Renegades of the empire : a tale of success, failure, and other dark deeds inside fortress Microsoft

Competing in the high-tech computer market is a lot like a war -- especially if you work at Microsoft. Bill Gates's gladiators -- his engineers, evangelists, and programmers -- were famous for seizing new terrain and new technology, converting nonbelievers, and always winning . . . no matter what the cost. No one took the lessons of Microsoft more to heart than Craig Eisler, Eric Engstrom, and Alex St. John, a trio of software engineers who were willing to do almost anything to conquer a market of their own, even if that meant disregarding procedure and protocol. Michael Drummond gained exclusive access to their story, and the result -- in this updated edition -- is a revealing glimpse into the world's most successful company. Renegades of the Empire isn't just a tale of technology and power -- it's a story of fascinating science, of high-tech boys and their toys. Even more, though, it's a tantalizing, behind-the-scenes look at how three engineers conquered an empire. Competing in the high-tech computer market is a lot like war - especially if you work at Microsoft. Bill Gates's gladiators - his engineers and evangelists and programmers - were famous for seizing new terrain, converting nonbelievers, and always winning, no matter what the cost. No one took the lessons of the Microsoft way more to heart than Craig Eisler, Eric Engstrom, and Alex St. John, a trio of evangelists and software engineers who, more than anything, wanted to conquer a market on their own.. "Their first attempt was a top-secret effort to make Windows do what it had never done before: play games. Turning their well-honed combat skills on their own company, the trio - often called the "Beastie Boys" - rammed DirectX, their game project, through, first without permission, then without regard for political correctness, protocol, or budget restraints. The battle spilled from the halls of Microsoft into the international gaming community, but within months, DirectX was being used in every one of the best-selling games for the PC.. "The "Beastie Boys" had won the battle, but they received so few rewards that they felt as if they'd lost the war. So they set their sights on the Internet. Their new project: Chrome, a Web browser that could bring television-quality animated graphics to the Internet. It was every Microsoft marketer's dream, every competitor's nightmare. It should have changed the Internet and the lives of millions, none more than those of the three designers.. "Michael Drummond gained exclusive access to this trio's story - the tale of a rise, a fall, and, perhaps, a triumph. Offers a behind-the-scenes look at three remarkable software designers--Eric Engstrom, Craig Eisler, and Alex St. John--and their mission to create a software package that would integrate television and the PC and transform the way we explore the Internet. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.