i'm always wondering how seriously people like ballmer are taking the kool aid they are spewing. he has to be convinced that he is right, i don't think he's that good an actor...
the sad thing is that hundreds of millions of microsoft's users are suffering from his inept decisions. i couldn't care less about the stockholders, but despite the schadenfreude some of us might be experiencing - the people who have to use their products deserve better!
microsoft is not going away any time soon, they laid the foundation for a long and prosperous future by their ruthless behaviour in the past. when it comes to new markets however, they don't have the luxury of mindshare lock-in.
if i were a shareholder, i would be worried to hear him dismiss the iphone (and others that will surely follow) as hype, when the numbers are clearly not supporting that. to recklessly throw money at every market, particularly when your products don't compare favourably to the competition, seems a risky strategy. there is going to be a time when that could seriously hurt the company. the planned yahoo purchase could have been the beginning of a serious problem, and it sounds like 'the other other steve' is so consumed by apple and google envy that he's likely going to try a similar move again... like buying research in motion.
i seriously don't understand it. i'm sure microsoft has some very smart people and some very talented engineers working there, but it seems to me that the decisions about the company's future that are being made by top management are based on emotional baggage.
microsoft will not be apple or google. having a bully be the top dog just doesn't encourage creativity...
And on the other hand you'll have Android, LiMo, and Symbian all as open mobile operating systems directly taking away business from Microsoft by cutting into Microsoft's slice of the licensee pie. I'd say unless Microsoft does something drastic soon, they'll be out of the mobile business shortly.
i've been wondering what it means that microsoft wants to get into the retail business. what would stop microsoft from building their own computers and phones? maybe the zune was just a way to dip your toe in the water. yes - the outrage of hp and dell would be horrendous, but so what? the manufacturers in china don't care what logo they slap on the boxes they build...
i bet if the zune had not been such a spectacular failure as an 'ipod killer', the zunephone would have been pre-announced already and desktops and laptops would have been next. they would carve out their slice of the hardware market and make sure that the os (mobile first) would run reasonably well on it. microsoft has shown in the past that they don't care about their 'valued partners'. they really want to be apple and control the whole eco-system.
so far they haven't shown that they could pull it off... but if you're looking for something drastic - that would be it!
Does Ballmer even know that the entire online world laughs at him every tome he opens his mouth? Even the Windows centric forums and blogs are tired of his pontificating and stupidity.
"You give up, you can't get back in the game," Ballmer explained. "I don't want to wind up being known as the Jerry Yang of this market," referring to the Yahoo co-founder who was ousted from his CEO position just months after rejecting Microsoft's $47.5 billion takeover offer.
Is there anyone who would like to be known as the Steve Ballmer of this market?
Apple has gone, from not having a product in the market, to producing THE product to have in the market, in a year and a half of actual sales.
Again, from ZERO units to MORE units than Microsoft licenses their WinMobile OS to third parties.
And if all the iPhone is is buzz, and not what people really want/need, then why is Microsoft working so hard to throw Zune features into it, making an WinMAppStore and slapping a new UI that works and looks remarkably similar to the iPhone (only made crappy, like whats up with that stupid hexagonal grid?).
Like they don't already own the desktop / notebook markets?
They have technology and they have smart people, the problem is that they have been misdirecting or squandering it.
Yeah, Windows Mobile and Android have yet to make a marked dent. How Microsoft wins is often by convincing other companies to give up - and that's not happening here, and the Microsoft-spread FUD isn't working in these markets.
How about a plan? I realize that most people failed to learn this, but throwing money at a problem is not a good way to spend money or to solve a problem. There usually needs to be a strategy, and there needs to be a disruptive innovation to topple entrenched rivals and take their place.
What you don't mention is that Safari is less than 1% Market Share and IE still has 74.59% Market Share as of January 2009.
Safari threw everything out and COPIED the best of Opera, Chrome and IE (Yes IE with the Favorites bar).
Apple didn't innovate anything with the new BETA but COPYING every other browser on the Market.
Safari is 85% Google Chrome and 5% Opera, 5% IE and 5% Apple with cover flow.
Didn't you even fricking notice that when you go to cover flow for the pages it looks exactly like iTunes?
The entire interface changes. It's fricking shameful.
Think Different but copy what is succesful. This should be Apple's new slogan.
As much as this statement is a total misrepresentation of reality:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Balmer
The truth of the matter is all the consumer market mojo is with Apple and to a lesser extent BlackBerry," he said. "And yet, the real market momentum with operators and the real market momentum with device manufacturers seems to primarily be with Windows Mobile and Android.
I don't blame him for talking up his platform.
If you read it carefully it's even (technically) true.
These statements (for Balmer), are actually quite sober and sensible. Most of the time he just babbles nonsense phrases full of marketing jargon and "business speak" like this meaningless tripe:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Balmer
... the seams between what is a phone operating system and a PC operating system will change, so we have ramped our investment in the client operating system.
Is the kind of babble that he normally indulges in.
