PC Magazine recently sat down with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to discuss a wide range of topics and, as invariably happens, a portion of the conversation turned to Apple:
PC Magazine: Microsoft is the icon of the PC. What do you think about the Apple commercials: “I’m a Mac, and I am a PC”?
Steve Ballmer: I think they need a little bit of correction, and you’ll see us be much more vigorous about stating the case for the PC. The truth of the matter is, this is ironic. The PC outsells the Mac 33 to 1—32 to 1. And despite the fact that we don’t sell PCs, we only sell Windows to people who make PCs. And the attack is actually on the PCs, interestingly enough. You’ll see us defend the PC. We’re going to talk about why—look, PCs are better than Macs. That is not something that can be debated. 32 out of every 33 times, somebody buys a PC instead of a Mac. I’m not saying that there are not some things that people like about Macs, apparently there are. But have you ever seen a cheap Mac? No.
MacDailyNews Take: Ballmer’s definition of “better” needs a lot of work. Apple doesn’t make “cheap” junk, but compare a Mac to a similarly-spec’ed PC and you’ll find the Macs is very competitive and, oftentimes, even less expensive. And using every cash register and dumb terminal in the world in an attempt to diminish Mac “market share” is just plain pathetic.
• NPD: Apple took 20% market share of U.S. retail notebook sales in July and August – October 01, 2008
• Net Applications: Apple’s Mac OS share hit new all-time high of 8.23% in September 2008 – October 01, 2008
• NPD: Apple vaults to 10.6% share in North American notebook market – September 17, 2008
• Gartner: Apple Mac grabs 10.4 percent share of U.S. home market – August 26, 2008
• Gartner: Apple Mac #1 in Q2 08 Europe education market share – again – August 01, 2008
Ballmer continues: You know, they like to act like Macs are lightweight, there are much lighter weight PC notebooks. Macs—do they have the best battery power? Of course they don’t have the best battery power. Macs tend to have nice screens, but can you get nicer screens for a PC? Of course. Do Macs work in business? No, they do not.
MacDailyNews Take: Ballmer’s fear is palpable. Does he understand that an entire business unit of his company is dedicated to making Microsoft Office for Mac? (This is why Mac users should not buy Office, by the way; Microsoft will take your money and then immediately turn around and ignore your very existence). Do PCs run Mac OS X Leopard and iLife and many other best-in-class Mac-only apps? No, they do not. Only Apple Macs run all the world’s major OSes and applications:
• Apple Macs run Windows Vista less awfully than PCs – April 17, 2008
• Windows to Mac switcher finds comfort in ability to run Windows, then leaves Windows behind – April 16, 2007
• Apple Macs that can run Windows are bad news for Microsoft – August 08, 2006
• Couldn’t you just buy a Mac and run Windows? Microsoft CEO Ballmer: ‘No, we prefer real PCs’ – April 29, 2006
Ballmer continues: You know, there are so many—you know, can you find Macs in—I’m very sensitive to exactly what mouse I have on my laptop. Can you find a range of choices? Of course you can’t find a range of choices.
MacDailyNews Take: This guy runs a company? (Yeah, into the ground.) Virtually any USB mouse from any company works with a Mac and, oh, by the way, this one does, too (for just one example of many from Microsoft itself): Microsoft Notebook Mouse for Mac: “Microsoft’s most portable wireless notebook mouse connects seamlessly to Mac’s using Bluetooth.” We heartily discourage Mac users from buying products made by companies whose CEO’s do not even know they make Mac products and who routinely disparage Mac users.
Ballmer continues: You know, anyway—can you find the applications you want on the Mac? Well, you don’t really get full Microsoft Office.
MacDailyNews Take: Because I tried to have them cripple it in order to push more PC sales since we screwed the pooch with Vista, but it backfired: VBA returns to future Office for Mac versions – May 13, 2008. And, check this out, too: Fortune Small Business: The best PC for Microsoft Office is Apple Mac – August 08, 2008
Ballmer continues: So 32 out of 33 times people chose PCs, there must be something better about the PC, and that’s a story that deserves to be told. I think it’s a story of choice.
MacDailyNews Take: Yeah, the wrong choice: Mac vs. Windows in business case study: Macs have 1/3 fewer problems that are solved 30% faster – June 02, 2008
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Someone really should let Uncle Fester in on the news: Only Apple Macs run Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, etc. and their attendant applications. In other words, not only is the Mac able to run the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS X, it can also slum it as a fast PC when the user so desires (or is forced to by Microsoft’s many attempts at lock-in). Because Apple Macs also offer the full “PC experience,” Ballmer’s criticisms — and $300 million ad campaign — fail completely.
Is he really that arrogant that he won’t let Microsoft’s PR people instruct him on what to say and how to say it? Or maybe he’s just that bad, and shouldn’t be let loose in front of the media ever again. Of course, it’s only to Apple’s benefit that Ballmer’s out there making a fool of himself.
Man, it’s like watching a train wreck in super slow motion. You want to help stop it, but you know there’s nothing you can do and you can’t take your eyes off of it.
Why is it that Balmer’s quotes look like someone went crazy with the cut&paste;and tossed in some ‘valley girl’ talk just to liven things up… he’s one of the most fragmented talkers I’ve listened to in a long time…
Ballmer never ceases to leave me just plain dumbfounded.
It is PC Connection, not Mac Connection.
Just read an article about Guy Kawasaki. It gave me hope for the human race. Now I read about Ballmer, and I fear we may be doomed. Damn!
