Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer calls it quits, to retire within a year

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Comments

  • Reply 101 of 330
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    This is the wrong title, AI. It should be: "Ballmer retirement spells DOOM for Apple". :)
  • Reply 102 of 330
    gazoobee wrote: »
    philboogie wrote: »

    I think those are great ads but they're really ads for a camera.  

    If Apple can make a better camera for the iPhone (and you know they are working on it), then all of a sudden Nokia has nothing.  

    I was planning on getting the minimum storage on my next iPhone... But, if they improve the camera, 128 GB (in between WiFi locations) may not be enough!
  • Reply 103 of 330


    Why Wait, please Go home for christmas, its better to start early with psychologist

  • Reply 104 of 330
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Evilution View Post



    Will Microsoft be able to recover from 13 years of this guy's idiotic control.

    Answer: no, not now Apple is on the scene showing people how it's done.


    I think one could make the case that the perception, whether correct or not, is that Apple has already reached its peak, that Apple's share of its various markets is declining and that there doesn't seem to be highly innovative new products in the pipeline, only some fine iterations.   Based on that, one could make the case that this is a prime time, with smart management, for someone to come in and put Microsoft back into a strong position, even with Apple hitting it from one side and Google from another (not to mention associated threats from companies like Samsung). 


     


    Microsoft has failed at many things, but with some tweaks to Surface and Windows 8 and a re-think of IE, they could actually create some products that people actually want.     Last winter, when Microsoft set up a pop-up retail store in Times Square, I stopped in and played a few minutes with a Windows phone and it really wasn't as bad as people made out (not that I would have traded in my iPhone for it).    The graphic design was pretty good, in some ways superior to Apple,  and it had that app that would translate street signs and the like by holding the phone up to a scene.   Having said that, I didn't spend enough time with the phone to figure out what would really annoy me.  


     


    While it was probably a mistake for Microsoft to attempt to combine the portable device and computer OS into one and the actual implementation was not great, I do have to give them some credit for thinking about the OS in terms of the activities that people perform instead of still keeping it application based, as Apple mostly has. 


     


    I think Microsoft has to rethink not just its PC strategy, but its Apple strategy.   One really annoying thing for me is that if you don't use Exchange, but use Outlook, you can no longer sync via iCloud and sync Outlook's calendar and address book to the iPhone and other devices.   I don't know whether it's Apple or Microsoft that's the problem (I suspect it's Apple), but I think they have to find a way to work together and resolve that.     People who work at corporations primarily use Outlook, for better or worse.    


     


    Of course, if Apple actually does have some innovative new products in the pipeline that are highly accepted by the marketplace, that could put Microsoft years behind again.

  • Reply 105 of 330
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    What are you talking about? Microsoft is the 3rd or 4th most valuable company in the world. They basically own the enterprise. Microsoft is FAR from being run in to the ground.


     


    Well, Apple is THE MOST VALUABLE company in the world and people have no trouble saying it's being run into the ground. We hear it every day.


     


    By the way, MSFT is now #7 on the list according to Wikipedia.

  • Reply 106 of 330
    MS's mistake is thinking that they should make hardware to help sell their software.

    Actually, I see it as a failure to adapt. Same thing that just killed Blackberry. Myopic leader(s) can't see beyond the current quarter and miss long-term trends that spell the end of their industry.
  • Reply 107 of 330
    ...bringing to an end a 13-year reign [B]of terror[/B] over the software giant.
  • Reply 108 of 330
    jj.yuanjj.yuan Posts: 213member


    I wish that he stay and cause more misfortunes at MSFT.

     

  • Reply 109 of 330
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    Actually, I see it as a failure to adapt. Same thing that just killed Blackberry. Myopic leader(s) can't see beyond the current quarter and miss long-term trends that spell the end of their industry.

    It's also a failure of eating into your own products. Kodak failed with digital cameras because they did not want to eat at their film biz. MS "failed" because they did not want to eat their Windows business.
  • Reply 110 of 330
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post





    You nailed it!



    Wintel machines will still be around (the trucks) but will become niche players.



    MS Office, too, will be on a steady decline.



    Apple's iWork apps on the desktop, mobile, touch and the web will disrupt MS Office (finally) for the masses.


     


    Apple hasn't updated iWork in almost 5 years.


     


    I'm not sure if they're interested in disrupting Microsoft Office.


     


    Anyway Microsoft has new cash cow Office 365, and that will keep them relevant at least with businesses for another decade or so.

  • Reply 111 of 330
    remereme Posts: 74member
    Amen, they have a lot of bright people and a huge machine behind them. If they just hire someone with TASTE and the power to assert it over the committee mentality, they could kick butt. I love my PC and long for them to just get a clue, enhance on good themes and stop turning the cart upside down at each revision. I wish them well.
  • Reply 112 of 330
    Ballmer: "I'm reeatch, beeatch!"