I'd say the Emperor has no clothes, but it's so hard to think of Balmer as Emperor of anything. If he hadn't been in Bill Gate's dorm he would be just another sweaty salesman boinking hookers in seedy motels as he travelled around the country selling his wares.
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer spoke to analysts during a midyear update in New York, where he said he believes the economic downturn will continue into the second half of this year.
Hi, My name is Steve Ballmer and I am the end of M$! This guy is going to run his company into the ground. He WILL be the death of the company. It might take 15 years, but he will kill Microsoft. He is so full of himself he can't even see the BS in his own business models. Glad he is there. Buy Apple stock now while it's cheap!!!
Does Ballmer even know that the entire online world laughs at him every tome he opens his mouth? Even the Windows centric forums and blogs are tired of his pontificating and stupidity.
Two prime examples, both of which quit blogging out of despair:
I find it remarkable that one of the largest company in America is run by such a total, complete buffoon. While I hate to see people lose their jobs, it gives me incredible satisfaction to see the company slowly but surely wither away as people realize how rudderless it is and how crappy their products are. I laugh every time I hear them speak about "innovation" when all they do is ape Apple and others (and do a poor job of it at that). For all they R&D they supposedly do, I see nothing innovative whatsoever coming out of the company. Innovation? I think not. More like imitation and litigation. Pathetic.
Ballmer told participants that Microsoft, like RCA during the Great Depression, will look to spend money on research and development so it can dominate the market once the economy rebounds.
Meanwhile, Apple innovates whether they are in a recession or a boom. Classic Microsoft. We'll pitch in by being the ugly interior decorator and wait for the entire infrastructure and system stability is figured out by OS X, Linux and other platforms, then call it Innovation.
Much as I do not particularly care for the company's products, I genuinely do want them to do (reasonably) well because of all the tens of billions in good works that MSFT's equity value is making possible via the Gates Foundation.
At the rate this guy is going, he is simply going to vaporize that value. That would be truly sad.
I wonder if B&M Gates are paying attention, and should take some serious action soon.
The Gates Foundation does some good for sure. They deserve all the praise in the world for that. They also push Microsoft's software, whenever possible, onto third world countries and disaster areas like New Orleans and not usually for free.
Well Monkey boy is microsoft biggest shareholder so don't expect him to go anywhere anytime soon. I'll say microsoft has about 10 year of life left until everyone moves to cloud computing then this company is dead, the only thing keeping microsoft alive is PC manufactures charging People $100+ extra for a Windows license and not even given customers a option, i mean it's 2009 and you can't buy a PC without being charge for a Vista license even if your planning to use a copy of XP you might have home already. Microsoft monopoly affects windows users the most, why can't i just walk into a store and pick up any PC and just walk across and pick up any version of windows that i want.
Comments
By the way, how'd that MS encyclopedia project work out?
the sad thing is that hundreds of millions of microsoft's users are suffering from his inept decisions. i couldn't care less about the stockholders, but despite the schadenfreude some of us might be experiencing - the people who have to use their products deserve better!
microsoft is not going away any time soon, they laid the foundation for a long and prosperous future by their ruthless behaviour in the past. when it comes to new markets however, they don't have the luxury of mindshare lock-in.
if i were a shareholder, i would be worried to hear him dismiss the iphone (and others that will surely follow) as hype, when the numbers are clearly not supporting that. to recklessly throw money at every market, particularly when your products don't compare favourably to the competition, seems a risky strategy. there is going to be a time when that could seriously hurt the company. the planned yahoo purchase could have been the beginning of a serious problem, and it sounds like 'the other other steve' is so consumed by apple and google envy that he's likely going to try a similar move again... like buying research in motion.
i seriously don't understand it. i'm sure microsoft has some very smart people and some very talented engineers working there, but it seems to me that the decisions about the company's future that are being made by top management are based on emotional baggage.
microsoft will not be apple or google. having a bully be the top dog just doesn't encourage creativity...
If Ballmer isn't careful he'll be replaced. The Microsoft board of directors and stock holders won't stand a few more quarters of losses.
I keep trying to vote him out, but I don't own enough MSFT to make a difference.
Good old fashioned Microsoft F.U.D.
SNIP
And on the other hand you'll have Android, LiMo, and Symbian all as open mobile operating systems directly taking away business from Microsoft by cutting into Microsoft's slice of the licensee pie. I'd say unless Microsoft does something drastic soon, they'll be out of the mobile business shortly.
i've been wondering what it means that microsoft wants to get into the retail business. what would stop microsoft from building their own computers and phones? maybe the zune was just a way to dip your toe in the water. yes - the outrage of hp and dell would be horrendous, but so what? the manufacturers in china don't care what logo they slap on the boxes they build...
i bet if the zune had not been such a spectacular failure as an 'ipod killer', the zunephone would have been pre-announced already and desktops and laptops would have been next. they would carve out their slice of the hardware market and make sure that the os (mobile first) would run reasonably well on it. microsoft has shown in the past that they don't care about their 'valued partners'. they really want to be apple and control the whole eco-system.
so far they haven't shown that they could pull it off... but if you're looking for something drastic - that would be it!
