“Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer did not get his maximum bonus for the last fiscal year, despite notching the company’s highest ever sales, as he took a hit for missteps on phones and not moving fast enough to counter Apple Inc’s iPad,” Bill Rigby reports for Reuters.
MacDailyNews Take: Come on, how could Ballmer move Microsoft until Apple told him, “No, dummy, like this.” Seriously, with iPad, he only just saw what to do in January; it takes some time to analyze what Apple’s done, fail to properly understand it, design upside-down and backwards knockoffs with your captives… uh, partners, and then devise marketing schemes that attempt to part the morbidly gullible from their money. Give him a reasonable amount of time is all we ask.
Rigby continues, “Ballmer, 54, received a cash bonus of $670,000 for the fiscal year ended June 30, equal to his salary, but only half of the maximum bonus payout, according to a filing with securities regulators on Thursday. A discussion of Ballmer’s pay in the company’s annual proxy filing also referred to the ‘unsuccessful launch of the Kin phone, loss of market share in the company’s mobile phone business, and the need for the company to pursue innovations to take advantage of new form factors.'”
“Microsoft’s Kin — a feature phone aimed at teenagers — flopped this year and was dropped less than three months after launch with poor sales,” Rigby reports. “Its Windows mobile phone software has been losing share sharply over the last few years to Apple’s iPhone, Google Inc’s Android and Research in Motion Ltd’s BlackBerry.”
MacDailyNews Take: Anyone could see that Kin would be a failure. Anyone. (Anyone not named Rob Enderle or Paul Thurrott, of course.) That Ballmer couldn’t see it means that he should be… uh, Microsoft CEO for as long as it takes! Yeah, that’s the ticket
Rigby reports, “The company has also been in the spotlight for the lack of a quick response to Apple’s iPad — a revolution in what the industry calls “form factor” — which has sold more than 3 million since launching earlier this year. Ballmer said in July that slates and tablets running Windows would appear as soon as they are ready.”
MacDailyNews Take: More like as soon as Microsoft can throw together yet another half-asssed copy of Apple innovation. Thankfully, the public is much more tech savvy now than they were in 1995.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Rigby’s first nine words plus “it” will someday sum up Ballmer’s entire tenure as Microsoft CEO.
I like their strategy, I like it a lot. (I’m an Apple shareholder).
I like their strategy, I like it a lot. (I’m an Apple shareholder).
Wait until the enterprise decides it doesn’t need Office. Windows as a cash cow has already seen it’s peak and is starting it’s decent, Office is the really big deal, and if an when the enterprise has cheaper alternatives, that will be the tipping point of no return for microsoft.
I think Microsoft will become an app maker, maybe os writer for appliances, maybe not, and eventually get into hardware to try to save itself. It will be too late though before they can change their enterprise model to avoid acquisition by someone else, likely a big hardware player like Samsung, Sony, etc. 5 years max.
Wait until the enterprise decides it doesn’t need Office. Windows as a cash cow has already seen it’s peak and is starting it’s decent, Office is the really big deal, and if an when the enterprise has cheaper alternatives, that will be the tipping point of no return for microsoft.
I think Microsoft will become an app maker, maybe os writer for appliances, maybe not, and eventually get into hardware to try to save itself. It will be too late though before they can change their enterprise model to avoid acquisition by someone else, likely a big hardware player like Samsung, Sony, etc. 5 years max.
I’m pretty certain that the dog also has an equal vote in the Enderle Group.
I’m pretty certain that the dog also has an equal vote in the Enderle Group.
Dear daugav369pils,
The notion that the acquisition of wealth correlates to one’s smarts is an illusory one, and not borne out empirically. Ballmer had a hugely fortunate dorm room assignment, and has demonstrated the limits of his skills at about the level of an average call dealership sales manager.
Dear daugav369pils,
The notion that the acquisition of wealth correlates to one’s smarts is an illusory one, and not borne out empirically. Ballmer had a hugely fortunate dorm room assignment, and has demonstrated the limits of his skills at about the level of an average call dealership sales manager.
The day Microsoft makes something that doesn’t suck, is the day they make a vacuum sweeper.
The day Microsoft makes something that doesn’t suck, is the day they make a vacuum sweeper.
In related news, sales of chrome dome polish in Redmond have plummeted.
In related news, sales of chrome dome polish in Redmond have plummeted.
Did he receive a truckload of bananas in addition to that bonus?
