“Microsoft has admitted that it can’t beat hackers all the time, but will do its best,” Nick Farrell reports for The Inquirer. “That argument was quietly put forward by the softly spoken, shy and retiring, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer before Gartner Symposium ITXPO at Lake Buena Vista.”
Nick Farrell, “Steve modestly said that Microsoft knew more about security than anyone else in the world, but hackers were getting much brighter too. He also added that the biggest security problem Microsoft had were customers who did not upgrade their systems.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft blames its customers once again. And yet, many line up to be punched in the face repeatedly by the Redmond Sloth. Amazing, yet sad, too. And how, exactly, Mr. Ballmer, are your unfortunate users supposed to do your job for you when a brand-new, unprotected Windows machine becomes infected with viruses in just 20 minutes on the Internet?
For our Windows-only friends, information about adding a secure, powerful, and fun Mac OS X machine (starting at $799) to your computing arsenal can be found here.
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boy thats ballsy
“hey everyone, your idiots to use our old software, you better pay us an assload more to make sure you only have to patch your OS 15 times a week instead of 18”
what an ignorant fool
When in doubt, blame Microsoft!
When in doubt… blame the children
The statement “Steve modestly said that Microsoft knew more about security than anyone else in the world”
This comment is disturbing. If Microsoft knows more about security than anyone else, then why are there so many holes in their code? Why are there so many other (apparently not as smart people) that are able to exploit them?
Hoo Boy..
Yeah that is really bad.. blame customers?! Wow..
Yeah my buddy finally upgraded about a year ago to XP.. when he did he ‘awakened’ all his dormant XP viruses..
… That’s what you get WIndows Users.. for dropping 200 bucks on a new version of the same nasty OS (I know I use it often and even put in on my Mac for “fun”)
Ballmer is pointing the finger at the consumers.. because they aren’t his customers.
He’s not serving his customers.. he’s serving the DEVELOPERS.
“softly spoken, shy and retiring”?!?
Not from what I’ve seen…
“Steve modestly said that Microsoft knew more about security than anyone else in the world”
THATS MODEST???
He’s just a finger pointer… first he blames music piracy on iPod users and now he blames Windows users for the security problems that Microsoft created.
“Steve modestly said that Microsoft knew more about security than anyone else in the world”
Yea, he puts on his little cop suit and drives around the Microsoft parking lot in a golf cart.
read the actual article. i noted a sense of sarcasm in the tone of Dr. Ballmer’s “modesty” and “quiet” and “soft spoken”ness.
the media is well aware of his recent rants – “iPod users are thieves” – and his history. it was a tongue-in-cheek report.
Don’t knock it, “Blame the victims” works.
(It’s about to get us a new president… God help us.)
Americans aren’t stupid enough to think Kerry is good at anything but marrying rich women, are they?
Can you imagine that Heinz bitch as first lady?
And you think the world is laughing at you now.
Irony and sarcasm are sometimes lost on people. The RIAA is suing its customers and Microsoft is blaming their customers. I guess both think the customer is always wrong. The free marketplace must be on extended vacation.
How about that, let’s blame the users for Microsoft’s insecure lousy operating system. Way to go Balmer!
I think it would be a great time to switch to OSX so you Windows users won’t be blamed anymore.
Get smart and buy a Mac. Problems solved.
Next, Balmer will blame the Programers, programers, programers, programers….
In related news, eating turkey at Thanksgiving causes snow accumulation in vast portions of the United States…
Poor Steve Ballmer… Selling soap for Satan worshippers was never this hard…
“…..shy and retiring…”
Uhhhh yeah…when he does his monkey dance..
When I had Windows, I kept it updated constantly and yet I still wasn’t secure. I had to also constantly update both my Anti-Virus and SpyBot software to keep all of the junk out as well. I keep OS X updated as well, but I probably spend 1/10th the amount of time each week dealing with updates/patches as I did with Windows, yet I’m probably 100x more secure. Windows is a joke, but sweaty boy just can’t and won’t ever admit it. To blame the customer is just flat out ridiculous.
He’s Right
Microsoft makes the classic fatal mistake of putting the its own and other businesses FIRST and its public customer base SECOND. According to Microsoft, it’s the customers fault that its operating system is so poor.
Same with its WM format. It’s NOT aimed at the interests of its public customer base – in fact it is very much AGAINST them. The logical goal of Windows Media is to STOP people reproducing media (even for their own use) unless Microsoft gets paid. In the Microsoft ‘perfect future’ no one will be able to unlock and record even a TV programme without paying a royalty to Bill Gates.
The looming battle is between a powerful business using its vast resources to ‘win the hearts and minds’ of the public before softly softly locking them into a heavily restrictive and punitive media format ‘for their own good’.
That’s a joke. How can MS be so ignorant to the fact that their OS is insecure? Even when the OS is kept patched daily, there are more holes found. MS can take that excuse and shove it.
Ballmer is a joke. You can tell he was once a salesman.
Steve Ballmer reminds me of Karl Rove. Blame the opposition for the exact things you do.
Steve Ballmer reminds me of John KERRY. Blame the opposition for the exact things you do.
The one and only one thing that Steve Ballmer-man does right in his entire life is to room with Bill Gates!!! Nothing else!! Steve is a typical used car salesman, if you buy a used car from him and the car breaks down, he will blame you for not buying extended warranty. Better yet, Steve will blame you for not buying a brand new car from him!!!!