“Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has flopped his final keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, presenting a bizarre display that was hosted by US entertainment personality Ryan Seacrest and included a ‘tweet choir,’ but virtually no new significant announcements,” Asher Moses reports for The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Several demos failed, and attendees were dismayed that a rumoured new Xbox 720 console wasn’t revealed,” Moses reports. “One attendee remarked at the end “thank god it was the last year” – reflecting the mood in the audience and of the live bloggers covering the speech.”
Moses reports, “The keynote was “hosted” by entertainment personality Ryan Seacrest. It was conducted in an interview format, a departure from previous years, and attendees noted the exchange was awkward and felt scripted, while Seacrest had little knowledge about the technologies being discussed… Ballmer said he was ‘excited and upbeat’ about Windows Phone 7 despite dismal sales worldwide and a relative lack of support from telcos and handset makers… One demo, showcasing WP7’s voice-to-text SMS, failed, with the software only picking up the word ‘sounds’ in the phrase ‘sounds great.’ Another demo then failed and the Microsoft staffer had to reach for a different phone.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Excerpts from a BusinessWeek interview with Steve Jobs, October 12, 2004:
Steve Jobs: Apple had a monopoly on the graphical user interface for almost 10 years. That’s a long time. And how are monopolies lost? Think about it. Some very good product people invent some very good products, and the company achieves a monopoly. But after that, the product people aren’t the ones that drive the company forward anymore. It’s the marketing guys or the ones who expand the business into Latin America or whatever. Because what’s the point of focusing on making the product even better when the only company you can take business from is yourself? So a different group of people start to move up. And who usually ends up running the show? The sales guy… Then one day, the monopoly expires for whatever reason. But by then the best product people have left, or they’re no longer listened to. And so the company goes through this tumultuous time, and it either survives or it doesn’t.
BusinessWeek: Is this common in the industry?
Steve Jobs: Look at Microsoft — who’s running Microsoft?BusinessWeek: Steve Ballmer.
Steve Jobs: Right, the sales guy. Case closed.
Painful just painful!!
Failure at CES 2012 “Sounds Great” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96gAHYQBV0c
Rumor has it Steve Jobs was having fun altering the electrical field in the room.
^ Like!
Actual conversation after reading this article:
Me: “Siri, remind me never to buy a Windows Mobile Phone”.
Siri: “When would you like me to remind you”.
Me: “Every day.”
here’s a cool easter egg – press cancel and a CANCELLED stamp get stuck onto the appointment.
It’s the little things that count…
nitpick: an Easter egg is some hidden feature that has to be dug up. This is in plain sight as part of a normal operation. Yes it’s a nice touch, but not an Easter egg.
Apologies Mr. Mossman 🙂
“Another demo then failed and the Microsoft staffer had to reach for a different phone.” — Yeah, an iPhone!! 😀
On another note, they really should use a lapel mic on Ballmy, that face mic looks really creepy.
You almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost
No. Not even a little bit.
The guy has no clue he is an idiot ….. Feel sorry, NOT ….
Take one look at his paycheck and you’ll stop feeling sorry for him.
I’d feel sorry for the share holders but they deserve what they have.
No.
With Ballmer’s bear hug enthusiasm, maybe MS should start diversifying and start buying sports teams, and get stadiums named after them, bowl games, etc.
I like that strategy. I like it a lot!
My friends kid just got hired by MS to work on this phone mess. I told him not to expect to be there for too long.
So long Steve! We hardly knew ye!
If all the attendees’s were looking for was the next generation of the red ring of death, what does that say about Microsoft?
MDN – not to be flippant but Microsoft is hardly newsworthy
Not even when they’re TRYING to be. It’s a wonder to me that Gates & The MS Board don’t see this flunky of a buffoon embarrassing the company and kick him out posthaste. I guess when you’re Skipper Ballmer’s “little buddy” you get a special license to be a Village Idiot CEO. And yes, for as long as it takes…
I love reading the Job’s qoute time and again!
I know, to sad he will not be writing this stuff anymore. I know that when interviewed and when giving his keynotes, he rehearsed, but he also did a lot of his own writing and his insight was invaluable.
Has anyone at the asylum bothered to report this guy as missing?
Since they probably own Apple stock, my bet’s on “No”.
“Microsoft CEO Ballmer crashes and burns in final CES keynote…” “OH, THE HUMANITY!”
“Oh, the huge manatee!”
HA!
LOL! Thanks for the laugh.
They’re creepy and they’re kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re all together ooky,
The Ballmer Family.
Their house is a museum
But folks still come to see ’em
They really are a scream
The Ballmer Family.
I just checked the full article… the photo of Ballmer and Seacrest about to hug looks like a killer whale about to take a seal.
Seacrest’s contract stipulated that ONLY pre-sweat-stain bear hugs would be acceptable.
All those pics are hilarious!!
I was disappointed. No final Monkey Dance.
SHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What are you trying to do?!?!?!?
He’s a fine CEO, just fine!
Doing a fine job. The company turns a profit quarter after quarter. No reason to change anything.
For as long as it takes.
Shame someone didn’t get the chance to slip a live grenade in his shourts before he hit the stage… Two for one day!!!
Are you kidding me? We need Ballmer to steer this ship all the way to the bottom. He’s indispensable! He should be protected at all costs!
And for as long as it takes. Then maybe he can CEO Google next.
Steve Ballmer is a republican.
http://www.nndb.com/people/644/000022578/