“I’ve just stepped out of the hall where Steve Ballmer’s had his first bash at being the main event at CES,” Bobbie Johnson blogs for The Guardian.
“He made a nod to the Gloomy Economic Climate, largely by saying it didn’t matter so much if you were an innovative company,” Johnson blogs.
MacDailyNews Take: Then Microsoft ought to be worried. Good for their nerves that they’ve deluded themselves into thinking that creating bad, upside-down and backwards knockoff of Apple products is “innovation.”
Johnson continues, “But then, after doing the usual CES routine (that is: talking about how the world and its citizens are now connected through technology) he started ripping through a series of pretty-much-as-expected announcements.”
“So: Windows 7 beta is available now for developers, and will be globally available on Friday,” Johnson reports. “Windows Live will be integrating with Facebook – through Facebook Connect – and Microsoft is now in a partnership with Dell to pre-install a whole bunch of Windows Live stuff on their consumer PCs (edging out Google, which a Microsoft spokesman was very pleased about earlier on today when I spoke with him).”
Johnson reports, “Ballmer doesn’t do any demos himself, instead handing the work over to a series of other presenters: first a perky demo lady came on and showed us around a few aspects of Windows 7 (multitouch; exposing your desktop with one move – sound familiar?).”
MacDailyNews Take: Why, yes, it certainly does.
Johnson continues, “Finally he does return, to tell us about the way that computing’s going to develop – more integration, devices that understand each other and the internet, and smarter software. Sidenote: Ballmer has really big hands. I mean big. Like snow shovels. Maybe that’s why he can’t do demos.”
Johnson writes, “I think a C plus is the absolute best I can muster.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “James W.,” “Chris,” and “Judge Bork” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: At least they didn’t throw eggs.
CES 2009 Microsoft Windows 7 Demos:
Microsoft CEO Ballmer tells packed house who’s flocking to Apple’s Mac and iPhone/iPod touch platforms:
“In a partnership with Dell to pre-install a whole bunch of Windows Live stuff on their consumer PCs.
Sheesh the news for Dell today is really crap.
Boy he sweats alot!
The only thing Apple arm-twists their buyers to see on the desktop is that dumb purple space screen, but one click on desktop in the preference pane fixes that.
I can’t imagine buying a PC with pre-installed 3rd party software, especially on the desktop.
He did a good job….Balmer I mean. You could tell he was trying to control his urge to start screaming jumping around like the ol monkey boy we love (not really). The keynote he made in and of itself was well done.
The content of that keynote wasn’t all that great though.
It was kinda boring and masked the fact that Microsoft is in a bit of trouble.
Even so, MSFT ain’t going out of business anytime soon.
Takes some might big hands to sling those chairs around, plus the monkey dance is more authentic looking too.
Macworld was slightly boring. CES new definition of boring is really an understatement. C’mon, this year somebody has to have a 175″ flat screen. WiMax will never get off the ground, except in S.Korea.
Soon, CES will just be full of even more 3rd party iPhone and iPod touch accesories. We all really know the next platform, don’t we.
Throw eggs?
What a waste. Although, it would be fun to watch him snatch them out of midair with his mouth. He’s one insatiably hungry bastard.
Learn from the Iraqis: throw shoes.
Shoes with dog poo on them.
Duck, Ballmer duck. Duck. Duck. Duck.
Olternaut… It’s hard for Microsoft to prep a keynote, when they spend so much time waiting for Apple to announce new products. Or MS is busy writing checks to “journalists” who write Apple trashing articles.
I tried…I really tried to watch that Keynote. I wanted to see how the other half lives and such. Apparently the other half lives in the 1980s and is more boring then dirt. I could only get through about 15-20 min before I felt my body start to die inside.
You mean the other 90%
Let’s judge Windows 7 for what it is. No need for personal attacks at Ballmer. I love OS X and have no intention of buying a computer running Windows as my main OS anytime soon. However, let’s not be totally immature about MS and Windows. OS competition makes OS X and Apple better too.
DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERSDEVELOPERSDEVELOPERS DEVELOPERSDEVELOPERSDEVELOPERSDEVELOPERS
@immature comments
While I do agree that personal attacks on Ballmer aren’t very productive (funny, but not productive), I see no reason to hold out hope that Windows 7 will be good. After 24 years of windows being absolute crap, wrapped in more crap, I can’t see Windows 7 being anything more. The only halfway decent features will probably be the ones blatantly ripped off from OS X, and those will be done ass-backwards I’m sure.
Microsoft has used Windows to change the world but not for the better. They’ve probably held technology back a good 5-10 years maybe more.
Maybe with all that profuse sweating and being noticeably overweight, maybe Mr Ballmer has some medical issues that he should be disclosing. He does not look really healthy in this video.
As a CEO of a major corporation that controls 90% of the market we have a right to know.
People actually complained about Apple Keynote. The Microsoft keynote was a complete snorefest. Nothing revolutionary or innovative, unless you call copying Apple stuff innovative. Love how RB tried to pump up Zune as a success.
FaceBook integration? Yes, windows is really a business professional OS….. and don’t forget “Windows Movie Maker”, I haven’t see any body using it, but hey, its windows…..
“Microsoft is now in a partnership with Dell to pre-install a whole bunch of Windows Live stuff on their consumer PCs”
I thought Dell has just taken all the crapware off.
Is it now reversing its stance?
Or perhaps that was only some of it, or only if you paid, or only if you asked really nicely, or what?
