Steve Ballmer to Retire as CEO of Microsoft

[kusha]

Hallelujah... praise the technology gods

 

[icehot]

Bill Gates should come back as CEO, it'd be like Jobs coming back to apple and making everything right again

 

[badaxe2]

It just goes to show that even Gates himself lacked better judgment.

 

[festerovic]

maybe MS will become a leader again. This makes me think of Al Davis, uh, "retiring" from the Raiders.

 

[w8gaming]

Microsoft's "transformation to a devices and services company", you say? Because, just being the most successful software company on the planet was a failing business model, I guess. They better keep pushing those tablets! It's got to be more important, than, I dunno, making an operating system that they can sell to businesses.

Haha, I am worried about statement such as this as well, as it sounds like Microsoft wants to be just like Apple and completely abandon the enterprise. Enterprise is not keen on being locked into a situation in which they have to buy all hardware from a single vendor. Maybe they should send a different message.

 

[w8gaming]

And the new CEO would still get bashed. People just love hating.

Even Steve Jobs got his fair share of bashing while he was alive. Remember how many variants of "You are holding it wrong" jokes back in the days? The most important thing is whether the new CEO can come up with a proper strategy to correctly steer the company to the right course.

 

[BMFM]

I personally never cared much for Ballmer.

On a side note, just for kicks: before properly reading the article, I glanced over it, and though I read Chuck Norris was the Chairman of the Audit Committee…

 

[billgatez]

It's about dam time.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

Windows 8 would've been great IF it would've allowed its users to bring back the Desktop experience for us keyboard/mouse users. Sadly, it did not. If this was Ballmer's doing, well...Ballmer...don't let the door hit you on the way out. I'm sorry to say, but the Keyboard/Mouse (or even Trackpad) will never die. Get use to it, Microsoft.

 

[pckitty4427]

I can't say I'm thrilled about this. I really liked Ballmer.

 

[unksol]

I nominate Léo Apotheker

 

[theco0n]

Felt like this day would never come.

 

[cats_Paw]

It took 13 years for Microsoft to realize how bad Ballmer was... so i dont think Microsoft is a smart and flexible company.
Win8, Xbox one hate, late on smartphone/tablet market... What ahs Microsoft actually done well in the last years? (apart from selling many Win7 copies with new Laptops).

 

[monkeycmonkeydu]

About damn time, how many billion dollar screwups can one guy make?

 

[airborne11b]

I always get a kick out of the Windows 8 haters on these forums. There's nothing wrong with windows 8. In fact, it's basically just Windows 7 (which is a great OS) with a better start menu. Windows 8 + steam big picture mode is an awesome combo for HTPC / streaming / torrenting / living room gaming PC console replacement. It works great for tablets too obviously.

As far as Win8 goes for a standard PC, it's perfectly fine. Again, it's the same as windows 7, but with a larger / nicer start menu, but everything besides that is exactly the same. Sure, if you already have Windows 7, and don't plan on utilizing the metro UI for touchscreen or HTPC use, it's not worth upgrading, but lets not pretend like Windows 8 was a bad thing.

I can accept a lot of opinions, even dumb ones like anti-EA and anti-Nvidia nonsense that gets spewed on these forums, but there's nothing wrong with windows 8. If you like windows 7, it's basically the same thing. So shut up already lol.

From my experience, most of the Windows 8 haters haven't even used it before. Most of them think the metro UI is something that replaced the desktop LOL. What a joke.

 

[davewolfgang]

I always get a kick out of the Windows 8 haters on these forums. There's nothing wrong with windows 8. In fact, it's basically just Windows 7 (which is a great OS) with a better start menu. Windows 8 + steam big picture mode is an awesome combo for HTPC / streaming / torrenting / living room gaming PC console replacement. It works great for tablets too obviously.

As far as Win8 goes for a standard PC, it's perfectly fine. Again, it's the same as windows 7, but with a larger / nicer start menu, but everything besides that is exactly the same. Sure, if you already have Windows 7, and don't plan on utilizing the metro UI for touchscreen or HTPC use, it's not worth upgrading, but lets not pretend like Windows 8 was a bad thing.

I can accept a lot of opinions, even dumb ones like anti-EA and anti-Nvidia nonsense that gets spewed on these forums, but there's nothing wrong with windows 8. If you like windows 7, it's basically the same thing. So shut up already lol.

From my experience, most of the Windows 8 haters haven't even used it before. Most of them think the metro UI is something that replaced the desktop LOL. What a joke.

Not only have we tried using it, but we were Alpha and Beta testers and told them what was wrong and what not to do - and they ignored us. So because we don't like it - our opinions don't matter? Guess what - MS SURE thinks our WALLETS matter - because we aren't BUYING it, and enough stockholders and board members at MS finally got the point that Baller's decisions aren't doing the company well.

Now while YOU may have time to figure it out - try having 200+ people turn on their desktops at work and not have ANYTHING where it was. And no - we don't stream or torrent or play games or use it as a media center at work - we WORK ON IT. Nor did 400+ touchscreen come with Win 8 for those workers, so why would they want a "touch" interface. We use keyboards and mice at work to do actual WORK, not play.

