For the most part, the best opportunities now lie where your competitors have yet to establish themselves, not where they're already entrenched. Microsoft is struggling to adapt to that new reality.

In global warming, I think everyone is scratching their heads - are there technological things that can be brought to bear that can make a difference?

In a company where tech decisions were still ultracentralized, the repercussions of a distracted CEO had to be damaging.

I enjoy creating new ideas, working on new creative projects.

For the most part, the best opportunities now lie where your competitors have yet to establish themselves, not where they're already entrenched. Microsoft is struggling to adapt to that new reality.

I grew up around books. When I first held the book and it was a substantive, tangible thing, and I thought of all the work that went into it, not just my work but everybody else's and the research and so forth, there's a sense of really have done something worthwhile.

The only regrets I have are rather prosaic - like I wish I went for a swim in the Pacific.