As long as Ballmer is CEO of MS, MS is in bad hands. For the sake of computing, i hope he stays as CEO of MS for as long as possible so people and businesses can recognize how horrible Windows is and defect to other platforms.
Still, Apple needs to beware a bit as MS Office is the ‘standard’ for many people and businesses. Yes, despite OpenOffice, people will still buy/pirate MS Office for Mac so MS still has a trump card up its sleeve and a growing revenue stream as Macs become more popular. People are still buying Windows to run on Macs so MS ‘wins’ either way.
Hopefully, with Ballmer’s awesomeness, people will defect completely over to Mac and at least not use Windows.
Finally some one in the news thats is dumber than McCain and Palin.
As Charlie Chaplin was to Adolf Hitler increasingly Steve Ballmer becomes a parody of Josef Stalin, except Charlie actually meant his humour. Balmer’s power craziness, whereby he actually seems to believe many of his own lies while totally believing he can impose them at will on an unquestioningly raptous crowd of acholites as he does the Chaucescu impression from his very own decaying balcony. Thankfully less and less people are inclined to go along with this madman’s rants in fear of his wrathful chair flinging, as he laughingly becomes more Amir Khan than Ghenghis.
Oh Microcrap!… PUHLEASE keep these moron, ahem I mean, “well informed”, uhh monke.. person… running your company. We Mac users love it that you have an idiot, uhhh, saviour… who believes Windows is getting better with every release yet Vista has driven up Mac sales. Thank You Thank You Thank You. Remember, even though all you employees at Microsoft have Stockholm Syndrome, you’re doing the right thing to keep this guy. He’s your man!
blah blah blah….
who cares what he thinks or says.
I´m sad to tell you all that there is actually many Pc/Windows users out there that is convinced that Uncle Fester is right.
Many of the points that MDN make, would of course make the “33 to 1” figures that Fester mentions, totally different if the general Pc/Windows user were aware of them.
The points that MDN are making here, should be shouted out on every mountain top and on every street corner, because “the sheep” just dosn´t know!
Its sad! ;-(
@ MacFhearghaile
Please keep your adolescent political comments out of this discussion. Vote your choice in November & Let the rest of us vote ours. This is a discussion about Steve Balmer & Macs. Not BoBo and McCain.
Contrary to popular belief, just because there’s a US Election on does not mean US politics needs to be injected into every single comment thread on the internet.
That aside, it truly is astounding that Ballmer doesn’t know that you can use any virtually mouse with macs. I mean, I know he was a moron, but this is just… wow, that’s really ignorant. I can’t help but think maybe he does know they can, but just wanted to spread misinformation- a lot of people still don’t realize that Macs work with the vast majority of common peripherals (scanners, printers, mice, keyboards, hard drivers, flash drives, optical drives, webcams, etc.). And in markets where they don’t, (such as TV tuners), there are plenty of mac-specific solutions.
I love how people in our society who are in an indefensibe position, and basically cannot address reality, resort to utter nonsense and speak as if they are retards who cannot put together a meaningful sentence.
They are either deliberately obfuscating, or are genuine retards. The fact they get away with it among a given percentage of the general public is worrisome indeed.
Mr Bush, Mrs Palin, and Steve Balmer all need to go to back to elementary school grammar classes.
I have never seen a more appropriate picture then the one chosen for this article. This guy has an extremely versatile muscular face structure. He can really portray his thought through his face, or lack of thoughts, or that matter.
Denial and arrogance, thy name is Ballmer.
The guy really does look like Uncle Fester. I feel sorry for Fester.
Not only is he delusional, but by saying that he gives every single person at Apple even more incentive to kick his butt yet again. He puts a bullseye on himself, and we all know what happened to Michael Dell once the bullseye got placed.
If Steve Jobs happened to be getting bored, he just got fresh motivation from comments like that. I would video-post this all over Apple campus.
Apple has enough in cash reserve to put out a cheap PC if they wanted to, but the timing is not right. Ballmer shouldn’t suggest it, though. They may take him up on it. Leopard is getting good enough to do so, and the Mac mini is long over due. People are getting smarter and more tired of PC hassles, yet Ballmer doesn’t seem to be getting smarter…a Mac is another line of PC’s to run his faulty OS…don’t poop the boxes that can run your OS.
“You know, anyway—can you find the applications you want on the Mac? Well, you don’t really get full Microsoft Office.”
I suppose it’s one thing to bad-mouthing your old, abandoned-ware products, but you really shouldn’t bad-mouth your own products that are still under active development. Still, I would advise never bad-mouthing your own company in any way. If this gets back to the MacBU, it’ll probably hurt their feelings and demotivate them.
Where does MDN find these pictures of Ballmer!? Genius.
“Please keep your adolescent political comments out of this discussion.”
“Not BoBo and McCain.”
Eithe practice what you preach or have the balls to admit you’re a hypocrite.
“So 32 out of 33 times people chose PCs,”
Umm no. It’s because MS has a monopoly and businesses are stuck with this monopoly. If the crappy WinPC breaks, less than a year, its automatic replacement of a WinPC. Not because of users choice, its because “THEY HAVE TO”.
He probably sells his stock when it is low and buys when high.
Mr. Ballmer you’re one HUGE dildo. A huge CLUELESS dildo. Actually, dildos are far more useful.
I’d like to work in Microsoft’s PR department.
With that idiot running the company, I expect they have a 1000 strong Reputation Management and Crisis Managment team that will have so much work, redundencies could not ever be contemplated.
It’s a job for life!