Foley graduated from
Simmons College in 1983 with a degree in technical journalism. In 1984 she interviewed the then head of Microsoft,
Bill Gates, for a cover story in
Electronic Business magazine. The interview was held at the Microsoft booth of the annual
COMDEX technology exhibition. During the interview,
Apple Computer CEO
Steve Jobs, whom Foley did not know, walked up and began chatting with Gates. Eventually Foley grew impatient and told Jobs that she was trying to do an interview, and asked him to come back later. Jobs walked away, and Gates then explained to Foley that she had just sent away the head of Apple. and subsequently the "Microsoft Watch" blog for Ziff Davis. After Foley's article was published, she claimed that Microsoft
blacklisted her for a considerable time. From July 7, 2007, to October 26, 2022, Foley co-hosted a weekly
podcast with
Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott, called "
Windows Weekly", covering news on Microsoft, its products and services, and other computing-related topics. Foley mainly focused on Microsoft's enterprise business. On October 26, 2022, she announced that she was leaving the show, as well as ZDNet to become editor-in-chief at
Directions on Microsoft. Foley has interviewed prominent figures in information technology, including
Bill Gates,
Steve Jobs,
Steve Ballmer and
Satya Nadella. ==Books==