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The biggest obstacle in Ballmer leaving is that there has to be someone BETTER replacing him - otherwise it just makes no sense making him going. But since there's obviously no one who could fulfill that criteria, it is not a realistic scenario having Ballmer step down.

He could reprise his monkey-boy dance, except say 'I hate this company! I hate this company! I hate this company! I hate this company!
; )

FF22, on 16 June 2011 - 04:09 PM, said:

How hard would that be? Who says that Ballmer Is that good? If he weren't such a good friend of Gates, would he still be there? That really is the determining factor. Remember that Gates is still the Chairman. As far as when he'll be leaving, this is all a guess. Ballmer has stated several times that he will retire when his daughter graduates from college, as though he needs to work to pay for it.

Who was responsible for Vista? I don't remember, but I think he left earlier. The problem with MS is that they're too concerned with Windows and Office, and that's why they're in trouble everywhere else. Well, they're in trouble with Windows now as well. Two quarters ago growth shrank to 1.5%, and last quarter went into the negative for the first time ever.

The article also forgot to mention that MS is failing with Bing and their other online initiatives as well, to the tune of almost $3 billion this year.

melgross, on 17 June 2011 - 04:57 AM, said:

I agree with you. Many of the products that were slow out the gate I wouldn't blame totally on Ballmer. Starting with Windows Mobile. Windows CE was created under Gate's watch. Microsoft under Gates allowed Windows Mobile to be dethroned by RIM. That's Gates fault. Not upgrading or providing significant changes to the platform is all on Gates. Ballmer left with the task of resurrecting a dying platform is not an easy job. Windows Mobile 6.5 was good, but it was a rush job and the hardware used to run it sucked. Ballmer saw this. That is why with Windows Phone 7 and after the issues with Vista, he said never again. Microsoft is now dictating hardware specification that hardware MUST meet in order to run their software.

And fact is PC makers have no choice to conform bec even if they all banded together and went Linux, there is no way even with all the money in the world could they get Linux up to a point fast enough to be considered a Windows replacement. Windows is their bread and butter period.

Microsoft is making a huge bet here with Windows 8 and I tink Ballmer is making sure it is right out the door. Look at history. Windows biggest issues always came when Windows took a radical change and drop support for a platform all at once vs doing it gradually.

Windows 9x support all the same hardware for nearly its whole life, including the dreaded ME. When Microsoft went radical and made Windows 2000, I don't think they expect consumers to jump on it and try to use it, but they did. Windows 2000 didn't support the 9x platform. Microosft had to run to market with a fix, which was XP. Same thing happen with Vista. Vista was a radical change form XP in offering no support for legacy apps, Windows 7 was the fix.

Windows 8 stands to be a huge change. Bec it si built on Windows 7, the change is graducal. Its like Windows 95 still support os DOS applications.
This has been very smart moves done by Microsoft and Ballmer. Even Windows Phone 7 is a bold move. And the Nokia deal which all grabed at first will pan out and prove to be a great decsion in the long run.

Windows isn't going anywhere no matter who runs Microsoft. Microsoft, yes got behind the curve on the mobile front. But so what. The mobile front is still evolving and can easily be manipulated with the proper plan. Windows 8 being cross-platform and working nearly identical on several device could be the very thing that muscles Microsft on top even in the mobile market. Seemless integration has been Microsoft winning strategy. No other product on the market has such, not even Apple.

Unless Ballmer does something really stupid , he isn't going anywhere and the fact he is Gate friend is not even remotely revelant. Gate is still on the board. Is Microsoft needs to make a move on a product Ballmer has to go to the board. The KIN was a failure for the same reasons many product they made didn't work well. Good product, poor execution.

Microsoft designed and pushed the tablet idea. It was executed poorly bec Microsoft left th concept of the yablet to the PC makers and they couldnt get their heads out of the laptop concept. Apple made the proper form factor, however it is the same form factor Gate envisioned. No matter how strong Ipad sales are, they would not be as high if it was compatible with Windows...that is a fact. So thus as with everyone else, Apple is benefiting from Windows poliferation.

