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Microsoft shareholder calls for Ballmer's head
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forquare1
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Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:36 pm
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Location: /dev/tty0
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  | | | | The Register wrote: Microsoft, in an extraordinary move earlier this week, described its CEO's comments about Windows 8 as a "misstatement".
Despite that, Steve Ballmer's statement remains available on Microsoft's website, and his words are well-and-truly out there and can hardly be put back in a box and forgotten about.
Now, according to a report in the New York Times, one MS long-time shareholder wants Ballmer to be dismissed by the company. Coincidence? Perhaps.
On Wednesday, the head of the Greenlight Capital hedge fund David Einhorn called for Ballmer to be unseated from the top job at Microsoft.
He told an investor's meeting in New York that the software vendor's biggest drag on its share price was caused by its current boss.
Einhorn pointed at failures already highlighted by Microsoft's board in September last year, when Ballmer missed out on a maximum bonus for 2010, after he failed to move quickly enough against Apple's iPad and lost market share in the mobile phone biz.
The unsuccessful launch and speedy demise of Microsoft's doomed social networking mobile device Kin also kept Ballmer's piggy bank a little lighter than he might have hoped for in the year ended 30 June last year.
Now Einhorn has made disparaging remarks about Ballmer, just two days after Microsoft ineffectually slapped down comments made by its own chief about Windows 8.
The shareholder said reports that suggested Ballmer didn't let his own kids use Google products or Apple's iPods meant that he was "stuck in the past." He also described Microsoft's search engine effort Bing as a "sinkhole," reports the NYT.
But whether his colourful comments about Ballmer will lead to other shareholders leading a revolt against the MS boss remains to be seen.
Here's Microsoft's defensive backpedal after Ballmer's Windows 8 spiel:
"It appears there was a misstatement. We are eagerly awaiting the next generation of Windows 7 hardware that will be available in the coming fiscal year. To date, we have yet to formally announce any timing or naming for the next version of Windows."
But for all their efforts to silence Ballmer's statement about Windows 8, Microsoft flacks surely still know who's king, don't they? | | | | |
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| Thu May 26, 2011 11:20 am |
 
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Fogmeister
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Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:35 pm
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He is a bit of a c*ck isn't he. | | | | Ballmer wrote: Developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers | | | | |
............................. | | | | Ballmer wrote: developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers | | | | |
c*ck.
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| Thu May 26, 2011 11:28 am |
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davrosG5
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Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:37 am
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Mr. Ballmer is indeed a bit of a knob but IMO he's right about they way developers should be treated (i.e that they shouldn't be treated as some sort of disgusting goo that's been scraped off the bottom of your shoe or the way Apple seems content to treat developers from time to time).
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When they put teeth in your mouth, they spoiled a perfectly good bum.
-Billy Connolly (to a heckler)
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| Thu May 26, 2011 12:07 pm |
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Amnesia10
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Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:02 am
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Location: Guantanamo Bay (thanks bobbdobbs)
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I doubt that it will change much as far as shareholders are concerned. In order to have growth you need a visionary head like Steve Jobs. Microsoft do not have one of those I fear. Also Microsoft is now a mature compay with many of its market segments pretty mature. Not much growth potential in mice or keyboards, or any other area that they dominate in. Skype has some potential but can they use it effectively. Office and Windows are two very mature markets and only keep going for the upgrades, few new customers now.
_________________Do concentrate, 007... "You are gifted. Mine is bordering on seven seconds." https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg5MzczNTkhttp://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwx404couk-21
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| Thu May 26, 2011 3:05 pm |
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Linux_User
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Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:29 pm
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Eh? There are billions of people on this planet who don't even have a computer, we have emerging economies who are increasingly going to require (and desire) computerisation, there's Microsoft's growth potential (Windows, Office etc).
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| Thu May 26, 2011 3:15 pm |
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jonbwfc
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:26 pm
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Those would be places like China and India, yes? Places that don't have any worthwhile copyright legislation and have a.. culturally flexible attitude towards paying for software. Good luck trying to make large profits selling software there. The money in places like that isn't in boxed software or licenses, it's in services. Jon
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| Thu May 26, 2011 3:24 pm |
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Spreadie
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China also has a track record of patent infringement too. Not a lot to stop them knocking up a loosely disguised rip-off to market internally.
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Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes; after that, who cares?! He's a mile away and you've got his shoes!
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| Thu May 26, 2011 3:29 pm |
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Linux_User
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:29 pm
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Yes I'm aware of the piracy rates, but I don't think that will last forever. Once the whole China lovefest is over and done with, I expect WTO cases and exercises in soft power to secure changes in China etc.
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| Thu May 26, 2011 3:31 pm |
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Amnesia10
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Location: Guantanamo Bay (thanks bobbdobbs)
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Africa are skipping computers and doing everything with phones. It will be Google's Android that will benefit. _________________Do concentrate, 007... "You are gifted. Mine is bordering on seven seconds." https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg5MzczNTkhttp://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwx404couk-21
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| Thu May 26, 2011 3:38 pm |
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Linux_User
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:29 pm
Posts: 7173
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Suits me, I love Android & Linux. 
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| Thu May 26, 2011 3:40 pm |
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brataccas
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Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:14 pm
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Location: Scotland
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steve ballmer is jewish
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| Thu May 26, 2011 3:50 pm |
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Amnesia10
Legend
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:02 am
Posts: 29240
Location: Guantanamo Bay (thanks bobbdobbs)
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_________________Do concentrate, 007... "You are gifted. Mine is bordering on seven seconds." https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg5MzczNTkhttp://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwx404couk-21
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| Thu May 26, 2011 4:05 pm |
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brataccas
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:14 pm
Posts: 5664
Location: Scotland
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a lot of people
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| Thu May 26, 2011 5:09 pm |
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jonbwfc
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:26 pm
Posts: 17040
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Actually, in the grand scheme of things, probably hardly anyone.
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| Thu May 26, 2011 5:24 pm |
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Amnesia10
Legend
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:02 am
Posts: 29240
Location: Guantanamo Bay (thanks bobbdobbs)
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You can hate someone regardless of their religion. In Ballmers case isn't this enough? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc_________________Do concentrate, 007... "You are gifted. Mine is bordering on seven seconds." https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg5MzczNTkhttp://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwx404couk-21
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| Thu May 26, 2011 6:01 pm |
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