You clearly like Win 8 - good for you - but it's VERY, VERY, VERY clear YOU are in the minority. Businesses don't want Windows 8 - let me type that again - Businesses DON'T WANT WINDOWS 8.

 

[stevejnb]

I always get a kick out of the Windows 8 haters on these forums. There's nothing wrong with windows 8. In fact, it's basically just Windows 7 (which is a great OS) with a better start menu. Windows 8 + steam big picture mode is an awesome combo for HTPC / streaming / torrenting / living room gaming PC console replacement. It works great for tablets too obviously.

As far as Win8 goes for a standard PC, it's perfectly fine. Again, it's the same as windows 7, but with a larger / nicer start menu, but everything besides that is exactly the same. Sure, if you already have Windows 7, and don't plan on utilizing the metro UI for touchscreen or HTPC use, it's not worth upgrading, but lets not pretend like Windows 8 was a bad thing.

I can accept a lot of opinions, even dumb ones like anti-EA and anti-Nvidia nonsense that gets spewed on these forums, but there's nothing wrong with windows 8. If you like windows 7, it's basically the same thing. So shut up already lol.

From my experience, most of the Windows 8 haters haven't even used it before. Most of them think the metro UI is something that replaced the desktop LOL. What a joke.

Not only have we tried using it, but we were Alpha and Beta testers and told them what was wrong and what not to do - and they ignored us. So because we don't like it - our opinions don't matter? Guess what - MS SURE thinks our WALLETS matter - because we aren't BUYING it, and enough stockholders and board members at MS finally got the point that Baller's decisions aren't doing the company well.

Now while YOU may have time to figure it out - try having 200+ people turn on their desktops at work and not have ANYTHING where it was. And no - we don't stream or torrent or play games or use it as a media center at work - we WORK ON IT. Nor did 400+ touchscreen come with Win 8 for those workers, so why would they want a "touch" interface. We use keyboards and mice at work to do actual WORK, not play.

You clearly like Win 8 - good for you - but it's VERY, VERY, VERY clear YOU are in the minority. Businesses don't want Windows 8 - let me type that again - Businesses DON'T WANT WINDOWS 8.

Dave, I have to ask... If we are taking "not many business are not buying Windows 8" as a sign that it's a crappy OS, should we take the fact that huge segments of the business sector are sticking with Windows XP as a sign that 7 is fundamentally lacking? Yes, Windows 7 caught on faster than Windows 8 is catching on, but Windows 7 is still fighting to crush XP four years after its release. I could dramatically type it again and again too, but I'll just say it once - a lot of business do not want Windows 7 even now, four years after its release. Should we take that as a sign that it's a fundamentally lacking OS?

Windows 8 for business is questionable - for now. Depending on how ubiquitous tablets become as business tools, MS may be thanking their lucky stars down the road that they didn't just pull another Windows 7 desktop focused OS out of their hat. Simply put, the machines that Windows 8 were really meant for are a relatively new things, and it's a gamble as to whether they'll catch on or not. The "there's nothing wrong Windows 8" standpoint depends on what you use it for, and trying to teach a thousand not necessarily computer savvy employees to use a relatively poorly documents and quite novel OS would be a nightmare, agreed. The thing is, this guy isn't wrong about Windows 8 as a regular desktop user - it's actually pretty stable, very capable, and does everything that 7 did and more.

This idea about voting with your wallet though - the polls are far from closed. Well, people voted with their wallets for the XBOX 1 and MS stuck with it, because it was a good idea. Now look at the XBOX line. Conversely, there was the Zune HD - a good machine, but an idea that never caught on. Windows 8 could go either way but, if you owned a Zune HD, you probably know it was actually a pretty slick unit even if it failed. And stockholders bailing on Ballmer? Not sure if you know this, but the only reason Apple got the economic boost to start its iProduct line was because MS had to invest in a competitor after all the anti-trust stuff. To put it more directly stockholders would not support a hard-up Apple with an iDEA. Stockholders are short sighted and one of the biggest challenges in business is to get them to stick around while a long-term idea comes to fruition. The stockholders who refused to support Apple in 1997 were shooting themselves in the foot when Apple took off, and the stockholders who supported Microsoft through the first XBOX are reaping the benefits. With a product that is clearly very forward thinking with the hardware it was made to work with, pretending like polls are closed on wallet voting already is a bit silly.

Is Windows 8 the ideal solution for everyone, or even most people right now? Nope, and too many people pretend it is. Is it a good desktop solution for some people? Yes. Is it the single most complete mobile operating system out there? Darned tootin'. I'm glad they made it, because it works *great* with some devices which are becoming more and more common - and honestly, why do we need Windows 7 all over again? We already have it.

 

[littleleo]

And the new CEO would still get bashed. People just love hating.

maybe MS will become a leader again. This makes me think of Al Davis, uh, "retiring" from the Raiders.

Al didn't retire he died, and he ruined his team as he lost touch with reality.

Steve didn't die he retired, he also ruined MS and hurt the channel as he lost touch with reality..

