“It’s worth pointing out that Apple is not the only big tech company where there seems to be a disconnect, at least a superficial one, between the doom-saying of some investors and the company’s financial performance,” Nick Wingfield writes for The New York Times.
“For many investors, Steve Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft, has long been one of tech’s favorite villains. His company’s stock has lost 43 percent in value since he got Microsoft’s top job on Jan. 13, 2000. Periodically, pundits, investors and even former executives call for Mr. Ballmer to get the boot,” Wingfield writes. “During the 13 years Mr. Ballmer has led Microsoft, though, annual revenue at the company has grown 221 percent, to $73.72 billion, and profit has jumped 80 percent, to $16.98 billion. In comparison, during Mr. Cook’s 20 months as Apple’s chief executive, the company’s annual revenue has grown 45 percent, to $156.51 billion, while profits have jumped 61 percent, to $41.73 billion.”
Wingfield writes, “It’s too soon to tell whether Apple can shake off the disaffection of investors. The case of Mr. Ballmer and Microsoft, though, suggests that a company can be stuck in investor purgatory for a long time even if it keeps up profit and revenue growth.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Cook is growing what Steve Jobs built. Ballmer is coasting on what Gates’ stole from Apple way back when. One company clearly has a bright future, the other has missed every major tech market for the last decade. Zune, Kin, Windows Phone, Surface, Vista, 8ista… the list of Ballmer’s debacles goes on and on.
On his watch, Tim forgot to have Forstall label Apple Maps “beta” and the new iMacs were two months late. That’s about the litany of his mistakes. Obviously, there are big differences between Tim Cook and Ballmer T. Clown.