The 53-year-old Allchin joined Microsoft in 1990, initially working on the company's networking product strategy. He came from Banyan Systems, where he had been the architect of the now-defunct Vines network operating system. At Microsoft, Allchin's main achievement was in leading the development of the Windows operating system.
"When it comes to Windows, the buck stops at Jim," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research. "Allchin has been the guiding father of Windows for many years and had a tremendous responsibility for charting the flagship product for Microsoft."
On Tuesday in the US, Microsoft announced that Allchin plans to retire at the end of next year, after it ships Windows Vista, the successor to Windows XP. Until then, Allchin will head Microsoft's new Platform Products and Services division alongside his successor, former sales chief Kevin Johnson, Microsoft said.
But while Johnson has been a star at Microsoft, rising through the sales and marketing ranks, he is not really a replacement for Allchin, said Rob Helm, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft.
"Johnson will occupy the box that Allchin occupied, but he is not a dweeb. He is a very capable manager, but not the company's senior technical architect," Helm said. "It was striking to me that Microsoft did not name anyone really to replace Allchin. There is a job he did that is currently vacant."
After Bill Gates, Allchin is Microsoft's "most senior geek," Helm said. "He succeeded beyond everyone's wildest dreams, basically putting Novell on the margins of IT with Windows NT," he said. "Microsoft moved from a follower to a leader in the networking area on his watch."
Look back
Allchin is also known for his strong belief in Windows as the jewel in Microsoft's crown, even during the emergence of the Internet in the mid-1990s. It was Allchin who pressed for the integration of Windows and the Internet Explorer Web browser, while others inside the company argued for a faster and more complete embracing of the Net.
In early 1997, Allchin sent Gates an e-mail titled "Losing a Franchise--The Microsoft Windows Story (a new Harvard case study)," according to the book "Breaking Windows," by author David Bank. Allchin wrote that he was troubled by plans to release IE for other operating systems as well as for Windows. "I consider this cross-platform idea a disease within Microsoft. We are determined to put a gun to our head and pull the trigger." Gates agreed and began to steer the company back towards Allchin's view.
The integration of IE into Windows caused a senior-level shake-up at Microsoft, including the departure of Brad Silverberg, who had headed development of the Web browser.
The episode is an example of the power Allchin has inside Microsoft, said Rob Enderle, an analyst at The Enderle Group. "He was one of the powers in the company. After Gates and Ballmer, he was an easy third--very powerful and very well liked by most people," Enderle said.
Ultimately, the bundling of IE with Windows led to a landmark antitrust case against Microsoft. Still, Allchin's legacy has to be that Windows today runs on the vast majority of personal computers, said Gartenberg of Jupiter Research.
After making sure Vista hits store shelves, Allchin will likely begin spending his time with his family and his other love: music. He is an avid guitar player and has even shared some of his work on Channel 9, part of Microsoft's online community for developers.
In an e-mail sent Tuesday, Allchin reminded Microsoft employees that he isn't going away yet. "This is not a retirement announcement e-mail," he wrote. "My intensity will not abate. My commitment to excellence is as strong as ever."
"Now...lets's ship, ship, ship!" he closed, referring to the delivery of Windows Vista.
CNET News.com's Scott Ard contributed to this report.
"I consider this cross-platform idea a disease within Microsoft. We are determined to put a gun to our head and pull the trigger."
If anyone ever wondered about Microsoft's true intentions, I think there is no doubt any more. This company is committed to absolutely lock you into their proprietary solution. And they aren't even trying to hide it any more.
I guess with $50G+ in the bank, you can be arrogant, so they are.