develop for them as well as testing them natively.

    Too bad Microsoft, you’ve got too much pride, bad scruples and poor etiquette! Look at how Apple made the iPod and iTunes both Hardware & Software compatible for Windows. Although they did not have to do this (much to the annoyance of the Mac faithful), they’ll probably gain/win some new Windows users as clients/fans based on those 2 innovative steps with their products!

    If you ask me, certain TechTV ‘staples’ and comments, does far more damage to Microsoft than any one random photo on the ‘Net! Like it or not, Apple and the Mac are here to stay, albeit their tiny share of the Market, but that’s what makes them great and capable of putting out far SUPERIOR products to many, many of their counterparts (including Microsoft)!

    Shame on you Billy boy!!!

  34. Well Security only works in the physical sense at Microsoft, not in the software sense, and thats why they bought G5’s

  35. Microsoft promptly fired Hanscom for allegedly breaching confidentiality agreements that were a condition of his employment on the campus.

    As far as Apple hiring him (as suggested in other posts), why should they? He’s proven his ability to breach confidentiality agreements with MS. I wouldn’t trust him to work for me!

    Tech Guy

  36. Seriously, what’s missing here is on what grounds they fired this man.

    Pretty damn funny if they are being used for used for anything other then testing, which also hasn’t been established.

  37. I can’t figure out who to ridicule more – the moron that thought that taking pictures at work and posting them on the web was a “good idea” ot the countless number of those above who thinks this demonstrates the “evil nature” of Microsoft!

    How cow, I knew most people were clueless but seldom do you find such validation of it in one place.

  38. Even Microsoft makes Macintosh software, so , yes they would need macs wouldnt ya think. MS is just being pissy about it
    how do you develop software for a Mac and test it on a PC anywayz????

    I hope ya find employment soon guy.

  39. Well, maybe the little fat fuck stole office supplies…maybe it had nothing to do with the pic….
    Jesus, MS can fire who the hell they want….if you don’t wanna be part of it, go join some gay company like Apple instead…..
    Jeeeezus!

  42. I believe you Mike, no doubt. Hope you find yourselve a new job very soon. Try Apple in Cupertino…..!!!!
    Personally I think that if something similar happend at “The Infinity Loop” Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs would have laught his eyes out, and you’ll be probably awarded with some Apple Gadgets or even more !!!!

    In the end it proofs that even good old Bill can’t live without real heavy stuff like the G5’s Within 3 weeks I receive my own Dual 2G.
    Can’t hardly wait….

    Good Luck Mike
    Freek
    The Netherlands

  43. Congratulations man! you also made the news in Mexico, I guess those G5´s are the new ground design for the next generation of PC´s hehehehe!!!!!

    Steve Jobs better cash in on this!

  45. I was fired from microsoft in 2004 for questioning them buying 6 apple computers, 12 xboxes and playstations for reverse engineering. They claimed I was a security threat.
    I just expresed my opinion. I worked there for 5 years. I now work at apple. hang in there dude.

  48. Hello i am a kid (12 years old) of Argentina i can’t speak english good because i am only a kid, all the people have to fight to this actions, fire you are don’t a good act of Microsoft, I think you are a good man, but Microsoft don’t are good, are BAD people including Bill Gates, you can’t interview with te Microsoft acts but the people of the world can, I can live whit Linux, don’t are a bad software.
    Juan

  49. Oh and reply to that…microsoft studios (the people behind xbox and xbox 360) they all have apple 30″ monitors as their gaming tools
    I went on a tour of their building (virtually) and hahhaa

    MACSxOWNZxYOURxSOULZZZZZxMICROSOFT!!!!!!!!!

  50. I think it is about time the population of America started to take themselves a little less seriously.
    To me MS do seem to be an odd company. I think like most other companies they have too many managers that just want to justify thier jobs.
    I think the world would be a hell of a lot more productive if this crazy system was destroyed.
    I have experienced managers steeling ideas of their staff and passing them off as their own. Then guess who gets the bonus….
    Ha Ha just remembered I got the sack from an American company in the U.K. because the CEO’s daughter fancied me and always wanted to work with me. I was just a Lab Tech and was removed instantly.
    They also got the arse with me leaving the premises at lunch time.
    They only would of have complained if I have of skinned up in the Lab.

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