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Microsoft CEO Ballmer on the digital home: ‘There is no way that you can get there with Apple’

Sunday, October 3, 2004 · 10:32 pm · 48 Comments

“Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said at a press briefing in London that consumer take-up of digital technology in the home is at a ‘tipping point’, which could lead to a dramatic increase in sales for converged devices that integrate video, audio and computer technology,” Michael Parsons reports for ZDNet UK. “There are of course no prizes for guessing Ballmer

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Comment Feed

48 Comments

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Bleekr

Sunday, October 3, 2004 - 11:58 pm · Reply

Really, is there anything better than watching him dance?

And people want to buy their OS from this freak?
Malice

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:05 am · Reply

If you read the article: I can see why Microsoft is working on this in the European market first, Apple has less of a foothold there. Ohhh, Mircosoft and the word ‘easy’? I only see those two words in the same sentence when accompanied by “getting a virus or malware.” Ok, and about his kid putting his music where he wants it? iTMS…put it on your computer, and 4 others, stream it to your stereo, iPod, CD, in your car, etc! I only see Microsoft good for getting viruses on every Win-based electronic in the house.

Apple can get the job done RIGHT if they want to stick their head in that market while taking the risk of losing their head in the process, but if they pull what they did with iTMS they could pull a nice winning streak. Go, Apple Go!

First post?
Dr. Quinn

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:13 am · Reply

DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS!
what a loser.
Malice

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:15 am · Reply

He scares me…a lot!

Developers! ^4
yankees suck

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:17 am · Reply

digital media has a fine home on the mac, maybe windows too, but im not sure why you would say that you just cant get there on the mac. because you can, and people do

oh i cant wait for that “device.” can you imagine it? we can listen to music wherever we go, even movies, and photos too!

oh wait my phone does that already
school girl+paul

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:19 am · Reply

“The critical mass has to come from the PC, or a next-generation video device”

Isn’t the G5 the next generation video device? Please correct me if i’m wrong-

-paul
Al

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:21 am · Reply

Ballmer, the stupid bastard. Instead of chanting,

“Developers! Developers! Developers!”

He should have been chanting,

“Security! Security! Security!”
sMac

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:39 am · Reply

Was he being interviewed through a microphone in his lapel or did he actually have it pinned to the a$$ he was talking out of?
SAM

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:50 am · Reply

He should just bend over so we can lip read.
blurg

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 1:36 am · Reply

Unbelievable
Zillatron

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 2:54 am · Reply

From the ‘dancing Ballmer’ video:
“i love this company…yeahhhhhhhh!’

pffft.
can you say ‘i love patching windows…yeahhhhhhh!’

i sure can.

Z
One guy from Finland

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 3:14 am · Reply

What a wanker
JadisOne

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 3:34 am · Reply

Fathead Ballmer is clueless. People don’t want a Microsoft “solution” in their homes. The only reason a huge percentage of consumers has Windows at home is because they believe they have to have it “for work,” “compatibility,” or whatever other non-reason people force themselves to believe. The only Media Center PCs that have been purchased have been by Gates’ family members.
spy

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 3:41 am · Reply

Steve Balmer IS the Taliban reincarnated – only more extreme.
billyg

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 4:43 am · Reply

Now there’s a heart attack waiting to happen.
cmartin

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 6:37 am · Reply

If I am not mistaken.. he is so sweaty from all those trips to the server room to reboot all those windows servers! Microsoft is the fisher price of personal computing
feeze

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 6:53 am · Reply

If there is only one thing that Steve Ballmer and Microsoft have done for me it’s this,

He made me realise the importance of diet and exercise while I’m young.

I never realised a person could sweat so much, especially around the inner part of the elbow ( I have no idea what that area is called)

Meanwhile I think I will continue to watch my new Star Wars DVD box set on the ultimate portible media centre, my iBook with a 12 INCH SCREEN!!!!
Charko

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 7:03 am · Reply

Isn’t this just desperation and bad taste on the part of Microsoft?

Can you imagine an executive from Sony, BMW, or Coca Cola, for example, ‘warning’ the public not to buy the rival product?

Of course not. They know how infantile and pathetic it would sound

- and how it would be received.
Hywel

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 7:09 am · Reply

What I find strange is that he tries to downlplay Apple. He’s claiming that it can’t come from Apple, but also basically stating that it could come from anywhere else.

Now he may well be right that Apple won’t deliver this, but he certainly can’t be sure. To say that they can’t is simply a lie. He’s simply showing prejudice, and prejudice is a sign of ignorance and fear.
gscottr

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 7:09 am · Reply

Mr. Ballmer must speak kindly of Microsoft. The fact that he mentions, or gives recognition to Apple suggests that he has concern about the competition. Having never expressed the idea that Apple is not the answer to the solution, would have been better. He should be worried, and probably is. Don’t fault him for what he has to say. Well go ahead if you want.
The inner part of the elbow is the Antecubital Fossa, and I am assuming that you mean that part of the elbow that dissappears and forms the crease when you flex your arm.
feeze

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 7:29 am · Reply

Antecubital Fossa, thanks gscottr, WOW learnt two things in one day, that rarely happens.
Mr. Bungle

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 7:35 am · Reply

Ballmer & Elaine Benes have the same dance instructor!
NoPCZone

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 7:39 am · Reply

We’ll CONSIDER the thought when Micro$oftopoly meets these goals:
1 Releases vrsions of WiMP (Windows Media Player) for LINUX & Mac OS that are not “broken” out of the box.
2 Unbundles WiMP technology from it’s security plagued XP OS software.
3 Releases client software for Outlook Exchange Servers on LINUX & Mac OS that work properly.
4 Create a version of Internet Explorer that conforms to Web Standards & unbundles it from XP.
5 Removes roadblocks from MSN websites that “block” LINUX & Mac OS computers as well as Windoze using non-IE browsers from accessing multi-media.
6 Conform to and support industry standard file formats and protocols.

I said “consider” on a level playing field.
BuriedCaesar

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 8:08 am · Reply

Other sites have picked up on the comment in this story that Ballmer made about most music on an iPod being ‘stolen’. He’s calling us all thieves. I’d like to ram my 15 GB iPod, one that is completely full to brimming with LEGITIMATELY PURCHASED MUSIC, down his throat for that comment alone.
Pio of Switzerland

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 9:06 am · Reply

I was so upset when I read this…

Remember, M$ produces faulty S/W (http://www.gcn.com/archives/gcn/1998/july13/cov2.htm) and is a convicted felon (monopolist).

Seeing M$ calling iPod users thieves is quite inappropriate, considering that M$ was convicted for piracy in 2001 in Nanterre (suburb of Paris, France: http://www.diaplous.org/nanterre.htm)

M$ is not consequent in its action (anit-Unix site runs Unix: http://news.com.com/2100-1001-872266.html)

If I remember well, M$ told the public how to work around DRM to play tracks on iPod or other players. Cute…