Did he receive a truckload of bananas in addition to that bonus?
“Ballmer said in July that slates and tablets running Windows would appear as soon as they are ready.
Talk about stating the obvious…. NOW tell me that Ballmer isn’t a dummy. I love that photo at the top. Classic.
“Ballmer said in July that slates and tablets running Windows would appear as soon as they are ready.
Talk about stating the obvious…. NOW tell me that Ballmer isn’t a dummy. I love that photo at the top. Classic.
You know, the day Ballmer is finally sacked, Apple and Google stock will probably drop 10%.
I think we should have a letter-writing campaign; Monkeyboy needs our support!
You know, the day Ballmer is finally sacked, Apple and Google stock will probably drop 10%.
I think we should have a letter-writing campaign; Monkeyboy needs our support!
Balmer got to where he is today because he was Bill Gate’s pawn for protecting Gate’s evil empire in a monopoly lawsuit, not because he was known to be an innovator.
Balmer got to where he is today because he was Bill Gate’s pawn for protecting Gate’s evil empire in a monopoly lawsuit, not because he was known to be an innovator.
Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer did not get + it.
I dont get it?
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” /> hahaha
Actually I do 😀 lol, and that’s why i have an iPad, iMac, and a mac mini.
Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer did not get + it.
I dont get it?
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” /> hahaha
Actually I do 😀 lol, and that’s why i have an iPad, iMac, and a mac mini.
For the rest of the consumer tech industry (not just Microsoft), their usual “innovation” methodology these days is to wait for Apple to do something, then frantically copy it. The problem with this strategy is that Apple has been secretly working on that “something” for years. The competition has to wait for Apple to unveil the next “big thing,” and try to replicate it in a few months. To make matters even more daunting, Apple leverages their prior success (such as the whole iTunes Store infrastructure and existing loyal customer base) to promote new products.
So even if a hardware competitor manages to reproduce something reasonably close to iPad, they have nothing like the iTunes Store to offer potential customers. And they are completely dependent on Google or Microsoft to provide the OS and other built-in software. That’s why all the current non-vapor iPad competitors are 7-inch or smaller (smartphones with an oversized screen), or monstrous “convertible” tablets (laptops with a stylus).
I think Microsoft was misdirected (by Apple) into putting so much effort into Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 7 does not hurt Apple, because it completes most directly with Android; its existence actually helps Apple. On the other hand, Microsoft should be the one offering the OS for iPad’s competition. But Microsoft does not have a version of Windows that is adequate for an iPad-like tablet computer. That’s really embarrassing for Microsoft. So iPad’s competition has no choice but to rely on pushing Android to the limits of it’s current PDA-class capabilities. And Apple is taking advantage to build iPod-like dominance with iPad.
For the rest of the consumer tech industry (not just Microsoft), their usual “innovation” methodology these days is to wait for Apple to do something, then frantically copy it. The problem with this strategy is that Apple has been secretly working on that “something” for years. The competition has to wait for Apple to unveil the next “big thing,” and try to replicate it in a few months. To make matters even more daunting, Apple leverages their prior success (such as the whole iTunes Store infrastructure and existing loyal customer base) to promote new products.
So even if a hardware competitor manages to reproduce something reasonably close to iPad, they have nothing like the iTunes Store to offer potential customers. And they are completely dependent on Google or Microsoft to provide the OS and other built-in software. That’s why all the current non-vapor iPad competitors are 7-inch or smaller (smartphones with an oversized screen), or monstrous “convertible” tablets (laptops with a stylus).
I think Microsoft was misdirected (by Apple) into putting so much effort into Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 7 does not hurt Apple, because it completes most directly with Android; its existence actually helps Apple. On the other hand, Microsoft should be the one offering the OS for iPad’s competition. But Microsoft does not have a version of Windows that is adequate for an iPad-like tablet computer. That’s really embarrassing for Microsoft. So iPad’s competition has no choice but to rely on pushing Android to the limits of it’s current PDA-class capabilities. And Apple is taking advantage to build iPod-like dominance with iPad.
Actually kids, this might be the news we’ve been waiting for.
Imagine Microsoft as a contributing and useful part of the computer community. It could happen! If the MS board is getting the clue that dingbats like Ballmer and other MS Marketing Morons deserve a cut in pay, and maybe even THE BOOT, then perhaps Microsoft has just started on the right path to a positive future.
Imagine a Microsoft we can all admire. Something new!