MVP Insider Archive: July 2006Steve Maillet – Portland, Maine, U.S.A.
Most Valuable Professional - Windows Embedded |  | Steve Maillet works for EmbeddedFusion as the Executive Director/Chief Software Architect. He participates in several newsgroups for the Microsoft products for which he is an MVP, and also joins other newsgroups on a variety of subjects and products from other companies. His speaking engagements have included Microsoft MEDC conferences in the US, Europe and Asia, the Embedded Systems Conference, the former PCI developers conference, Compaq Developer Days (before it was acquired by HP), and various on-site sessions with customers. Steve also has co-authored a series with Mike Hall from Microsoft for MSDN Online, and is in the process of creating a whole new set for the upcoming version of Windows CE on his company’s Web site. Steve is also the lead author of the official Microsoft course MSDN-2540 "Building embedded solutions with Windows CE V5.0," and EmbeddedFusion recorded that as a live training for a customer and developed it into a self-paced DVD-ROM system."Being an MVP means I have access to people and information that help me better support customers." |
What does MVP mean to you?It means I get free stuff from Microsoft! Seriously, it means I have access to people and information that help me better support customers who are building systems using Microsoft products. It also means Microsoft recognizes and values my efforts to support the use of their products in the real world.What do you think the best software ever written was?"Where do you keep the secret vault with all the cash?" We MVPs are geared to ask many questions, so it is difficult to choose only one. I would probably ask an open-ended question such as, "With applications as services and the industry as a whole shifting back to the ‘Big Iron’ model, what is the role of the PC going forward?" Currently, a small corner of a closet can host more server power than that which would have required a room full of equipment and a full-time staff to keep it running when the PC was first developed. It would seem that the PC is headed toward the role of a terminal for server-based applications.If you were the manager of WINDOWS EMBEDDED, what would you change?I would change the name (nobody knows what CE stands for!) to something like "BERT" (Better Embedded Real-Time). I would change all the PQOAL/PQD (Production-Quality OEM Adaptation Layer/Production-Quality Device) code to make it more developer friendly and easier to actually use/re-use in real embedded systems. Porting an OS to new hardware is tough work and clean re-usable, easy-to-understand support libraries are a critical element to facilitating that work. | If you were given unlimited data bandwidth, what would you do with it?I would download all the cartoons I could find! Seriously, unlimited bandwidth alone only permits certain activities. I could lease the bandwidth, or find a service that is more focused on bandwidth than on content storage. So, I think I would choose video communications services.What was the last book you read?Beyond my lawn mower instruction manual, I am re-reading Mark McCutcheon’s "The Final Theory," which describes a new theory that takes everything we think we know about physics and turns it on its head. It replaces much of what we think is absolute with a simple unifying principle that eliminates many idiosyncrasies and contradictions of our current theories. It makes one think about that which is taken for granted as absolute in physics and realize there is a lot that is truly unknown. What music CD do you recommend?Sesame Street Fever - Ernie's rendition of "Rubber Ducky" gets me every time! Also, "Milky Juicy" by Tiny Lights, some of the most eccentric, fun music I have ever heard. And Bob River's Twisted Christmas – I cannot get through the holiday season without it!What makes you a great MVP?I think it is my ability to get at the question behind the question. Usually people ask questions about some technical issue because they heard that it would provide a solution to their problems. Though often a vastly simpler and more efficient solution exists once we dig deeper and understand the real problem. This technique benefits not only customers, but also Microsoft. This process helps to uncover the real issues that the development team faces by helping users express their issues in specific terms, which in turn, enables Microsoft developers to provide really innovative and creative solutions. | What’s in your computer bag?I travel often and keep basic essentials in my bag so I have them while traveling. I also have various cables, adapters, and power supplies for my Tablet PC, including car and plane adapters. I usually have some sort of reading material in there also – currently, it is a Robert Ludlum novel. And, of course, a few variations on the modern day floppy - USB storage devices. Several of my USB devices were MVP gifts from Microsoft, one is actually a Creative Nomad media player that allows me to listen to music in airports from a small device.What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP?I have met so many creative, intelligent and passionate people at Microsoft and appreciate meeting people who are so excited about what they do. What is your motto?I pack my own chute, both metaphorically and literally since I skydive. As a metaphor, packing my own chute means taking responsibility for what I do without blaming anyone or making excuses for my actions and choices. Who is your hero?Whoever invented oatmeal raisin cookies! Honestly, I cannot say that I have identified someone as a 'hero,' though there are many people whose achievements I admire.What does success mean to you?I think success means achieving one’s goals without sacrificing one’s principles along the way. There are so many people who want everything without earning it, and they tend to relinquish things of real value to acquire the "shiny" stuff without value. I consider this to be sad, especially since it tends to be so self-destructive. |
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