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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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48 Comments

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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…
Sly

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 9:17 am · Reply

Gee Mr Balmer: Wow I didn’t realize the 1,835 songs I have on my iPod were stolen….how ’bout 0 of the 1,835 songs on my iPod…. Now why don’t you make a music player that is worth something…maybe version 11 might do it. Sly
fandango

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 9:29 am · Reply

My, my… it sounds to me like the desperate act of a chronic liar not wanting people to hear the truth.

Now that Apple has had several home-run products since S.J. returned, Apple is looking more and more like a serious threat. Those a$$ho!es at Micro$haft are getting nervous about people becoming aware of the beauty, simplicity, and security of The Macintosh Way.

Here’s to hoping that Apple continues on its streak of doing things right, and that one day we can call Microsoft ‘beleagured.’
giofoto

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 9:51 am · Reply

“…maybe version 11 might do it.”

More like Version 19, if at all.
mac dood

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 10:02 am · Reply

Micro$oft IS beleagured…

It is only just now that people are beginning to realize it
DH

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 10:24 am · Reply

I have to agree with Billy Boy…
Apple will not get there.
For the last 2 years Apple has already been where he and MS want to get!
I just hope that consumers do have enough brain to stay away from MS and their flawed products (including their DRM).

Tssss… first blatantly copying the iTunes Music Store and then saying that Apple will never get it right. Is this guy for real???
One Guy From The Bronx

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 10:28 am · Reply

He is a wanker! But you’re just as bad Filame you lightweight!
Red Wings

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 10:47 am · Reply

Can we start a petition to congress prohibiting MS from expanding into markets it will never understand or improve? Cause all this Me too crap is beginning to hurt my head.

Is it just me or does Ballmer the caveman have a unibrow?

Dance monkey dance
Yor Papa

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 10:54 am · Reply

Hey, Ballmer, speaking of thieving, isn’t that how Microsoft got every applicaton it sells?
Road Warrior

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 11:03 am · Reply

Gee, windoze format, apple format, sony format. Who makes this stolen format? What extension on a file shoule I look for, .sto???
rogozhin

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 11:09 am · Reply

I take no advice from a computer company CEO that sold laundry detergent prior to his current gig.
amyhre

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 11:32 am · Reply

Apple. It’s everywhere you want to be. Wait, that’s a credit card slogan. It’s true though. With Airport Express, I can stream my music to my stereo system/amplifier, which also has connections to the DVD/VCR and TV. So we got music going to a place that I can blast my whole house with. I realize that advertising is starting to become less effective in it’s traditional mediums, television and radio. More people listening to iPods and *shudder* Dull DJ’s render radio ads obsolete. Less people paying attention to commercials on television equal less sales. More advertising is going into games and the Internet. Now, Microsoft assumes that PC’s are becoming an entertainment center, and they are right. Many people play online games or offline games on their computers. But having a computer replace my DVD/VCR combo, the Media Center PC cannot do. It can be a TiVO box granted. But do I want my entertainment experience limited to the living room? Am I just going to use a computer there? Hell, no. I certainly don’t want my DVD crashing every other scene or telling me that I can’t watch some DVD for some stupid reason Microsoft throws at me. Media Center PC, no. I’ll take an iBook or AlumiBook anyday. I can make my own media easily and I can play it back. I can carry DVD’s and play them in-flight. I can listen to butt-loads of legal, got that Ballsmer, legal songs through iTunes. I can play games on the go. Course I can do that with my lovely GameBoy Advance too. I’m not seeing the advantages in me buying a Media Center PC. I see the advantages for Microsoft plainly. They can foist off some cheap crap on customers as an ideal solution. I got news. Microsoft is a company manufacturing problems. Apple is a company who sells solutions. If Ballsmer ever get his head out of his ass, we’ll see that jealousy truly is ugly.
meat of moose

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 11:51 am · Reply

“Steve Ballmer said at a press briefing in London that consumer take-up of digital technology in the home is at a ‘tipping point’…”

Oh, my, Longhorn must be days from commercial release!

Wait, maybe Ballmer means PMC’s are shipping by the boat load!

“…to where we may get a device that can take on critical mass.”

Oh, no, Microsoft has nothing but nothing, it’s all rumors, falsehoods, and fear.

What is Ballmer�s title anyhow? �Chief Executive Officer, Vaporware Development.�
Bart Simpsonhead

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:03 pm · Reply

A man that age, who, if you squint real hard looks like Uncle Fester, must be taking too much ‘Columbian Dancing Powder’
dix

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:12 pm · Reply

That’s right, Windowz & a Digital Home go hand-in-hand. So when my Windowz crashes in the night for no reason as usual, my blinds & window shutters won’t open. I wake up & go back to sleep because I looked at my Windowz clock which sez 1am & it’s still dark outside. Does that mean, as I’m gonna be late for work, will I be able use this excuss everyday? Um, how long will it be do you think, before they fire me?
Cow Tipper

Monday, October 4, 2004 - 12:37 pm · Reply

To me the “tipping point” is when you sneak up on the longhorn when it’s asleep and push it over.

Oh wait…..we’re still waiting for a steer to ship!

muhahahahahahahahaaaaa, ballmer steering the M$ ship … now that’s more fun that tipping cows ever was.