Newsweek: Microsoft Pushing Steve Ballmer Out
Newsweek believes Microsoft will kick Ballmer to the curb in 2010.
Newsweek recently uploaded its Top 10 Tech Predictions for 2010, consisting of topics such as "Google Faces Antitrust Suit," "Facebook Goes Public," "Murdoch Pulls Out of Google," and the #1 prediction of 2010, "Apple Unveils the Tablet." While some of the predictions are somewhat obvious--like "Movie Downloads Stall Blu-ray" or "Your Phone Replaces your Wallet"--the 9th entry in the list predicts that Microsoft will kick Steve Ballmer to the curb.
Why? Because Ballmer has missed the mark on too many occasions, Newsweek explains. According to the paper, Microsoft stock has dropped nearly 50-percent in his ten-year stretch as CEO. This has apparently caused a ripple effect, lagging other tech companies and has even influenced the Dow Jones industrial average.
"Distracted by the Windows Vista fiasco, Ballmer has missed every big new tech market of the past decade," Newsweek reports. "Google won the race for Internet search and keyword advertising. Apple won in MP3 players and online music sales, and now holds the high ground in mobile phones, while Windows Mobile fades away. Microsoft's Zune music player is a dud. Bing, Microsoft's search engine, will never catch Google."
With that said, it's assumed that Microsoft investors are getting restless watching the money blow away like dust, and will start calling for hefty changes. Newsweek believes that in order for Bill Gates to kick his Harvard buddy to the curb, he will need to devise of a graceful scheme that "lets his buddy save face." The problem with outing Ballmer is that there's currently no apparent heir on the management team.
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Me so happy. =D
Bill Gates should just come b
It's too late for that as we've seen enough of Steve Ballmer's face.
Bill gates should just come back IMO** (sorry, browser crash earlier)
I'll take the job. Hell, I knew the XBox would never make them a dime when they announced it while I was in high-school (still hasn't, they're billions in the hole). I was interning there when MSN Search and their MSN music download services were the "new up-and-coming" ideas (both are now dead). I remember big talk of their Windows Mobile too, and all this was only 6 years ago (how the mighty have quickly fallen). Of course, I remember over-hearing a phone call of one of the managers there, she was actually BRAGGING about being on the management team that released Windows ME! BRAGGING! And she STILL WORKED THERE! This is surely a sign that no one over there is in touch with reality. I bet the managers and marketing people behind Vista are still working there too!
The simple fact of the matter is that Microsoft was never a leader in innovation, they always just bought or copied their competition out of existence. Their competition is too big to do that with these days (can't buy Google or Apple or Nintendo), so they have no way to compete.
They are just a old fashioned company. Apple comes up with new intriguing products that look sleek and are always improving. They know what people want. While Microsoft is dull and boring and is not innovative at all. They just copy and they can't even do that right.
Funny because the other day, I was thinking pretty much the same thing. Microsoft is slipping more and more, and it seems inevitable now. The only bright spots I can see are their stranglehold on key software markets, but as free open source projects become more popular and Linux becomes more user-friendly and increases its compatibility, it's only a matter of time.
I suppose you could argue that Xbox and Microsoft's game division are a huge bright spot, but that division has been running in red until probably recently, and without Halo, it never would've made it past the original Xbox. And then the RROD fiasco and extended warranties, they're just burning money trying to stay competitive. All it takes is one negative console generation, and Xbox could go the way of Sega or Atari.
Microsoft is going to have to use brute force and a ton of money like they always do to succeed.
People tend to forget that Microsoft is a software company holding a virtual monopoly with their operating systems and many applications that run on it. Do we really expect (or want) it to have the same success in other markets? "Bing will never catch google" .. Do you think Chrome will ever catch Windows?
Hell, I knew the XBox would never make them a dime when they announced it while I was in high-school (still hasn't, they're billions in the hole).
I wouldn't call the Xbox a failure. The 360 outsells the PS3 by a long shot and even the developers prefer it over the PS3. Even if the original Xbox didn't sell that well, it provided the needed exposure of the xbox platform to make the 360 a success.
The problem with Microsoft is that with the exception of windows and office, all the other products are simply crap!!! And their management, that many described like geniuses, wasted millions on nothing, buying worthless companies that only had a decent idea and investing more millions in certain business areas (like Xbox), trying to be sucessfull by brute force, simply relying on their massive check book to make things work their way. I´m amazed that i took so long for people to see that Microsoft management was clueless instead of pure geniuses that knew so much more than others...
Ousting Steve Ballmer = Out With the Clowns!
