Pros: We were largely left intact for 6 years. Some changes in process and culture, but nothing drastic. We even benefitted from the college recruiting program.

Cons: The last year was difficult, with changing priorities and strategies. In the end, a lot of very talented engineers got a nice vacation and a chance to prove themselves elsewhere.

Pros: It all depends on the manager/group you get in. Some (if you are lucky) are beautiful people who will nourish you, but others are apple polishers with management. It is their way or the highway.

Cons: Managers are out of tune with reality. Most are whip masters and consider managing to be status reports for the sake of status reports. Watch out for technically weak managers; they are clueless and create favoritism, which leads to resentments in the group. Especially watch out for the manager who thinks she is technical, but the last time they did anything technical was 15 years ago. They are the worst. No real team-work environment. Just one or two people in each group doing solo things and managers in their pockets. The rest are just to fill the void. Compensation is the worst in the Bay Area. I was getting $115k a year for Senior Software Engineer, and for that, I had to fight hard. Although in the Bay Area, this is peanuts. After paying rent and supporting a family of four, there was zero left. No bonus or pay raises. Very few innovations are happening, and that too only in a few groups, done by a handful of people. The rest are really old Sun folks waiting for retirement. This is a graveyard for your career; there is no upward career path. It is better to work, leave, and then come back at a better role/pay than it is to stay and move up (not gonna happen). If you want a cushy job and your career to hit the brakes, this is the perfect place to be.

Pros: Easy job. People who are there for a paycheck. Live and enjoy.

Cons: Not challenging. Easy to get bored.