Company: Microsoft
Date: 2010-12-30
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: current

It's either heaven or hell
Pros: There are some great people there, if you're lucky enough to get a good team.  The benefits (up till now) have been top of the chart.  There is opportunity for growth, if you have a manager who believes in you.
Cons: It's become extremely political.  One bad manager can ruin your career.  Senior management focuses too much on competing with Apple and Google, instead of making a better product.  The review system is hell.  Managers are forced to put someone in the bottom 10% "underperformed," even if they have done an adequate job.  Once you get that 10%, you're basically fired.  If I'd been told about this review system, I would never have gone to work as an FTE there.