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Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

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Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#581

Post by joering2 »

SideburnsOfDoom wrote: post #376
umsm wrote: post #347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We tend to forget that Microsoft ALREADY did what these "startups" did. MSFT already pushed the envelope and changed the way we use technology in our day to day lives. There is (probably) only so much change one company / person can do. Even if there is additional potential, in the end companies will seek profit and stability.

> We tend to forget that Microsoft ALREADY did what these "startups" did. MSFT already pushed the envelope and changed the way we use technology in our day to day lives. We tend to forget that IBM did that in a previous era. Another example that "in the end companies will seek profit and stability" and be an "enterprise software company"

OH, yes, IBM started very early and veery "promising"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#582

Post by scholia »

lbenes wrote: post #544
nl wrote: post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to disagree with sarcasm on the internet. But in this case you are absolutely correct. Microsoft used to control the future of computing. Now they are yet another enterprise software company with no apparent mission except to make money. The lay somewhere on a continuum with IBM, Oracle, SAP all the way through to companies like CA. At one end of that spectrum they do research and produce software that peop…

Yes, but he cleverly avoids the fact that a few thousand dollars put into Apple stock in late 90's could have made you a millionaire today, but same in MS would have actually lost value from inflation.

It depends what you bought when. If you held both Apple and Microsoft from the beginning, you made far more money on Microsoft stock. If you bought in the bubble then you probably lost a bundle on whatever you bought, whether it was Microsoft stock or somebody else's.

If you bought Apple at $700, you're still in a big hole.

However, if you bought Apple stock instead of Apple computers, then over the years, you probably did pretty well ;-)

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#583

Post by dredmorbius »

SiVal wrote: post #506
EthanHeilman wrote: post #464

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There is a non-trivial possibility that Facebook/Google etc become lumbering giants just like MSFT. It might already be true, how do you distinguish between a lumbering giant and not without the help of hindsight? The public consensus on such things lags a few years behind reality. What signs have you seen in 2013 that Google is not a lumbering giant?

Microsoft's approach was different: let others innovate, then we'll dominate. Others would come up with new stuff, and Microsoft would "embrace and extend" whatever got traction in the market by adding it to their near-monopoly OS/app stack at whatever price served the purpose of eliminating the inventor and taking their market. This strategy always made Gates paranoid, because the risk was that some alternative to t…

I'd argue that search and Ajax did more harm and drove the first wedge. Search gave Google a business model and revenue stream. Ajax enabled Web apps, beginning with Gmail. That enabled platform independence and a split from the Office monopoly, particularly Outlook/Exchange and Active Directory.

Mobile was another keg of coffin nails, particularly in consumer space showing that ease of use and zero configuration were possible.

I agree on your assessment of Google's advertising reliance being an Achilles geek,and that the company risks marketshare loss through heavy-handed G+ promotion and privacy concerns.

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#584

Post by scholia »

tedsanders wrote: post #483
300bps wrote: post #453

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And Surface tablets are also a clear response to the iPad I find it hard to believe that someone who writes something this wrong can function in society. Microsoft invented the tablet computer a decade before the iPad existed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Tablet_PC Their marketing may have sucked, but they were well ahead of the rest of the industry (and apparently the world).

>I find it hard to believe that someone who writes something this wrong can function in society. Please, stay civil. :) Anyway, I don't think the statement is wrong. Sure, Microsoft had tablet computers first, but I think it's also true that the Surface RT and Surface Pro were made in response to the iPad's success.

As a matter of fact, the development of the Surface software started before the iPad came out...

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#585

Post by adwf »

yogo wrote: post #441
sheri wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a tendency to believe that the companies which are doing well right now have 'won' in some sense. We need to understand that this is the state of affairs right now. There is a non-trivial possibility that Facebook/Google etc become lumbering giants just like MSFT.

> There is a non-trivial possibility that Facebook/Google etc become lumbering giants just like MSFT If history serves as an indicator, I would say the chances of that happening are relatively high.

When you look at it, Google probably already has. 20% time is practically gone, Reader gone, iGoogle going, etc. All the various little projects that may not have had huge numbers of users, but still indicated that Google was a fast moving, innovative company are disappearing.

It may take a few years for people to realise they are a lumbering giant in decline now, but the seeds are already planted, maybe even full grown...

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#587

Post by scholia »

nivla wrote: post #497
ant512 wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that's one of Microsoft's main failings. "Google are making baked beans? Why aren't we in the baked bean market? Let's make beans!" "What? Now Facebook are making Facebook Soda? We need to make Microsoft Soda!" Every time a tech company produces something new MS have to muscle in on the market, despite having a) no prior experience, b) no aptitude, c) existing products that could use their attention.

Well couldn't that be said about any company? If the competitor is doing something different, wouldn't you ask yourself why the heck am I not doing that, especially when there is an untapped revenue. Expecting companies not to follow/copy/learn from their competitors is a naive stand. >Every time a tech company produces something new MS have to muscle in on the market, despite having a) no prior experience, b) no apt…

Most of Google's products have been knock-offs of something that already existed. Sometimes much improved knock-offs (Search, Gmail) but sometimes not (Knol, G+ etc).

Android was bought in.

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#588

Post by hcarvalhoalves »

nl wrote: post #328
fauigerzigerk wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that he will probably not be remembered for having more than doubled revenue and almost tripled profits. He will not be remembered for transforming Microsoft into one of the most important enterprise software companies. Not for introducing .NET, C# or Kinect either. All of that will be forgotten. He will be remembered for missing mobile. He will also be remembered for caring a lot about developers and about d…

It's hard to disagree with sarcasm on the internet. But in this case you are absolutely correct. Microsoft used to control the future of computing. Now they are yet another enterprise software company with no apparent mission except to make money. The lay somewhere on a continuum with IBM, Oracle, SAP all the way through to companies like CA. At one end of that spectrum they do research and produce software that peop…

> Now the lay somewhere on a continuum with IBM, Oracle, SAP all the way through to companies like CA.

And I think that's fine. Added together, these are the bread and butter.

As a whole, we benefit more from them doing what they do well and having stable revenue than trying to make everything under the sun and creating gigantic monopolies that dictate standards and absorb any company doing something remotely interesting (like, sadly, today's Google).

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#589

Post by ShirtlessRod »

biot wrote: post #572
300bps wrote: post #446

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, i7 2650QM, 8 GB of RAM, 500 GB hard drive, 17.3" monitor, fingerprint reader, 9 cell battery. $550. People who buy Macs can't even conceive that you can buy 4 PC notebooks for the price they are buying 1 Mac notebook. They can't conceive that the typical person doesn't buy overpriced Ultrabooks that are different only in marketing name. All they will say is that their computer "holds its resale value" or that…

Some people don't see computers as fungible computing commodities priced in $/GHz and $/GB. Much like they don't see cars as fungible transportation commodities priced in $/Watt and $/N·m.

aka "Some people just have more style." What would we do without our shiny status symbols?

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#590

Post by scholia »

bluedino wrote: post #110
lbarrow wrote: post #23

He'll be remembered as a terrible CEO. Ballmer took over as CEO in 2000. In the 13 years since then, Apple has experienced an unprecedented resurgence. Google and Facebook have gone from being obscure startups to giants. The tech industry went through the bubble, recovered, and today is stronger than ever. What happened to Microsoft? While the rest of the tech sector exploded and prospered, it stayed still. A MSFT sh…

On the other hand, think of all the companies Microsoft used to compete with that are basically gone.

Such as Digital Research, Borland, Novell, Netscape, AOL, Sun, and Palm. IBM isn't what it used to be, either.

Any more?

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