Never mind. Who cares?
Sell the company off and give the money back to the shareholders.
Our IT guy tells me that Windows 7 will be a stripped down version of Vista. “They’re taking out everything that didn’t work.” Gee, what will be left? DOS?
Windows just offends my eyeballs.
I can’t believe that window maximising to compare the cameras got a clap. They must have people who’ve never seen a computers in the audience.
I bet the bird demoing can’t fake an orgasm,well she certainly can’t fake enthusiasm for Vista Beta 2.
I could not finish the first video, I started feeling sick.
really.
mdn magic word: method (as in Microsoft has none)
If I start to see Windows logos on my Facebook page I will cancel it on the effing spot.
I love how even the spokespeople for Microsoft even resemble the dowdy “PC” stereotype.
Nice lungs
Is it just my imagination or didn’t that “perky” girl’s hair look like she just got lai…. nevermind.
@immature comments
I hang around MDN in order to enjoy the bashing. For some reason this site gives me a sort of vibe where I’m in a bar with everyone rooting for the same team and badmouthing the competition. It even has the fan acting like a douche to get more people riled up. In other words…
Hey, Monkey Boy! Maybe if you aped (pun intended) Gates’ Butt Wiggle Windows would improve.
Honestly, I wish Windows 7 was a decent competitor (quality-wise) to OS X. I’ll still insult them but it would be tinged with respect.
Windows 7 … Microsoft is now copying the nomenclature that Apple has used for 25 years regarding their OS. Microsoft previously used a year (95, 98, 2000) or a term (ME, XP, Vista) to describe a Windows release while Apple has been using a number (1 – 10, or “X”) for Mac OS. Now, MS jumps to “7” to keep up with Apple.
If you can’t innovate, imitate.
It’s got a dock!!!
That’s all just like a Mac, but stupid! They have no shame at all. Amazing.
How embarrassing. W7 more and more copying of Mac OS X. Shameful.
Windows, please stop copying us. Teacher said it’ll get you in really big trouble.
Say no to plagiarism in Windows 7
Their keynotes have a gift at killing anythings that’s cool ,But here’s how it’s gonna play out . . . .
Apple have copyright on the dock and as far as I know have the multitouch trademark , among tons of other things . Apple has more money in the bank then microsoft . They can’t bleed Apple dry this time . I don’t think they get how screwed they’re gonna get in court . Worst case windows 7 could be pulled . It’s gonna be an interesting year for sure !
My only impressions are that the chick in the first video has a nice rack, and that Ballmer in the second video looks like he is about to have a seizure…
The article in the LA Times called Windows 7 a “stramlined version of Vista.” I guess that means its worth even less than Vista?
Wow! You guys are just being mean now by putting up that old clip. Sheesh
Microsoft is now in a partnership with Dell to pre-install a whole bunch of Windows Live stuff on their consumer PCs
YUCK.
One of the WORST things about a Windows PC (even worse than Windows itself) is all the pre-installed CRAPWARE that gets on your way and slows everything down.
MS, we don’t want your Windows Live. Don’t force-feed it to us. Fsck you!
Yet another reason to stay with XP if you gotta use Windows.
*cough* Exposé
*cough* Mac OS Dock
*cough* Open Recent
*cough* Would take me 15 seconds to “set up” a network on a Mac
*cough* AFP + BackToMyMac
*cough* AirTunes
What was that? She said “Multi-Touch!” Go get her, Apple Lawyer Hounds!
*cough* A sub-standard rip-off of Google Earth plus cruddy “multi-touch” technology = No applause, no wows, no “oooohs.”
*cough* “Life Without Walls” http://preview.tinyurl.com/8ncvqc
“Windows Live brings Windows online”
-Great. The internet is doomed.
There were a couple things in there that looked interesting, if the they can keep Balmer and the other sales drones out of it and make it fairly stable, it might actually be competition to Tiger… Maybe Leopard a little bit… I don’t mind the competition, and if they do it right and actually make a competitive product things could actually get interesting. Not that I would ever give up my MB Pro or OS X (really looking forward to Snow Leopard).
@Lomoco
I don’t want to pain myself by actually watching more than 30 seconds of their tripe. I’m wondering however did they Microsoft drones up there as for applause? I believe last CES Robbie Bach actually made some comment when no one clapped that they should clap for him…heh.
Also I love how Microsoft’s “life without walls” is dependent on using only Microsoft schlock(Windows, Windows Moblie, Windows Live). Maybe their full slogan is “Life without walls, life with ONLY Windows..you stupid motherf**kers”
the only thing that looked halfway original was the jumpList thing on unopened apps. I guess the task bar now has DockLike features. “See- you can drag an app thats not even open and put it on the task bar” … the crowd goes ooooooo.
Expose’ anyone
Airtunes anyone
Throw-up time.
I wonder what kind of hardware updates are going to be needed for ‘Windows7UltimateProAdvancedBusiness’ to handle all that new innovation.
Other than the babe, that 1st video was utterly painful.
…and I never get tired of the occasional Monkey-Boy vid!
@GoodbyeMicroschlock
Applause wasn’t very good. It’s not even close to “MacWorld” applause.
…Yeah, I didn’t make it through much of it. That woman that was talking about all that stuff… yeah… uhh, no. Not the right kind of person at all. In my opinion, she sort of sounds like she could be a frivolous heart-throbbing Microsoft. *coughs and glances at the ZuneGirl*