As a previous microsoft intern.... (Score 1)

I can say that it was perhaps one of the greatest experiences of my life. Everyone, and i mean everyone, who i talked too about working for them love their jobs. The money was great, and i learned alot about not just programming and such, but how to be enthuastic about your job. I was looking forward to going to work, to work on my code, to having bull sessions about how i can improve my work.

The enviorment is the best....where what ever you want to work, jeans and tshirts are just fine. free soda/milk juice (but the coffee stinks)...come in pretty much when ever you want. The company is based off of a pyrmid structure, only one manager telling me what do to...I was 6 degrees away from Bill Gates (IE there were only six people above me until Bill), no 12 managers with their own agenda

About long hours...the policy is work as long as you have to, to do a job well done, and make all of your meetings (lots of meetings no matter where you are on the cooperate structure) some only need to work 40 hours, they can get done in that time (unless a product is going to ship), but I was encourged to work harder/longer just becuase of the atmosphere of the place.

EVen if you hate MS, if you can get an intership, do so. The money is great, so are the benifits, and you learn so much