I'm more worried about the potential for ValueAct to have a seat on Microsoft's board. Investment firms (this is a joke, they don't invest in anything except themselves) have no business being on any company's board of directors. They don't know anything about the company other than how to manipulate the stock to make their investors money. I worry about this because of Apple, not Microsoft. The last thing I want to see is a bunch of criminals like Fidelity sitting on Apple's board or even Ichan.
Lucky for you, this kind of sitting isn't some kind of universal game that must be played. Apple will only have these kinds of folks on their board if they choose to allow it. And it's unlikely they will.
Then again consider the comments that they have been wanting Ballmer out, perhaps they could see, from their spot in the outside, that he wasn't keeping up with the markets. Bring things out way way too late and in poor form even, not a smart move for a CEO to make. So maybe they have a clue and won't be so bad for Microsoft. Especially since they will be on the board, not CEO. Which means they have to convince enough of the board to vote with them to get anything done. IF they get the seat at all.
Jony Ive is NOT "...in charge of the company's mobile operating system." He is in charge of user facing look and feel, for iOS and OS X. Federighi is in charge of software engineering for both iOS and OS X. Under the previous org Forstall was in charge of both for iOS, and (I think) Federighi was in charge of both for OS X. I know, the post is about Balmer, but an Apple blog should get key Apple info right, even when the mention is just filler.
…secretly work with Apple to Xerox all Microsoft's secret, innovative ideas…
Wow. That would be poetic. Ballmer, wronged by the company he loves, gets even by giving Apple Microsoft's old secrets and lies. Heck, were he to give Apple the truth about all the evil Microsoft has done, I'd be okay with Apple hiring him to do… something non-critical to hardware or software. Since he's a businessman, maybe he could come under Tim Cook's wing, shadowing him for a few years.
His dumbest move was to make so many Windows RTs, what was that again, 900mil write off? How do you then feel good about the restructuring of your company, how do you feel good about anything? You know how Tim Cook keeps a lean mean warehouse, Steve Ballmer is the complete opposite, and then the Windows RT ads, they just suck, what a huge budget for basically musical like ads where you could replace the product with something else and no one would notice. Hey iPads have a click sound when you close the magic cover, do you see Apple making a dancing click ad? Microsoft has an endless cash supply, yet with all that resource they can't make a dent in new markets.
I'm more worried about the potential for ValueAct to have a seat on Microsoft's board. Investment firms (this is a joke, they don't invest in anything except themselves) have no business being on any company's board of directors. They don't know anything about the company other than how to manipulate the stock to make their investors money. I worry about this because of Apple, not Microsoft. The last thing I want to see is a bunch of criminals like Fidelity sitting on Apple's board or even Ichan.
I feel the same way. Even a small investor can rally shareholders that have the same mindset. The institutional shareholders and mutual funds don't care about the company values and not even multi-billion dollar profits sometimes as they always want growth.
Some news outlets are taking the route of reporting that Microsoft's market cap dropped from $600b to $295b under Ballmer's tenure but it's not true. Microsoft peaked at the end of 1999, their share price doubled in 1 year and collapsed right back down as the market corrected itself, same thing that happened with Apple. It stayed pretty much flat for the following 13 years except for a massive short-term drop at the beginning of 2009. As far as the share price is concerned, Ballmer did no damage at all.
Shareholders get into this mindset that the peak value of a stock is where it should stay but the market will always go above and below where it eventually settles because that's the only way people can figure out what people are willing to pay for it. A spike that lasts 12 months is no indication of a company's long-term value, especially when the following 13 years proves otherwise.
There seems to be two main failures under Ballmer - Vista and Windows RT. Having to write off $900m on Windows RT is a big loss on what should be one of the key focuses of the company going forward. But as far as the financials, it has had little impact for the most part. It's more of a missed opportunity for growth.
The strategy they have going forward sounds good but it needs to be executed properly. You can see a cringeworthy video with Bill Gates here that I think highlights a big problem they have:
Despite it being a parody video, that's what Microsoft people are like. They want to be accepted by everyone and target consumers and enterprise alike but they are business people at the core and don't fit in with creative culture. Consumers don't care about Office, these kind of apps are a necessity in the same way that work is necessary to earn money - they aren't passionate about spreadsheets the way they are about things like music or film. The closest they came to consumer appreciation was with the XBox but then they went down a TV, TV, TV route and alienated a lot of that audience.
