“After watching the opening keynote of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Wednesday night, I sat at a casino bar considering what I’d seen. When a friendly bartender asked me what I’d been up to, I explained I had just watched the CEO of Microsoft give a speech,” David M. Ewalt writes for Forbes.
“‘Bill Gates?’ he asked. ‘Wow,'” Ewalt writes. “It’s an easy mistake to make. Bill Gates gave the opening keynote at CES 12 times, including his swan song last year, after which he handed over the spot to long-time colleague–and CEO since 2000–Steve Ballmer.”
Ewalt writes, “In some ways, Ballmer didn’t have a lot to live up to. Gates may be a legend, but he’s got his intellect, not his stage presence, to thank for that.”
MacDailyNews Take: If by “intellect,” Ewalt means “total lack of ethics,” he’d be right.
Ewalt continues, “Those 12 CES keynotes were generally awkward affairs, tepid pitch-fests where the few bright points were jokes at Gates’ own expense, or when things went wrong. Gates never exhibited the whiz-bang showmanship of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, whose Macworld keynotes made fans swoon.”
“We might have anticipated a misfire even before [Ballmer’s] keynote started,” Ewalt reports. “As conference-goers filed into the room to take their seats, the loud music welcoming them included a song from The Ting Tings called ‘Shut Up And Let Me Go.’ It’s a ditty probably best known for its use in a widely broadcast TV commercial for Apple’s iPod and iTunes music store.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “JES42” for the heads up.]
Damn, I’m embarrassed — make that “drunken gorilla.”
@Gosh
Personally, I think Apple don’t need to advertise OS X and iLife (et al) as TV commercials. Remember Phil’s remarks at the keynote? Several million people visit Apple Stores day by day, where they are exposed to OS X, iLife, iWork (…) and can experience it first hand.
Plus, Apple’s own website is filled with demos and tutorials of their products.
I suspect, afterall, the ‘I’m a Mac’ ads as designed to pique interest, not sell a product. In other words, for the viewer’s own curiosity to guide them to the local Apple Store or the company website.
There’s no need to worry about people not being exposed to the Mac experience.
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As for Ballmer, why is that a surprise? I was feeling charitable, so I sat down to watch the CES keynote, and, honestly, had to close the browser window after five minutes. MS have a long, long, long way to go…
It Works!???
So, Microsoft having stupendous resources to build windows 7, and finally creating an OS that works, is a defining moment? Is that like congratulating a chef for making food that actually tastes good? I don’t despise Windows – I’m happy for the people who use the wretched beast, it puts me me higher on the ladder. As my friend says ” if it wasn’t for the losers, you wouldn’t know who was cool” lol
After Microsoft dazzles their users with promises of fantasy features, pours billions of dollars into Marketing and Development (there’s no such thing as R&D;at Microsoft), then chops them out when they’re unworkable, they simply slap a new face on the same wretched structure, market the hell out of the few keen, wicked and neat-o features that remain and sit back counting their cash as the sheep and cows line up to buy.
Vista was little more a new skin for XP.
Windows 7 is another re-skinning job for Vista.
BTW, System 7 was a great OS. It was 32-bit YEARS before DOS (the then competition) or Windows were.
I just don’t get the people who attempt to continue the myth of how terrible System 7, Mac OS 8 or 9 supposedly were. Did any of these people actually USE them? Did any of them attempt to use he competition of the time? OS 8.6 was fantastic. It was probably the peak of the “Classic” Mac OS in many ways.
Yes, OS 9 was a bit creaky, but it was still fast and stable, as long as you avoided loading too many System Extensions… unlike me. ;^)
@Andy
Well yes herding ever greater numbers into the Apple stores and Apple.com is working but I just think more positive advertising would increase that.
Still too many people say ‘Mac’s don’t have right click’, even some moderately intelligent Mac users? And I really get annoyed with the way Mac’s are presented, or rather not presented, in the stores. All should have Garageband running or a video of that or other iLife apps. I hate to see kids greeted by an empty desktop and tapping away at the keyboard until they get frustrated.
I’m still puzzled by the way Safari is so totally under-sold, just as under-stated as it’s interface. Compare that to Firefox which just can’t wait to show you what’s new or how-to, just as soon as it’s downloaded.
despite owning an apple, I don’t consider myself a fanboi. I must admit I do find it humorous, in that taking pity on a zealot kind of way, how, rather like uber religious people, you can’t tell fanbois anything, nor nothing you can say will ever get them to shift from their position one iota. It’s like they have surrounded themselves with this self-reinforcing delusion, coupled with an unflinching faith in their faultless god- steve in this case: not the making steve, but the marketing steve- and all richly shrouded with smug to be sure, and casting aspersions on the mere plebs below because it makes them feel superior. Not that they ever contributed one bit to the making of the all mighty’s Steve’s products. It’s quite fun to see…in a Flanders’ sort of way.