Microsoft chooses new Mac chief

The software giant named Roz Ho general manager of its Macintosh Business Unit, which produces software for Apple Computer's Macintosh operating system.

Ho, who had been manager of the Macintosh Business Unit's Silicon Valley operation, will take charge of the unit's staff of 150 and software products, which include Office v.X for Mac, MSN Messenger 3.0 for Mac and also the forthcoming MSN for Mac OS X, due next year.

"The Macintosh Business Unit is made up of some of Microsoft's most talented thinkers and developers," Ho said in a statement. "I'm excited to continue working with my team to extend that innovation and create the most compelling Mac computing experiences in the industry."

The appointment of Ho ends some uncertainty about who would run the Microsoft Mac unit.

Kevin Browne, who ran the group for three years, went on sabbatical and then moved elsewhere in the company after criticizing Apple's on its work to promote its newer OS X operating system.

Browne has since moved to Microsoft's Xbox business unit, the company said.