“A sprawling Spanish Mediterranean resort was the setting for the elite of the technology and media industries last week, where executives gathered amid swaying palms, gurgling pools and lush floral carpets of purple bougainvillea and pink lantana on the grounds at the Four Seasons resort [in Carlsbad, CA],” Therese Poletti reports for MarketWatch.
“Front and center on the minds of many attendees at the All Things Digital conference was the state of the U.S. economy, the still-growing number of Web 2.0 start-up companies, and Microsoft Corp.’s failed attempt to buy Yahoo Inc.,” Poletti reports. “‘I’m mystified,’ said News Corp. chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch, in an evening interview with co-hosts Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. ‘I cannot understand the whole thing.'”
Poletti reports, “One clear picture in the future is that Microsoft appears to be in the midst of the ‘innovators dilemma’ and is lacking in vision, as well as innovation. Its sneak peak at the conference of Windows 7, its next version of its cash cow operating system, was another copycat attempt of Apple Inc. and its touch-screen technology in the iPhone.”
Full article here.
Microsoft would first have to be an innovator in order to face an “innovator’s dilemma.” Microsoft’s just in a plain old dilemma: How to rip-off Apple again when, this time, there’s no unprepared sugared water salesbozo around to sign away the company jewels?
another priceless microsoft moment
Salesbozo. LOL.
Was Sculley that bad? :p
MaLvado,
Other than nearly killing Apple by stupidly giving away the Mac’s GUI to Microsoft, no, Sculley wasn’t that bad.
“…this time, there’s no unprepared sugared water salesbozo around to sign away the company jewels?”
I don’t get this.
Ahh yes, Sculley.
Sculley nearly destroyed Apple by trying to sell overpriced boxes to corporations. He grew Apple’s profits and made them a bigger company, but had no plan when that market suddenly hit a dead end during the PC price wars. His two successors just continued to move along the same path.
Eleven years of Steve Jobs just proves that Apple’s roots are that of a consumer company, and I applaud them for not taking the cheapo way out and selling out to the enterprise and that race-to-the-bottom market.
@Thomas
You will have to read a little about the company history. Google John Sculley. Then you will get it.
Innovator’s Dilemma. That’s a good one.
When Apple had such a tiny marketshare and was essentially flying under everyone’s radar, except for the enlightened few, it was EASY for Microsoft to copy nearly everything that came out of the Mac OS.
Under the shining light of the iPod, then iPhone and the increasing awareness of the wonders of Mac OS X, more and more people are actually, FINALLY aware of what Apple has to offer. So, when Microsoft releases yet another batch of painfully blatant copies of Apple products’ features, it’s obvious to a large segment of the techno-savvy community.
The reaction to Vista’s Exposé rip off a few years ago was lukewarm.
The reaction to the Windows 7 Dock and such was deafening. Gates and Ballmer seemed stunned that the press actually noticed what they were up to.
How does Microsoft manage to shamelessly copy Apple, pawn those ideas off as their own “vision” and “innovation”, yet still manage to have no one notice? THAT’S the real quandary Microsoft faces today and in the future.
Microsoft’s FUD Machine™ has run out of steam.
“Microsoft CEO Ballmer grilled at Four Seasons resort”
But once they trimmed away the gobs of fat, gristle and fecal matter, there was nothing left to serve to the guests.
I blame the guy that hired that unprepared sugared water salesbozo.
Who was that idiot?
Steve who?
Oh, that Steve.
Thanks Ampar! I think I just threw up a little…
Welcome.
“Microsoft CEO Ballmer grilled at Four Seasons resort”
I hope there were no Jewish people or Muslimin at the resort; those people are easily offended when offered pork.
Thomas
John Sculley, who was recruited by and then displaced Steve Jobs as CEO of Apple was originally VP of sales at Pepsi.
In the face of Sculley’s initial reticence to acquiesce to Steve’s siren call to join Apple, Jobs apparently used a line that went something like “Do you want to sell sugared water for the rest of your life or do you want to come and do something that really matters?”
“Microsoft CEO Ballmer grilled at Four Seasons resort”
The number of lunch orders for grilled cheese sandwiches fell off noticeably the following day.
Back to the topic…
Ballmer on a grill?
That sounds like one smokey barbecue to me?
Also, how much mesquite would you need?
“Also, how much mesquite would you need?”
Most of central Texas has been cleared.
I also read that they wanted to jam an Apple into his mouth before grilling.
Grilled Ballmer for lunch!? uh… I think Windows Vista was not selling well, that is why Microsoft decided to sell Grilled Ballmer!
Why is Four Season selling fast food now? Shaky economy, lower standards?
“Grilled Ballmer for lunch!?”
There were enough tongue sandwiches to feed everyone in Carlsbad and nearby Camp Pendleton.
“Microsoft would first have to be an innovator in order to face an “innovator’s dilemma.” Microsoft’s just in a plain old dilemma: How to rip-off Apple again when, this time, there’s no unprepared sugared water salesbozo around to sign away the company jewels?”
You nailed it right there. That idiot signed off on Apples jewels and bent over and told MS in his Oliver Twist voice “please sir may I have some more”.
He’s as much part of this monopoly as MS sneaky business practices.
the article you link to says nothing at all about Windows 7 and innovation.
“But once they trimmed away the gobs of fat, gristle and fecal matter, there was nothing left to serve to the guests.”
@Ampar, in fact all that was left was a gerbil but I won’t say where they found it
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To Glorfindeal:
FTFA:
“So while investors look at reaping rewards in their stock, sometimes on a short-term basis, CEOs are looking at the big picture. And one clear picture in the future is that Microsoft appears to be in the midst of the “innovators dilemma” and is lacking in vision, as well as innovation. Its sneak peak at the conference of Windows 7, its next version of its cash cow operating system, was another copycat attempt of Apple Inc. (AAPL: 187.16, +1.06, +0.6%) and its touch-screen technology in the iPhone.”
Microsoft will need to apply all the intellectual resources it has to circumvent the more recently heavily patented intellectual property in Macs/iPods/iPhone.
Here’s an idea. Why not apply all that intellectual energy to genuine innovation, rather than being a smart copycat?
I understand that this would mean a major cultural change for Microsoft:)