“Some members of Microsoft’s board of directors feel the need to keep their chief executive under closer scrutiny,” Richard Waters reports for The Financial Times.
MacDailyNews Take: Uh oh, some of them finally woke up!
Waters continues, “That does not mean that Steve Ballmer’s job is on the line – at least, not yet. But it does show that some on the board are getting restless about the company’s performance under his 11-year watch. And there may be few catalysts that will make things look any better in the short term to make his position any more comfortable.”
“Two people who have talked to Microsoft directors recently tell us that they have heard some expressions of misgiving about Mr Ballmer’s leadership, and suggest that he is coming under greater pressure to raise the company’s game,” Waters reports. “Our sources don’t believe the chief executive is vulnerable – certainly not as long as Bill Gates remains loyal to his old associate – but it is a sign that Microsoft’s boardroom has been feeling the heat.”
MacDailyNews Take: Now hold on a second! Just because the esteemed Mr. Ballmer responds to the question, “What’s your tablet strategy?” with 10-second-long blank stares followed by clueless gobbledegook does not mean he doesn’t have a strategy. We like his strategy. We like it a lot. May Steve Balmer remain Microsoft CEO for as long as it takes!™
Waters continues, “There are two very good reasons for the anxiety: the stock price and the iPad. After a decade of underperformance, 2010 really stank for Microsoft shareholders… Devices such as the iPad are seen by some as an existential threat to the traditional PC. Mr Ballmer admitted last year that Microsoft missed a generation of mobile software, putting it well behind the iPhone. But he then went on to compound the problem by underestimating the demand for touchscreen tablets.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: While we’ve been expecting this for quite awhile, we don’t like the sound of this one bit. Godspeed, you big dumb monkey, Godspeed.
Crap! They’re on to us!
Who let those independent rational people on the board? Who do they think they are?
You don’t. Say.
(great pic, btw)
I love the pic from Dr. Strangelove. Very appropriate.
NO! NO! We like Ballmer. He does an outstanding job leading Microsoft into the abyss.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
Ballmer is the one with the Humongous Reality Distortion Field.
It has worked on his Board of Directors for a decade now.
Microstock!!! Hahaha.
That’s just ruining one of the great screen images of all time. That’s not right. Not right.
FTA: “The software company’s board has sent a very public signal that its chief could do better. Mr Ballmer was handed only part of his target bonus this year, with the rest withheld because of the failure to move faster in mobile computing.”
I say Apple should step up to the plate and pay the remainder of the bonus. Heck they could even double it as an incentive for future innovative initiatives!
The photoshopped image of Slim Pickens on the ICBM is priceless! Laughed out loud for several minutes at that.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!
Leave Mr Ballmer where he is board members! He is doing a sterling job!! If you replace him and the business tanks, you will be in the unenviable position that Apple Electronics board was in a few years ago!
Ballmer is doing great. All they need to do is look at the list of innovative products they have release recently. Here let me list it for you.
1…………………………………………………………………………… Hold on, I’m still looking…..
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
NO! Ballmer ROCKS? You must keep him.
Those director’s investments are diversified enough. They’d be happier if the owned some Apple stock.
Still negative function on bomb bay doors.
Go check it out, Major Ballmer..
@ 84 Mac Guy – ditto – absolutely priceless. Perhaps we should start using “Major Dong” as a soubriquet for the Fool Ballmer. 😀
“…some on the board are getting restless about the company’s performance…”
Gee – d’ye think (different)?
=:~)
@ Buster
Right on!!
Sent from my iPhone
At least Bill could copy & steal well… Balmer can’t even do that right! He’s got NOTHING!
10 years of under performance… and AMD’s Chief Executive only had 1 year and they fire him….
BALLMER!
BALLMER!
BALLMER!
TEN MORE YEARS!
TEN MORE YEARS!
Okay, FIVE!
Just give him FIVE MORE YEARS!
BALLMER! BALLMER!
HE’S OUR MAN!
IF HE CAN’T DO IT
NO-ONE CAN!
YAAAAAAAAY,
BALLMER!!
Let’s just hope they recycle some other slow-witted doofus from inside the company up to the penthouse suite. Things could continue on unchanged.
Kubrick just rolled over in his pod bay doors, Hal.
no, No, NO!!!!!!
Leave him in!
It’s too late for Ballmer or anyone else.
For the last decade Apple has been pumping out insanely great and innovative products and they now have what MS has now lost, the confidence and respect of the American consumer.
They have no way of regaining it before Apple completely dominates every market. The game is over except for the very bottom end of the market where MS will probably dwell for quite a while yet.