“When Microsoft went public in 1986, there was no 3-D videogaming, no enterprise software, and no Google. Two decades and $285 billion in market cap later, CEO Steve Ballmer is facing a stagnant stock price and more competition than ever. His strategy? Take the offensive,” Telis Demos reports for Fortune. “Microsoft is about to roll out new versions of Windows and Office.”
Demos spoke to Ballmer, whom he inexplicably describes as “affable” about what Sony’s troubles mean for the Xbox 360 game system, the future of advertising and why his kids shun iPods. Here are two choice snippets:
Demos: Do you have an iPod?
Ballmer: No, I do not. Nor do my children. My children–in many dimensions they’re as poorly behaved as many other children, but at least on this dimension I’ve got my kids brainwashed: You don’t use Google, and you don’t use an iPod.
Demos: Think you can you crack the iPod market?
Ballmer: It’s going to take an innovative proposition. In five years are people really going to carry two devices? One device that is their communication device, one device that is music? There’s going to be a lot of opportunities to get back in that game. We want to be in that game. Expect to see announcements from us in that area in the next 12 months.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: So, Ballmer has to brainwash his own kids not to use the best choices in favor of Microsoft’s “solutions” and once again promises “announcements” that conveniently always seem to be 12 months off. Microsoft is “about” to roll out new versions of Windows and Office? It depends on your definition of the word “about,” we guess. Is this guy really CEO material?
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Am I the only who think the picture is a cheap shot?
The beauty of a black mock turtleneck is that if you are sweating it really doesn’t show.
I bet his kids saved their lunch money and got friends to buy iPods for them. Check their book bags! Look out for those chairs kids!
The poor kids! They have to hide their iPods where Daddy Ballmer won’t find them, along with their weed.
And Mommy Ballmer has probably stashed her iPod where she keeps her “facial massager”.
You know that his kids MUST have an iPod somewhere (they’re rich, they probably have a couple). He doesn’t know about it, but they have one.
And when they’re at their friends’ place or at school they Google, just like the rest of the world.
To force his kids not to use something because it competes with his company’s offerings is insecure and insane. Instead of convincing his kids by making a product that’s actually better, he’s strong-arming and brainwashing. This guy is destroying Microsoft.
I love Apple and I want it to succeed (and it is), so this guy may be the best thing to happen to Apple. But wouldn’t it be better if there were two companies making quality products and spurring each other on to better, cheaper and more effecient things?
billyboy:
Portable gaming plus a music player is just about the stupidest idea I’ve heard of. Now go back to playing with your schlong.
MS appointing this clown CEO is one of the best things that has happened to Apple
this is hilarious, the mw is children. as in i feel sorry for this man’s children. or his children are going to hate him when then grow up. or i wonder if his children secretly own ipods and he just doesn’t know it. maybe balmer should listen to his children to see what the next innovative product will be.
oh, and last but not least:
children as in holly sh*t this man has children!
I hope Ballmer man has a better looking wife so his children won’t be as ugly as he is.
Make me an heir to $12B and I’ll gladly skip Google and iPods….
Proves that Microsoft really sees other companies as big threats and has to treat them as mortal enemies.
He’d have got much more credit by saying ‘of course they have iPods and they always go at me for not making something better’…
He smacks of a Dictator. Bit like Hugo Chavez running Venezuela… totally barking mad.
WOW! That pig has children? If he were not so rich he would never have gotten laid.
Ballmer is gone within 8 months.
I don’t mean this as jest but, if I was made CEO on the same days as Ballmer at MS until this very day, MS would be in the exact same position. Meaning? During those days, a rabbit could have ridden that wave and received the same accolades.
He is talentless and a big part of the problem that MS is in.
The pipeline has been clogged for three years plus.
I’m really disgusted at someone who brainwashes his kids not to use the best options for their needs. Bad, sweaty CEO, that’s funny. Bad, sweaty parent, that’s ungodly.
As MDN has pointed out before, what’s the point of being a multibillionaire if you’re forced to use a second-rate OS or music player? We non-billionaires have far richer (and more enjoyable) lives than poor Monkey Boy.
“You don’t use Google, and you don’t use an iPod.”
This is like eh..corporate punsihment?
God forbid they actually find what they need on the web and have a useful mp3 player.
He’s turning them into mac users anyway, they’ll start rebelling soon enough. Hah!
Great to see Balmer’s household has the Monopoly Stanglehold Mentality© too.
At least the guy is consistent…forcing inferior products on anyone he can.
dunno connor MacBook. Ask Steve Jobs.
Ballmer is a real piece of work ……….
He wont let his kids use a iPod?
and all the millions of people who upgraded from windoze 95 to XP
so they could use their iPod
where is the gratitude?
BALLMER iPOD AD ……..
http://www.macboy.com/cartoons/ballmer/
I think the authorities should be alerted to this admission of brainwashing the kids. I really think a full investigation is in order….NOW……..
This guy amazes me. The CEO of one of the hugest organisations in the world and he’s so gobsmackingly unprofessional. His answers in interviews always seem to be poorly considered. Surely Bill could find someone better than this?!?
Is this guy CEO material? Of course he is- he’s spouting the generic IT garbage that most of ’em do- especially the CIO, who totally depends upon the microsoft teat to spray his minions and keep his job.
ok – i know this is buried in the feedback stream, and this might get edited out, but…
i propose i new nickname for monkeyboy. looking at the above photo, i here-by decree monkeyboy to be refered to as “HAND-JOB BOY” forthwith.
Brainwashing? Brainwashing sounds like what the dictatorships do. Our things are good and the rest is evil.
Wouldn’t that be educating in the use of non Apple or Google solutions?. Wouldn’t it be better for him to admitt he educates his children to purchase logically and with head, to be responsible consumers (and here, we have to respect that he thinks that Apple things are not the best options, despite we do not share his views. After all this depends on the subject. We should accept his way of thinking). But no, he seems not to think this way, he seems just an everything-non-M$ hater. This are just enterprise oriented voices. Perhaps he’s got an iPod (now this way he knows this is not thr product for him). Well…
Someone said:
“WOW! That pig has children?W
Well, sure he should loose a lot of weight. But you know, perhaps he’s a good father . We cannot tell. There’s a difference between having a child and being a father, u know……
Expect to see announcements from us in that area in the next 12 months – or is that 14 months? Hmm, wait a minute … could be 16 months. Lets make it 24 for safety’s sake. Oh, I didn’t think about the shakedown period … nor security! That’s a big one … let me see … 24 … 12 … 6 … ham sandwich … I make it, uhh … six months. And three years, yeah! For sure. Definite! Oh, the developers … [mumbles: developers, developers, developers …] three years and six makes 43 [sic] plus Bill’s bash … 50 months. And that’s F.I.N.A.L. Maybe.
Now excuse me while I get a ham sandwich. <i>Hasta la Vista,/i>.