I wouldn't call the Xbox a failure. The 360 outsells the PS3 by a long shot...
According to vgchartz.com around 2 million more PS3 units were sold than 360s in the past year. Going back to the beginning of 08 til now shows that the PS3 outsold the 360 by 1 million units. Of course they're both smashed by the Wii
"and now holds the high ground in mobile phones, while Windows Mobile fades away" ... not to mention that Android is also in the picture.
I could not think of a dumber decision then ousting Balmer. Whenever one of these tech companies drops their founders, they always fall to the curb. How can you grow your business when your primary business has a 95% market share? The problem isn't Microsoft or its CEO, its a poor investment because its the big fish.
Every company has hits and misses, Microsoft under Ballmer have more misses than hits. I hope Microsoft will fire his ass.
I wouldn't call the Xbox a failure. The 360 outsells the PS3 by a long shot and even the developers prefer it over the PS3. Even if the original Xbox didn't sell that well, it provided the needed exposure of the xbox platform to make the 360 a success.
Do you realize that the PS3 has nearly surpassed 360 sales to-date in every territory other than NA? Not bad considering it was always more expensive, not to mention released a year later. Eventually they'll pass up Xbox 360 in NA as well, when even fools will start to realize how much better value a PS3 is not only in hardware, but software as well.
Let Steve Jobs take over...
Interesting to see comments suggesting DRMsta = FAIL from MS perspective. Apparently lots of people paid for it. Presumably many paid for additional XP downgrade licenses that weren't included with low-end SKUs. Now they're paying again to move to DRMsta 7.
This is gold from a bean-counter perspective and furthermore has artificially pushed the puchase cost (whatever that means today) high enough to make the new rent/lease/pay forever model appeare attractive to some.
Hire me Microsoft. you will never regret
Prediction:
Stocks are back to normal in next 3 years.
Search market share up 30%
Product design and R&D and will be in position 1 for producing high quality products
The only way for Ballmer to save face is to just stop speaking out. Microsoft should find some intrepid person, young or old doesn't matter, who can start doing the talking for the company as a "Senior Vice President." Ballmer can fade to black as the background guy, and eventually when he is replaced it will look like Ballmer retiring, not being cut.
That could take a year or two though..
Developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8To [...] L&index=10
The problem with Microsoft is that with the exception of windows and office, all the other products are simply crap!!!
I wouldn't go that far. They do have a few good periferals that are good too. They have the absolute best wireless mouse out there by far with the sidewinder x8. They do have quality keyboards too.
just get somebody who actually uses the devices they're trying to design and all will go better! Get a young mind in there and let that mind think outside the box. That is the key to making good products that are actually wanted by consumers.
Bill gates should just come back IMO** (sorry, browser crash earlier)
Lemme guess, it was Firefox.
About time!
The only thing he could do was shout, and think that he was funny doing so.
Guys like that have a home on the local flea markets.
As everyone ignores the fact that MS makes their real cash from enterprise software, not a single one of the listed items in the article. Terrible prediction, though I won't shed a tear if it happens.
I don't care for Ballmer, he's entertaining though. I do care for the products MS produce. For instance, I own an MS Keyboard, an MS headset, and once I owned an MS mouse (never again, Razer for me). I can safely say, the keyboard and headset are the two best I've ever had. As for Win7? Best OS I've used too. Ubuntu comes close behind, and the rest of the Linux distros I've touched too. I've not had the chance to own a Mac, nor the cash. I don't think Microsoft is doing bad in all of it's not-so-known departments. Honestly, if I see Microsoft PC peripherals, it's hard for me to not buy it.
Office is my only real gripe; It's too expensive.
bill gates come back! why didn't bill do the smart thing and clone himself, teach his clone and put his clone in charge of Microsoft!
I wouldn't go that far. They do have a few good periferals that are good too. They have the absolute best wireless mouse out there by far with the sidewinder x8. They do have quality keyboards too.
Ok,.... like that 8000 series keyboard that is $250, blue tooth, back lit (everything I am looking for), but the cheap paint wears off after 30 days of use and the keys pop off with the slightest pressure...
Nice hardware, only if logitech made a keyboard like that where the paint did not wear off after 30 days.... :-)
ya a sucess or not the 360 must be the biggest money loser there by losing money still on every one they sell, have to give out countless extended warranties and almost 3-4 replacment consoles yearly to half there users and they get sued by low life companies almost every week. but with there monopoly they have with windows there is no way the company could tank. the
The PC community needs Microsoft. imagine the chaos if everyone would have to switch over to Linux with it many distro's. good luck trying to find a company that will make drivers for 1000+ modified versions of Linux.