Ballmer doesn’t sit up at night thinking about where computers are going and how they can make the world a better place. He’s thinking about how he can sell more Windows licenses and copies of Microsoft Office. Kyle Baxter, TightWind

It’s completely naive to think a single day will be effective by any means, but in my mind, I like to think it’s enough to rock the boat.

Morning: Rally the Troops

Bill Gates returning won’t have the same effect Steve Jobs did in his return. They are two fundamentally different people, with different approaches no less.

Instead let Microsoft speak on behalf of Microsoft. I have no doubts there are great ideas, issues, grievances, and imaginations alike from the tens of thousands of employees running Microsoft. Let’s hear what they have to say.

Our motto? Open the Window, let some fresh air in.

Early Afternoon: Slash & Burn

Going forward, we innovate from what people want, not what they have. Kill or rethink every product that is immediately in comparison or cloned with a competitive product or service.

Microsoft traditionally is seen as two core elements: Consumer/Business.

• Consumer = Windows, Search, XBox.
• Business = Hosted Exchange, SharePoint, SQL, etc.

However, majority of business users are really consumers. We each run the same operating system, rely on the same services and applications. Instead Microsoft should legitimize the difference as Consumer/IT.

Doing so we can focus solely on the consumer needs, rather than unnecessary cogs like three tiers of the same operating system, where you’re paying extra for domain control, remote desktop, encryption, and few other features.

Simply put, the consumer will retain the focus. Thus allowing us to limit Microsoft to the following core elements: Windows, Windows Live, Microsoft Office, Bing, XBox.

Late Afternoon: Open Air

I bet if we look at the top 10 applications globally used on Windows machines, we’d see the same pattern of a browser, Office, and Solitaire rounding up the top 3. Instead we should focus on a new, next generation interface for operating systems. Think Kinect, think light, think nimble.

Honestly at this point I would take the XBox/Kinect team, put them in a room with the Windows Phone 7 team, and give them free reign to build a desktop class operating system, go.

The World is Web-Based, Time to Catch Up

Repackage MSN. Messaging -not email, voice/video chat -not instant messaging. All within an extremely light web based infrastructure. One that’s secure, easily portable, and extremely convenient to use.

Introduce a free version of Office Lite, where the web meets desktop software. Finally a program that follows the 80/20 principle, keeping only 20% of the features 80% of people use. Integrate elements of Live Writer, export to blogs, allow shared links, autosave, version control, all the elements considered common today, but completely lacking in Office.

Evening: Skype Woes

If we’re willing to spend $8.5 billion on a deal to acquire VOIP service Skype, we should be willing to push Windows Phone 7 away from common carrier services, and stick solely with data plans globally.

It’s the one risk worth fighting for, consumer demand, consumer rights, and consumer certainty. I’d certainly consider a Windows Phone 7 if it came with a $30 monthly data plan, inclusive of voice, SMS, and data. Wouldn’t you?

Otherwise return it. There’s a lot that can be done with $8.5 billion, including offering it outside of Microsoft. I have no doubts money can be better spent nationally funding tech education to our future users, and business leaders.

Nightfall: Piss People Off

I want people to care enough to question everything, to find a reason to love or hate Microsoft instead of passively standing by as products become increasingly complex.

Finding solid ground for which to regrow products will remain key. If this means killing many of Microsofts current projects, so be it [I’m looking at you Bing].

I enjoy looking at this from a user perspective, rather than a financial, or business savvy one. And honestly it feels like the right approach in Microsoft’s case. It’s a consumer industry, and it’s consumers who purchase products. Microsoft can start by making us happy.

As Alan Kay said,

The best way to predict the future, is to create it.

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I have no doubts I have left a great deal out. And I have no doubts you have an opinion. I’m all ears.