So Microsfo really has no chaoice to insure when they focus on Windows, it gets full attention to RTM along with Office, bec unlike Apple who bread and butter changes...Microsoft is solely dependant on the 2 products. No other company I can name right now who is still in business since the 70's is still gaining mass profits on the same product that got them started. Only Intel and Microsoft are making that money on their original breakin product. Yes apple is still making computers, but the form factor has changed from what they started with. Microsoft still makes software and they betted on Windows and they won. Without Windows Microsoft is nothing. That's actually good and bad. The fact MS is evolving Windows to mobile properly sows they know what they are doing. Its not about who is first, its about who lasts.

artzy65, on 16 June 2011 - 08:28 PM, said:

Ballmer suffers from having to much personality. I find nothing wrong with it. It least it isn't sneaky, manipulative and cunning and devious like some CEO's I can name. Unlike some CEO's I can name, he has never been fired from his own company either. Steve Ballmer when a product has had problems or failures, Microsoft has always for the most part acknowledges those failures and didn't try to push the balme on other companies and say look they products do this or have this problem too. When bad news about virus or security is highlighton the product, at the very least MS releases a statement they are aware of the issue and are working with 3rd parties to fix the issue and in most cases they answer right away and have a solution in a matter of days when possible. Some other company I can name NEVER does that even after being trashed talk for weeks. And then the answer afterwards is always condescending, nasty and sneaky.

The greatest thing about software resilance I love is, even if it doesn't have great success...millions will still buy the product and use it. With hardware it has to be right out the gate as a failure is far most costly. MS found that out with the KIN. Right? Vista a failure? They still sold over 350M copies...I hardwarely find that to be a failure. Even at $50.00 per OEm license, 350M sold is still a lot of money. R&D cost on software is far cheaper than hardware. Which is why MS probably doesn't want to get into making hardware. It woudl be chaper for them to pay someone directly and say...here is what we want, this is how it has to be, this is how much we are going to pay you for it and thats'w it. No overhead. When Apple releases a new device its gotta be right bec if it fails and sells in lower than expected numbers, Apple hurts far more. The Mac sales prove that. The account for 20% of Apple's money. if Apple had no other products, you think the Mac would darw enough money to keep Apple up and running? Nope.

When Ballmer is asked about some of the failures of products he is pretty up front and saying we screwed up. He admited as much with KIN, Windows Mobile 6.5 and other products. When was the last time those other guys did the same? Think about it.

QUADICON, on 17 June 2011 - 06:18 AM, said:

Wow, your even TOTALLY WRONG about the Windows side.

Windows 2000 was not even a part of the 9x chain, and was not a radical departure from 9x. It was completely unrelated.

Back then, MS had two OS families, business and consumer. 9x was in the consumer family and 2000 the business family.

Consumer-only OS:
DOS, early Windows (1, 2, 286/386), 3.x series, 9x series (to include ME)

Business-only OS
NT 3, NT4, Windows 2000 (NT5.0)

With XP, Microsoft merged the two families, basing it all on Windows 2000 (NT 5.0), which is why XP is really NT 5.1.

Server 2003 is NT 5.2, while Vista and Server 2008 are NT 6.0

Windows 7 isn't really 7 at all, it is NT 6.1, based on Vista.

I'd tell you to get your facts straight, but you've proven endlessly that you prefer to simply masquerade your opinion as fact, however incorrect.

Just for the record, ME came out AFTER Windows 2000, you know, the next consumer release after 98SE.

This post has been edited by asiafish: 17 June 2011 - 07:49 AM

QUADICON, on 17 June 2011 - 06:30 AM, said:

Wow, now your trying to compare Balmer to Jobs?

There is no comparison, Jobs is widely regarded as one of the most effective chief executives in the world and is the envy of every tech company, while the rest of the world wonders why Balmer hasn't been fired yet.

