As some have noted, MS' management tends to have a micromanagement style with insults if you can't meet the deadlines the managers have put in their schedules (almost Dilbert-like). This reminds me of the Data General folks I used to work with at a company called Kendall Square Research...their micromanagement style was from the DG-era and most management at KSR had the same style (except Dick Swee who I luckily worked with). People at the top (e.g., Steve Ballmer) seem to attract others with their same management style for their underlings. Let's hope that Ray can get some managers in who know how to collaborate to get his technical visions released as products more quickly or he may find out he got more than what he bargained for ;-)