“Microsoft has gone from being a feared technology powerhouse to being a mocked has-been and shell of its former self. The glory days of being able to run roughshod over competitors and instill a sense of terror in rivals have come to a screeching halt as competitors such as Google, Sony, and Apple have rolled out incredible products and services that put Microsoft’s own products to shame,” Jim Lynch writes for ExtremeTech.
MacDailyNews Take: Anyone that displays a totally disregard of ethics and the law should be feared. Microsoft was never feared for its quality or ability to innovate, because they never displayed either attribute. They were feared because they had a monopoly that they were quite fond of illegally abusing.
Lynch continues, “But why? What’s been happening inside of Microsoft that has resulted in the former software giant becoming a pale echo of its former self? Well they say that a fish rots from the head down and in Microsoft’s case the fish’s head has been rotting and stinking up the technology world for a long time and, frankly, it’s time for him to go.”
“Yup, it’s time for Steve Ballmer to be fired and for Microsoft to find new, fresh leadership while Ballmer is put out to pasture like an age-hobbled cow (or is it horses that get put out to pasture when they get older? Well whatever, I’ll just go with the cow thing). Well…actually…come to think of it…not all cows get put out to pasture, some get turned into hamburger. Give him his due, Ballmer would make one hell of a hamburger patty these days,” Lynch writes.
Lynch’s top ten reasons Steve Ballmer should be fired – plus a bonus reason, too:
10. Microsoft’s Stock Price
9. Overheating Xboxes
8. Nobody’s Scared of Microsoft
7. Incredibly lame and stupid attempt to take over Yahoo
6. The Google Obsession (while Apple lurks)
5. Web 2.0
4. Windows Mobile & the iPhone
3. The Zune: The only people who’ve bought Zunes are either anti-Apple ideologues or masochists who enjoy being abused by Microsoft.
2. Windows 7: Illustrates Microsoft’s penchant for stealing from Apple. Apparently Microsoft has already stolen…excuse me…incorporated “multi-touch” into a preliminary version of Windows 7. While they say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, I doubt Apple’s lawyers will see it that way and I suspect there will be a lawsuit if Windows 7 comes with anything resembling the multi-touch features already found on the iPhone.
1. Windows Vista
Bonus: Microsoft’s Big Ass Table: One of the stupidest and most useless things in the history of mankind.
Lynch writes, “Ballmer needs to be removed by Microsoft’s board and replaced by somebody who can give the aging and increasingly feeble company new life and a bold new direction.”
The full article describes and explains each point on the list in detail – recommended – here.
Lynch can write whatever he wants, but we fervently hope that Steve Ballmer continues to run Microsoft for as long as it takes.
Balmer as a Burger? Mad Cow anyone? Yum.
I hope the man never gets fired..his mis-steps will allow apple to further penetrate into various markets…
With so many to choose from, I’m amazed he could go with just 11.
Those are the ten reasons he should stay 😀
GIVE IT UUPPPPP!!! GIVE IT UP FOR MEEEEEE!!!!
WHOO HOOOO!!!!!!
I….
LOVE….
THIS COMPANYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cows down get put out to pasture, they get put out as patties.
Mad Cow is definitely a risk.
As for Ballmer’s kids, imagine they go off to college and their roommates are Apple users. Daddy sees that, and offers to buy the roommate a top of the line Dell, a Zune, an XBox, a Moto Q, etc.
The second luckiest roommate assignment in history (after Ballmer and Gates).
Errr … or maybe not.
Microsoft has done so much “good” for business and technology. Ballmer is doing for Microsoft what Microsoft did for so many companies over the years.
Ballmer IS Microsoft’s karma, man.
That hamburger analogy is pretty stunning, I must say.
Ballmer could always get a job in a dance studio…
Barbecued Balmer Burgers are full of bull!
One reason he will never be fired… he knows M$’s dirty secrets.
Just ten?
A Balmerburger??? Now THAT would be well marbled meat. But toxic just like his software products.
My top 10 reasons to KEEP Steve Balmer (until the stock goes to $0) plus my bonus reason:
10. Microsoft’s Stock Price
9. Overheating Xboxes
8. Nobody’s Scared of Microsoft
7. Incredibly lame and stupid attempt to take over Yahoo
6. The Google Obsession (while Apple lurks)
5. Web 2.0
4. Windows Mobile & the iPhone
3. The Zune: The only people who’ve bought Zunes are either anti-Apple ideologues or masochists who enjoy being abused by Microsoft.
2. Windows 7: Illustrates Microsoft’s penchant for stealing from Apple. Apparently Microsoft has already stolen…excuse me…incorporated “multi-touch” into a preliminary version of Windows 7. While they say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, I doubt Apple’s lawyers will see it that way and I suspect there will be a lawsuit if Windows 7 comes with anything resembling the multi-touch features already found on the iPhone.
1. Windows Vista
Bonus: Microsoft’s Big Ass Table: One of the stupidest and most useless things in the history of mankind.
“Top Ten” out of how many?
Does it involve exponents?
“Top ten reasons why Steve Ballmer should be fired”
No one makes a kiln large enough.
“No one makes a kiln large enough.”
Well, he could just stick his head in, and not light the pilot…
To me, Ballmer is pure and wild entertainment…keep him around a few more years…I wonder how many dividend hungry MSFT investors have actually seen the armpit monkey dance video…it’ll make you think twice.
What amazes me is that the mainstream media has not picked up on this so far, yet they take every opportunity to attack Steve Jobs as being too secretive or controlling or what not.
All CEO’s of public corporations should be evaluated every few years for their performance. Say once every 4 years. If they don’t pass (0-100 / A-F scale?) then they should be fined/penalized/reprimanded or discarded/fired etc. Or put on probation for 2 years. Something needs to be done to ensure accountability.
I agree – keep Ballmer in charge as long as possible. The more software companies that can develop in the interim, the better.
[url=”
“]Here is a rare photograph of Steve Ballmer explaining the invisible rectal probe designed to monitor and influence consumer behavior
that he dreamed up over a long weekend of bourbon and mixed doubles.[/url]
“(0-100 / A-F scale?)”
For Ballmer, they would need to use the Enhanced Fujita.
Microsoft – perpetrator of deception and fraud since 1982.
What’s wrong with Steve Ballmer staying in charge of a company with that as its tagline?
“We hope that Steve Ballmer continues to run Microsoft for as long as it takes.”
straight to the ground.
Turn him into hamburger. How about turning him into glue. All of the animals mentioned in the article have been used to make Elmer’s and other fine products.
Grilled (http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/17435/),
then fired.
I perceive a theme.
Funny that the list doesn’t mention Microsoft’s failure to bring a revolution in PC security despite a gigantic flagship product, and their failure to bring any new thoughts to the way people work with computing despite a talented (and expensive) staff. And that it’s obvious why — management hubris prevents development teams within Microsoft from being organized like the small, focused groups of brilliant people that brought us things like Unix, the Internet, and, well, the Mac.