Posted on 12/11/2013 7:37:46 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Steve Ballmer has delivered his final interview as Microsoft CEO, talking to long-time Microsoft reporter Mary Jo Foley.
The interview is complimentary, focusing on Ballmer's successes, and cruising past his failures like mobile and tablet computing — the words "iPhone," "iPad," "Android," and "Google" don't appear.
But in celebrating Ballmer's success, we see why Microsoft is flailing today. We see why the company wants to hire Alan Mulally, a CEO that is celebrated for his turnaround expertise. It's strange to see a company expected to generate $84 billion in sales for fiscal 2014, a 7.4% annual increase, need a turnaround expert.
Here's the quote from Ballmer that pretty much explains how the company got in the position it's in: "In the last five years, probably Apple has made more money than we have. But in the last 13 years, I bet we've made more money than almost anybody on the planet. And that, frankly, is a great source of pride to me."
Ballmer explains that from day one, his job at Microsoft was to think about money.
He says he was "the business guy, whatever that meant," when Microsoft was just starting out. And from that day forward, he thought about, "How do you make money? How do you make money? How do you make money?"
He adds, "That doesn't mean nobody else ever thought about it, but 'How do you make money?' was what I got hired to do. I've always thought that way."
This is the problem with Ballmer and his run at Microsoft. His starting point for any decision at the company centers on money. He thinks about how Microsoft will make, or lose money on a product.
At Google, the product comes first, then the company starts to figure out plans for making money.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I'm well along the way with Linux. I've got a couple of machines with 7, the rest with XP and not moving beyond them. Using Mint and LMDE, depending on computer.
MS makes money off pissed customers like me because all the software I require only runs on Windows and requires MS access and excel. I can not describe my hatred of Win 8 and the ribbon toolbars of ms office.
“It however is not usable for things like “Send link by email” in Internet explorer or the “Scan to email” function on my Brother printer or email a picture from Photo Gallery program.”
Exactly. When your products don’t work with other of your own products, you gotta start asking yourself about who’s running the operation.
I was ready to move on from my Blackberry about a year ago. I started shopping. First place I looked was the Window’s Phone. I did this because synchronization with Office is a key requirement.
With version 7 of their phone OS, they dropped USB synchronization of their phones with Office. You CAN synchronize your phone, of course, if you are willing to send all of your contacts, email, and what not TO THE CLOUD. It’ll synch with the cloud.
This was before Snowden too. Then Snowden started dropping secrets about cooperation between MSFTGOOGLEYAHOO and the NSA, and I just smiled.
iPhone? Same deal - send your stuff to the cloud, and you’re good.
Android? Same deal, only with Google.
The only company that supports USB synch with Office?
Blackberry. I stuck with my Blackberry, even though at the time you couldn’t get one that had 4G support. You can now, but I can’t upgrade yet.
As for the PS4 numbers. The only reason why the numbers are even is because MSFT went worldwide while the PS4 only came out in US and CAN.
I’m not saying the Xbox One isn’t a good console, because it is. I’m saying that if the strategic goal of big IP players is to have console dominance (whether that is smartphones, PCs, tablets, or gaming devices), MSFT isn’t going to meet that goal.
My company develops software for the PC. I want MSFT to win. One set of tracks makes it easier for third party companies to flourish.
Ballmer ROYALLY screwed that up, permanently. He took his foot off of Apple’s throat, and Apple will end up coming back and killing them off as a result, only it won’t be Apple, because they never learned from their first mistake against MSFT.
Google got in there with Android, and now it isn’t even a contest. There are more Android devices out there than all other phone OS’s combined.
Even MSFT is incapable of learning from its OWN mistakes. There was a version of Office that prevented you from opening and using documents created from previous versions of Office. There was such a hue and cry about it that they ended up having to provide a free upgrader, and then they NEVER did that again for Office.
The Gaming division never learned this, apparently, from the Office division and so Xbox One players are stuck with a THE MOST expensive console with a VERY limited list of titles, utilizing ZERO of their loyal customer’s investment in their 360 console and title’s.
Mulally, if he is brave enough, should come in and teach these people some simple marketing lessons that could reestablish MSFT as a player again.
Lord knows they have the cash. They just don’t have any respect for their customers, and the killer is arrogance in strategic decision making. MSFT has a stage four case of it.
>> Ballmer explains that from day one, his job at Microsoft was to think about money.
The Business Insider’s view concerning cause of failure...
Yet another article from BI showing its liberal affinity.
Microsoft stock has been flat since Dec 2000. It went up when Steve Ballmer said he was leaving.
Windows 7 can be modified so it works ok but there are several annoyances I hate. I have downloaded several free and one paid programs to get Windows 7 to work well enough. Windows 8 comes along and you wonder if they are putting crack in their caffeinated drinks up in Redmond.
They have a desktop tile but there is no icons on that desktop and no start button to get to your files and programs....
Right click and create new folder and call it Computer. Create shortcuts to the desktop from c:\program files was how I got started then found some programs to fix other annoyances like you cannot easily change the font. You have to go into the registry to do that! Get the free Windows 8 font changer instead.
I upgraded to Windows 8.1 and it was get this, it is a 3.6GB download! The start button is next to useless. The Stardock.com version called Start8 is 7.1mb and gives you multiple start menu and options.
Windows 8 has about 1.6gb of updates from Windows update site! The bug fixes are bigger then the original install!
They added a BIG stupid arrow Switch between apps square box that won’t go away. Putting an X on it was to easily close it wasn’t sophisticated enough for them so you have to play a game. Point your mouse in the upper left corner and maybe it will go away. Try Alt + Tab key combination to make it go away...temporarily.
I went back to Windows 7 after a few months of being frustrated with Windows 8.
I installed Windows 8.1 in a virtual window using a free program called VMware Player. I looked at the install size and it was nearly 30gb
The Xbox, and their keyboards (especially the ergonomics, I use them on all three of my PC's home and office) and mice, are clearly very competitive and give value for dollar.
Their software? Increasingly, not so much.....
The Model T, the DC-3, the Nikon F, the original Kentucky Fried Chicken, the iPod.
All of them were huge successes (and made a lot of money by the way) because their creators realized that their job "from day one" was to think about a top quality product.
When the guys who "think about money" take over the reins, it's often the case that the product line goes into the crapper.
Not arguing that MSFT's product marketing has been horrible, IMO what's really killing them is how they insist on bundling and pricing their products.
Makes it damn' near impossible for most enterprises to understand what it is they're really paying for and why they're paying it.
Have you tried licensing Microsoft Lync for your enterprise lately?
We are trying to make the transition to Azure right now.
We almost gave up. The price is amazing, but its not ready for prime time.
If the product marketing and development folks on Azure were working for us, they’d be on a breadline right now.
Unconscionable lapses in basic product considerations, especially around security.
For small to medium sized rapid application developments, it's ok.
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