Microsoft just needs to think about the user experience regardless of who the user is. When you can barely demo a tablet on stage because it doesn't work properly and instead distract people by clicking the stand, that's a big warning sign that the user experience isn't right. When Apple demoed the iPad, Steve just sat on a sofa and used it. Microsoft's recent adverts basically say 'we make sh*t products but at least you can save $150'. If a product is good enough, people will pay for it.
They really need to start placing more importance on design too - designers, designer, designers first and developers, developers, developers second. The XBox One looks like junk. Same with things like this:
They're going to have a heckuva time removing the fingernail scratches from his desk when they finally drag him out the door.
They'll just drag a box with $16 Billion (or what ever his shares are worth) in front of him and he'll crawl out willingly. Cleaning up the saliva won't be pretty ...
Which I find surprising because the design for the XBox 360 was chosen when the most common answer for the design was 'it looks like something Apple might build'.
Big mistake letting him stay a year. First rule .. when firing someone ask for their company car keys and have them escorted from the building ....
No Kidding, digialclips! THAT'S how unexpected the firing was. Since no successor was groomed - the Board is left with Ballmer at the helm for a little bit.
I would not be surprised if Ballmer steps down at the end of December and an interim CEO is named. Why not? This is a direct consequence of no succession plan, period.
There are 12 EVP's and Brian Turner, COO. Perhaps he will be the interim CEO. Thoughts?
No Kidding, digialclips! THAT'S how unexpected the firing was. Since no successor was groomed - the Board is left with Ballmer at the helm for a little bit.
I would not be surprised if Ballmer steps down at the end of December and an interim CEO is named. Why not? This is a direct consequence of no succession plan, period.
There are 12 EVP's and Brian Turner, COO. Perhaps he will be the interim CEO. Thoughts?
I already said it ... partially in jest ... why not copy Steve yet again ... Gates steps in as interim and labels himself ... iCEO
I like it. It looks like a milk carton, and that will only help solidify its complete and utter failure. The Ribbon just makes me laugh every time I see it.
Every single time I use Windows, without fail, I wind up asking myself, "How has human civilization not collapsed being forced to use software this F—ING USELESS?!" If I copy a file, the entire OS locks up until it's done. HOW IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?!
Comments
Lucky for you, this kind of sitting isn't some kind of universal game that must be played. Apple will only have these kinds of folks on their board if they choose to allow it. And it's unlikely they will.
Then again consider the comments that they have been wanting Ballmer out, perhaps they could see, from their spot in the outside, that he wasn't keeping up with the markets. Bring things out way way too late and in poor form even, not a smart move for a CEO to make. So maybe they have a clue and won't be so bad for Microsoft. Especially since they will be on the board, not CEO. Which means they have to convince enough of the board to vote with them to get anything done. IF they get the seat at all.
Up to a year. They don't want the fall out of having no CEO so while they find a replacement he'll still have the office.
But if they find one next week, buh bye
Dismissals were "smooth."
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkrupp
Well duh! Does anybody think he was NOT pushed out?
"I know I can make it work, I just know I can. Give me one more chance- PLEEZ!"
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
I wonder if there is even a remote possibility that Gates steps in as iCEO, he always loved copying Steve.
I was thinking the same thing. It would be his greatest thrill to think of himself as the new & improved second coming.
Jony Ive is NOT "...in charge of the company's mobile operating system." He is in charge of user facing look and feel, for iOS and OS X. Federighi is in charge of software engineering for both iOS and OS X. Under the previous org Forstall was in charge of both for iOS, and (I think) Federighi was in charge of both for OS X. I know, the post is about Balmer, but an Apple blog should get key Apple info right, even when the mention is just filler.
Gordon
Originally Posted by digitalclips
…secretly work with Apple to Xerox all Microsoft's secret, innovative ideas…
Wow. That would be poetic. Ballmer, wronged by the company he loves, gets even by giving Apple Microsoft's old secrets and lies. Heck, were he to give Apple the truth about all the evil Microsoft has done, I'd be okay with Apple hiring him to do… something non-critical to hardware or software. Since he's a businessman, maybe he could come under Tim Cook's wing, shadowing him for a few years.
Huh, what does one's operating system have to do with one's retirement?