So you don't think Linux is a suitable windows replacement? I laughed when I read that line. I am not saying everyone using Linux came the same way I did but I was chased into Linux by the "Vista bug" I got bit twice and I think if people tried say Linux mint 11 that most people would gladly download it and install it on their own desktops and be very happy not looking back. I have looked at some of the Macs people are using better than windows in my opinion but honestly I still prefer mint and there is a dock you can install on well any machine,I do like the dock though Mint doesn't need one as it has a great menu layout also my opinion but some others agree.I installed a dock on Ubuntu. So why is Microsoft not prospering? That is simple,there are over 1 billion XPs out there and XP was a good OS;when you like what you are using and do not want to have to replace hardware that works and software you have that works with your machine which you selected over the years now throw it all in the garbage? So you spend a grand on new hardware unless you are a gamer then maybe up to 3 grand (more is possible) and you spend $1500 right off the bat for software to get up and running and more as you go along.Not fair to blame Ballmer but He is on the throne so his head is on the line and he isn't as clever as Bill G is. If he wanted to rid himself of the headaches and heartburn he would retire since he is filthy rich and maybe become a Jet Setter but I think he wants to end on a high note and what I've read about windows 8 unless it is all deception and mirrors it looks ugly.I wish the man the best. I don't know him but his job is hard.

wildlinux, on 23 June 2011 - 07:44 AM, said:

I think "most people" would be frustrated when their touchpad, wifi, graphics card or power management didn't work out-of-the-box and give up when they had to start hunting for drivers.

Those whose system was completely supported would likely give up when they actually started working in GIMP, LibreOffice or whatever and found that these applications are far less polished and more clunky than the commercial applications they've been using for years.

Those who aren't picky about applications, who were lucky enough for their system to "just work" and oh, don't have any interest in playing the latest games or want to easily sync their iPod/iPhone/iPad (yes, these devices are popular and work best with iTunes) will do fine with Linux. Of course, those aren't the regular users out there, but are the hard-core Linux geeks who hunted out that VERY rare laptop that is fully supported or hand-picked the parts for their desktops that are fully supported. These are the people who don't mind scouring the internet for advice on how to make something work, don't mind mucking around in the terminal or editing text files as a means of configuring something, and think launching bottles or starting a Windows VM is not a burden when launching a real Windows applications.

So no, I highly doubt "most people" would make it past even the download stage, and those that do, won't make it much further.

@ Asiafish....You know people like you say these things and they might happen sometimes but I haven't seen them. Not only are all the desktops here Linux only but my son and I dual boot all of our laptops last time I had driver problems was windows vista all our drivers work right on installation no problems as for applications I haven't liked M$ office since office 2000 I am familiar with 2003 and have used it but honestly I liked OO as much when I switched and Libre Office is pretty sweet.I have been hearing people talk about hating something called a ribbon for about 4 years but I do not know what it is or really care.My older son is in the University and says some professors insist on M$ office created papers with strict instructions that must be followed.The students are forced to buy a software pack that cost several hundred dollars or else use the computer labs.In such situations M$ office looks good maybe I'll ask him to show me the ribbon when I go to his place to make a Schwartzwaelder Kirschtorte.Making that cake is harder than installing Linux on a computer and more involved as well as taking longer any 5th grader could install and configure a modern Linux distribution. Tweaking it to your own likes is much harder in windows than Mint 11.I have helped several other people switch to Linux from windows the drivers are always there.

The comment I was responding to though was a guy who said Linux wasn't finished enough to be installed by the manufacturers which is funny when you consider several makers are doing just that.

wildlinux, on 24 June 2011 - 01:01 PM, said:

I never mentioned not being finished enough to be installed by a manufacturer. A manufacturer should at least choose supported hardware or write drivers for its own unsupported hardware. Where there are problems is where a user takes his or her existing laptop, downloads and installs Linux and finds quite often that some component doesn't work out-of-the-box. Can it be made to work? Possibly. Will a non-geek be willing to jump through the hoops? Doubtful.

Yes Asiafish I have seen comments like that written on here mostly but I have never encountered them nor for that matter has anyone I know in person,you know face to face.The more Linux users I meet and the more personal experience I really wonder.I have never seen a tornado in person but I have seen the results and I know they exist and I do expect someone somewhere has had these software/hardware incompatibilities and driver problems,I sure had them when I bought windows Vista computers which magically worked perfectly once I took them Linux.It was another commenter who said Linux wasn't finished enough to be installed by makers I find the compatible software works just fine. When I want to do something new and different I always find something that works for me If I didn't I wouldn't be using Linux.