Mark Lucovsky, one of the key designers of Windows NT/2000 blogs about why he left Microsoft to join Google. He writes:

Being a 16 year Microsoft veteran, a Distinguished Engineer, key architect and code writer for windows, architect of the largest source code control and build system ever attempted, I deeply believed that Microsoft knows how to ship software. We know how to build it, test it, localize it, manufacture it, charge lots of $$$ for it, etc.

I am not sure I believe anymore, that Microsoft "knows how to ship software". When a Microsoft engineer fixes a minor defect, makes something faster or better, makes an API more functional and complete, how do they "ship" that software to me? I know the answer and so do you... The software sits in a source code control system for a minimum of two years.

Thanks to Dave Winer for the link.

Update (6 March): Kevin Schofield pushes back. Perhaps Mark is just suffering from burnout and can't stand the sight of Window's source code anymore...