His dumbest move was to make so many Windows RTs, what was that again, 900mil write off? How do you then feel good about the restructuring of your company, how do you feel good about anything? You know how Tim Cook keeps a lean mean warehouse, Steve Ballmer is the complete opposite, and then the Windows RT ads, they just suck, what a huge budget for basically musical like ads where you could replace the product with something else and no one would notice. Hey iPads have a click sound when you close the magic cover, do you see Apple making a dancing click ad? Microsoft has an endless cash supply, yet with all that resource they can't make a dent in new markets.
On this one because everyone thought that he'd have to be forcibly removed in a straitjacket after being pepper sprayed and tased.
I feel the same way. Even a small investor can rally shareholders that have the same mindset. The institutional shareholders and mutual funds don't care about the company values and not even multi-billion dollar profits sometimes as they always want growth.
Some news outlets are taking the route of reporting that Microsoft's market cap dropped from $600b to $295b under Ballmer's tenure but it's not true. Microsoft peaked at the end of 1999, their share price doubled in 1 year and collapsed right back down as the market corrected itself, same thing that happened with Apple. It stayed pretty much flat for the following 13 years except for a massive short-term drop at the beginning of 2009. As far as the share price is concerned, Ballmer did no damage at all.
Shareholders get into this mindset that the peak value of a stock is where it should stay but the market will always go above and below where it eventually settles because that's the only way people can figure out what people are willing to pay for it. A spike that lasts 12 months is no indication of a company's long-term value, especially when the following 13 years proves otherwise.
There seems to be two main failures under Ballmer - Vista and Windows RT. Having to write off $900m on Windows RT is a big loss on what should be one of the key focuses of the company going forward. But as far as the financials, it has had little impact for the most part. It's more of a missed opportunity for growth.
The strategy they have going forward sounds good but it needs to be executed properly. You can see a cringeworthy video with Bill Gates here that I think highlights a big problem they have:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7476720.stm
Despite it being a parody video, that's what Microsoft people are like. They want to be accepted by everyone and target consumers and enterprise alike but they are business people at the core and don't fit in with creative culture. Consumers don't care about Office, these kind of apps are a necessity in the same way that work is necessary to earn money - they aren't passionate about spreadsheets the way they are about things like music or film. The closest they came to consumer appreciation was with the XBox but then they went down a TV, TV, TV route and alienated a lot of that audience.
Microsoft just needs to think about the user experience regardless of who the user is. When you can barely demo a tablet on stage because it doesn't work properly and instead distract people by clicking the stand, that's a big warning sign that the user experience isn't right. When Apple demoed the iPad, Steve just sat on a sofa and used it. Microsoft's recent adverts basically say 'we make sh*t products but at least you can save $150'. If a product is good enough, people will pay for it.
They really need to start placing more importance on design too - designers, designer, designers first and developers, developers, developers second. The XBox One looks like junk. Same with things like this:
They're going to have a heckuva time removing the fingernail scratches from his desk when they finally drag him out the door.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave MacLachlan
They're going to have a heckuva time removing the fingernail scratches from his desk when they finally drag him out the door.
No problem... it's one of those big ass Surface desks complete with Gorilla Glass (there's a joke in there somewhere).
They'll just drag a box with $16 Billion (or what ever his shares are worth) in front of him and he'll crawl out willingly. Cleaning up the saliva won't be pretty ...
Which I find surprising because the design for the XBox 360 was chosen when the most common answer for the design was 'it looks like something Apple might build'.
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
Big mistake letting him stay a year. First rule .. when firing someone ask for their company car keys and have them escorted from the building ....
No Kidding, digialclips! THAT'S how unexpected the firing was. Since no successor was groomed - the Board is left with Ballmer at the helm for a little bit.
I would not be surprised if Ballmer steps down at the end of December and an interim CEO is named. Why not? This is a direct consequence of no succession plan, period.
There are 12 EVP's and Brian Turner, COO. Perhaps he will be the interim CEO. Thoughts?
[IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/30354/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
I already said it ... partially in jest ... why not copy Steve yet again ... Gates steps in as interim and labels himself ... iCEO
Originally Posted by Marvin
The XBox One looks like junk.
I like it. It looks like a milk carton, and that will only help solidify its complete and utter failure. The Ribbon just makes me laugh every time I see it.
Every single time I use Windows, without fail, I wind up asking myself, "How has human civilization not collapsed being forced to use software this F—ING USELESS?!" If I copy a file, the entire OS locks up until it's done. HOW IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?!