The guy is an embarrassment to the company.
"You give up, you can't get back in the game," Ballmer explained. "I don't want to wind up being known as the Jerry Yang of this market," referring to the Yahoo co-founder who was ousted from his CEO position just months after rejecting Microsoft's $47.5 billion takeover offer.
Is there anyone who would like to be known as the Steve Ballmer of this market?
I keep trying to vote him out, but I don't own enough MSFT to make a difference.
Don't vote him out! I want Ballmer there for as long as possible. It's like watching a train wreck stretching over years.
You don't want somebody running Microsoft who actually knows what they're doing do you?
Again, from ZERO units to MORE units than Microsoft licenses their WinMobile OS to third parties.
And if all the iPhone is is buzz, and not what people really want/need, then why is Microsoft working so hard to throw Zune features into it, making an WinMAppStore and slapping a new UI that works and looks remarkably similar to the iPhone (only made crappy, like whats up with that stupid hexagonal grid?).
Like they don't already own the desktop / notebook markets?
They have technology and they have smart people, the problem is that they have been misdirecting or squandering it.
Yeah, Windows Mobile and Android have yet to make a marked dent. How Microsoft wins is often by convincing other companies to give up - and that's not happening here, and the Microsoft-spread FUD isn't working in these markets.
How about a plan? I realize that most people failed to learn this, but throwing money at a problem is not a good way to spend money or to solve a problem. There usually needs to be a strategy, and there needs to be a disruptive innovation to topple entrenched rivals and take their place.
What you don't mention is that Safari is less than 1% Market Share and IE still has 74.59% Market Share as of January 2009.
Safari threw everything out and COPIED the best of Opera, Chrome and IE (Yes IE with the Favorites bar).
Apple didn't innovate anything with the new BETA but COPYING every other browser on the Market.
Safari is 85% Google Chrome and 5% Opera, 5% IE and 5% Apple with cover flow.
Didn't you even fricking notice that when you go to cover flow for the pages it looks exactly like iTunes?
The entire interface changes. It's fricking shameful.
Think Different but copy what is succesful. This should be Apple's new slogan.
The truth of the matter is all the consumer market mojo is with Apple and to a lesser extent BlackBerry," he said. "And yet, the real market momentum with operators and the real market momentum with device manufacturers seems to primarily be with Windows Mobile and Android.
I don't blame him for talking up his platform.
If you read it carefully it's even (technically) true.
These statements (for Balmer), are actually quite sober and sensible. Most of the time he just babbles nonsense phrases full of marketing jargon and "business speak" like this meaningless tripe:
... the seams between what is a phone operating system and a PC operating system will change, so we have ramped our investment in the client operating system.
Is the kind of babble that he normally indulges in.
I'd say the Emperor has no clothes, but it's so hard to think of Balmer as Emperor of anything. If he hadn't been in Bill Gate's dorm he would be just another sweaty salesman boinking hookers in seedy motels as he travelled around the country selling his wares.
At least a sex toy is good for something!!
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer spoke to analysts during a midyear update in New York, where he said he believes the economic downturn will continue into the second half of this year.
Hi, My name is Steve Ballmer and I am the end of M$! This guy is going to run his company into the ground. He WILL be the death of the company. It might take 15 years, but he will kill Microsoft. He is so full of himself he can't even see the BS in his own business models. Glad he is there. Buy Apple stock now while it's cheap!!!
Does Ballmer even know that the entire online world laughs at him every tome he opens his mouth? Even the Windows centric forums and blogs are tired of his pontificating and stupidity.
Two prime examples, both of which quit blogging out of despair:
http://msftextrememakeover.blogspot.com/
http://minimsft.blogspot.com/
These are two ex-Microsoft-promoters (one still works at the company) who have basically given up because of Ballmer.
Is Steve Ballmer a good manager or something and we just don't see it? I really question how this guy got to sit in the seat to drive MS.
What are his qualifications and does the MS team on board with this guy?
Ballmer is eminently qualified. He was Bill Gates' college buddy. Very, very few people can boast that credential.
Following the RCA Model?
Ballmer told participants that Microsoft, like RCA during the Great Depression, will look to spend money on research and development so it can dominate the market once the economy rebounds.
Meanwhile, Apple innovates whether they are in a recession or a boom. Classic Microsoft. We'll pitch in by being the ugly interior decorator and wait for the entire infrastructure and system stability is figured out by OS X, Linux and other platforms, then call it Innovation.
Why does anyone care what Ballmer thinks or says? Has he ever been right about anything?
It's entertaining.
Sigh.
Much as I do not particularly care for the company's products, I genuinely do want them to do (reasonably) well because of all the tens of billions in good works that MSFT's equity value is making possible via the Gates Foundation.
At the rate this guy is going, he is simply going to vaporize that value. That would be truly sad.
I wonder if B&M Gates are paying attention, and should take some serious action soon.
The Gates Foundation does some good for sure. They deserve all the praise in the world for that. They also push Microsoft's software, whenever possible, onto third world countries and disaster areas like New Orleans and not usually for free.