Hardcore Software: Inside the Rise and Fall of the PC Revolution

by Steven Sinofsky

This book takes you on a journey from the early days of PCs, through the evolution of technology, to the assembly of teams that built the bedrock of today's digital world. Sinofsky shares firsthand experiences, revealing the challenges and triumphs encountered while navigating Microsoft's corporate dynamics, and how external forces like the press and partnerships influenced the trajectory of personal computing.

Hardcore Software is more than a recounting of tech history; it's narrative rich with lessons on innovation, leadership, and navigating the ups and downs inherent in the tech industry. Sinofsky provides a window into the successes and failures that defined an era, offering insights valuable to anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes of technology development, business strategy, or leadership.

In a tone that's engaging yet informative, Sinofsky makes the complex world of software development accessible, highlighting the human elements behind the code. This book demystifies the process of building massive software projects, offering a nuanced perspective on the growth of an industry that has reshaped society.

Genres: Technology, Nonfiction, History

1735 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2024

Reviews

[Sten Tamkivi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done, Stephen. An enormously thoroughly researched tome on the rise and fall of PC as a platform, and Windows and Office as the dominant software players on it.

At times, there are a maybe too many linear details, Microsoft IDs, etc for an outsider to follow as a casual read, but this depth will keep this book relevant for historians for a long time. And the honest self reflection in the end brings it all home.

[Thomas Verschoren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been an Apple user and only followed Microsoft’s evolution from the sidelines, and even then, only at a glance.

Very interesting to see the parallels and crossovers between the two platforms and their approach to evolving their software stack throughout evolutions and revolutions in software- and hardware.

[Pablo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s long, too long, but honest and full of knowledge on success and failures on software product design, team management and the PC industry.

[Julien Delange · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.". This can summarize how I was feeling as I read this book. It's long. Very long. Too long. The book goes into details that are irrelevant. There are also a lot of Microsoft insider details (for example, always putting the Microsoft login names) — which makes you feel this book targets ex-Microsoft employees.

The topic is interesting. The studied timeline is good. The author was definitely in the arena during that period. He also reflects a lot and gives an opinion that seems very honest. I appreciate his take and the honesty that comes with them.

I learned about his Microsoft started the business. Grow the office business. Failed with Vista and ultimately, lost the mobile era, which led to the downfall of the PC business.

I like the message, not how it's delivered — we could get the same information and the same conclusion with 80% to 90% less content.

[Federico Lucifredi · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 1,000 full-size pages, there is nothing small about Steven Sinofsky's book.

Hardcore means being starkly pessimistic about the current state of the code (I would call that realism), while simultaneously keeping a very optimistic outlook of what can be achieved — paraphrasing the dedication page, this is how the art of software is to be pursued.

I particularly enjoyed the discussion of Cairo — it was hard for me to understand what was happening back then (in my own defense, I was in high school!).

[Anatolij Grigorjev · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to describe this Sinofsky tome of Microsoft hisotry annals as anything other than Hardcore in its own right - a very dense, very detailed historical account from a single perspective. Naturally biased, but also naturally intimate this provides a unique view into a large slice of Computing history, history that was shaped by Microsoft and those competing with it.
A story worth sharing, even if its likely the single longest story ever told in computing

[Frank van Puffelen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy smoke, what a lot of pages!

An incredibly detailed deep dive into the early days of Microsoft Office development and Windows Visa through 8. If you're into this sort of information, Steven provides a lot of information that you've probably never read before. But it's definitely a biy thick and overly wordy for the amount of material it covers.

Full review on: https://puf.io/books/hardcore-softwar...

[Paweł Rusin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute gem. Allow you to become a fly on the wall during a lot of successful and failed projects made by Microsoft over the years and understanding the reasoning behind some very controversial Windows and Office features.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whew! I'd been wanting to read this for a while on account of overlapping briefly with SteveSi in Office, and loved the preview chapters on his Substack - but found this a slog to get through, and could really only recommend it to ex-Softies or others with some personal connection to those times.

[James LaLonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was at MSFT at the same time Steven was so it was nostalgic for me and thus I appreciated it. For anyone who didn't work there, it seems too much of an MSFT insider's narrative to be useful.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible depth and detail. As a self proclaimed Microsoft nerd I loved every minute. Packaged throughout are some leadership insights and product development musings that I found quite interesting.