    Kinda takes the joy out of it.
  • Reply 113 of 330

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post


    Interesting points being made by the financial talking heads on CNBC and Fox Business. Bill Gates is still the largest MSFT shareholder and is Chairman of the Board. Therefore Steve Ballmer is gone ONLY if Gates wants him gone. No argument, no discussion.


     


    So it would appear that Bill Gates has in effect lost confidence in his old buddy.



     


    It's hard to completely discern the actions of the Microsoft Board of Directors based upon the press release.  Yes Bill Gates still effectively controls Microsoft through his stock and board position, but Ballmer's own stake in Microsoft isn't tiny...it's pretty enormous too.  Did the board think it was time for new blood?  Maybe.  Did Ballmer think after all these years with the company that it was time to slow down?  Maybe.


     


    The biggest surprise in all this is that a successor isn't waiting in the wings that was being specifically groomed for the job.  Apple had to do this because of Steve Jobs' long time health problems and all companies have contingency plans in case a CEO dies or resigns suddenly.  IBM and GE have always groomed executives for CEO succession.  But right now there isn't a natural obvious choice...in fact, Microsoft has forced out a number of potential choices over the years.  I do think Microsoft felt they had to make a public announcement now since a CEO search wouldn't be secret for five minutes and would undermine Ballmer if nothing had been said.

  • Reply 114 of 330
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by zoetmb View Post


    I think Microsoft has to rethink not just its PC strategy, but its Apple strategy.   One really annoying thing for me is that if you don't use Exchange, but use Outlook, you can no longer sync via iCloud and sync Outlook's calendar and address book to the iPhone and other devices.   I don't know whether it's Apple or Microsoft that's the problem (I suspect it's Apple), but I think they have to find a way to work together and resolve that.     People who work at corporations primarily use Outlook, for better or worse. 



     


    Interesting analysis.


     


    It would be interesting if we saw Apple and Microsoft actually collaborate together more in this Post-PC anti-Google landscape. 


     


    Apple of course has a massive post-PC infrastructure, and Microsoft has a massive enterprise infrastructure. The 2 working together could actually make both companies stronger and more laser focused as Tim would say. To those who think the idea is impossible, Microsoft and Apple have already seemingly partnered with Bing on Siri.

  • Reply 115 of 330
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member


    He never made it out of the Windows/Office era. 

  • Reply 116 of 330
    blackbook wrote: »
    Apple hasn't updated iWork in almost 5 years.

    I'm not sure if they're interested in disrupting Microsoft Office.

    Anyway Microsoft has new cash cow Office 365, and that will keep them relevant at least with businesses for another decade or so.

    How is moving that software online not an update?
  • Reply 117 of 330
    It's about bloody time...
  • Reply 118 of 330
    Scott Forestall - Microsoft CEO?
  • Reply 119 of 330
    Scott Forestall - Microsoft CEO?

    He's back... and this time... it's personal!
  • Reply 120 of 330
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    donw35 wrote: »
    Good, Microsoft needs some new fresh leadership. the same old follow what Apple is doing isn't going to work anymore.

    Actually, I don't think Microsoft ever followed what Apple was doing. Instead, they made a half-hearted attempt to copy some of Apple's PRODUCTS, but that's not the key to Apple's success. IOW, the problem was in execution, not in the strategy of learning from Apple.

    If they really want to learn from Apple, they would:

    1. Understand what the customers need (even better than the customers do themselves). Let customer needs dictate direction, not some egomaniac in an R&D management position.

    2. Stop thinking that throwing money at a problem will solve everything. Their R&D expenditures are much higher than Apple's, yet their innovation is only a fraction of what Apple does. Value innovation, not numbers.

    3. Be willing to scrap some of their legacy. There's really no strong reason why every OS they release has to run on 15 year old hardware. They could start by announcing that the current Windows will be the last (although they might agree to maintain it for longer than normal). Throw it out and build a robust, registry-free OS from the ground up that takes advantage of modern hardware without all the junk. Build security in rather than tacking it on.

    4. Find a way for their R&D groups to work together more effectively. This is somewhat limited by their consent decree, but there's still a huge opportunity for the groups to share experience and solve problem together rather than having a brick wall between departments.

    5. Set aside a significant budget for pie-in-the-sky projects where they let people's imagination soar free. Unfortunately, they must resist the temptation to staff this department with people who were successful in the Microsoft Office or XBox group - they want people who are creative and not bound by what's out there now. Maintain absolute secrecy in this department and resist the temptation to show it off to outsiders.

    If they do those things, they'll provide strong competition for Apple and will have a much stronger future. Unfortunately for them, I don't think they have a culture that would allow that to happen. Unless they bring someone in from outside and give them the power to really shake things up, they'll never get there.
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