 

[littleleo]

I always get a kick out of the Windows 8 haters on these forums. There's nothing wrong with windows 8. In fact, it's basically just Windows 7 (which is a great OS) with a better start menu. Windows 8 + steam big picture mode is an awesome combo for HTPC / streaming / torrenting / living room gaming PC console replacement. It works great for tablets too obviously.

As far as Win8 goes for a standard PC, it's perfectly fine. Again, it's the same as windows 7, but with a larger / nicer start menu, but everything besides that is exactly the same. Sure, if you already have Windows 7, and don't plan on utilizing the metro UI for touchscreen or HTPC use, it's not worth upgrading, but lets not pretend like Windows 8 was a bad thing.

I can accept a lot of opinions, even dumb ones like anti-EA and anti-Nvidia nonsense that gets spewed on these forums, but there's nothing wrong with windows 8. If you like windows 7, it's basically the same thing. So shut up already lol.

From my experience, most of the Windows 8 haters haven't even used it before. Most of them think the metro UI is something that replaced the desktop LOL. What a joke.

Not only have we tried using it, but we were Alpha and Beta testers and told them what was wrong and what not to do - and they ignored us. So because we don't like it - our opinions don't matter? Guess what - MS SURE thinks our WALLETS matter - because we aren't BUYING it, and enough stockholders and board members at MS finally got the point that Baller's decisions aren't doing the company well.

Now while YOU may have time to figure it out - try having 200+ people turn on their desktops at work and not have ANYTHING where it was. And no - we don't stream or torrent or play games or use it as a media center at work - we WORK ON IT. Nor did 400+ touchscreen come with Win 8 for those workers, so why would they want a "touch" interface. We use keyboards and mice at work to do actual WORK, not play.

You clearly like Win 8 - good for you - but it's VERY, VERY, VERY clear YOU are in the minority. Businesses don't want Windows 8 - let me type that again - Businesses DON'T WANT WINDOWS 8.

Dave, I have to ask... If we are taking "not many business are not buying Windows 8" as a sign that it's a crappy OS, should we take the fact that huge segments of the business sector are sticking with Windows XP as a sign that 7 is fundamentally lacking? Yes, Windows 7 caught on faster than Windows 8 is catching on, but Windows 7 is still fighting to crush XP four years after its release. I could dramatically type it again and again too, but I'll just say it once - a lot of business do not want Windows 7 even now, four years after its release. Should we take that as a sign that it's a fundamentally lacking OS?

Windows 8 for business is questionable - for now. Depending on how ubiquitous tablets become as business tools, MS may be thanking their lucky stars down the road that they didn't just pull another Windows 7 desktop focused OS out of their hat. Simply put, the machines that Windows 8 were really meant for are a relatively new things, and it's a gamble as to whether they'll catch on or not. The "there's nothing wrong Windows 8" standpoint depends on what you use it for, and trying to teach a thousand not necessarily computer savvy employees to use a relatively poorly documents and quite novel OS would be a nightmare, agreed. The thing is, this guy isn't wrong about Windows 8 as a regular desktop user - it's actually pretty stable, very capable, and does everything that 7 did and more.

This idea about voting with your wallet though - the polls are far from closed. Well, people voted with their wallets for the XBOX 1 and MS stuck with it, because it was a good idea. Now look at the XBOX line. Conversely, there was the Zune HD - a good machine, but an idea that never caught on. Windows 8 could go either way but, if you owned a Zune HD, you probably know it was actually a pretty slick unit even if it failed. And stockholders bailing on Ballmer? Not sure if you know this, but the only reason Apple got the economic boost to start its iProduct line was because MS had to invest in a competitor after all the anti-trust stuff. To put it more directly stockholders would not support a hard-up Apple with an iDEA. Stockholders are short sighted and one of the biggest challenges in business is to get them to stick around while a long-term idea comes to fruition. The stockholders who refused to support Apple in 1997 were shooting themselves in the foot when Apple took off, and the stockholders who supported Microsoft through the first XBOX are reaping the benefits. With a product that is clearly very forward thinking with the hardware it was made to work with, pretending like polls are closed on wallet voting already is a bit silly.

Is Windows 8 the ideal solution for everyone, or even most people right now? Nope, and too many people pretend it is. Is it a good desktop solution for some people? Yes. Is it the single most complete mobile operating system out there? Darned tootin'. I'm glad they made it, because it works *great* with some devices which are becoming more and more common - and honestly, why do we need Windows 7 all over again? We already have it.

Steve, actually the fact many businesses are still on Windows XP shows the failure of MS to understand the business segment starting with Windows Vista. Most business use a custom business package to do their business and most of these packages are compatible with windows XP. Now MS has made the new O/Ss so they are not compatible with the majority of the business software running on XP and the cost to upgrade for businesses can be more the $1K per computer for software plus still more for the hardware upgrades required. With an office of 20+ computers you can see this cost can add up fast for a businesses. Add the cost to train the employees on the new software version plus the down time to upgrade all the computers. Then you have to deal with legacy hardware (printers, plotters...) that can't work with MS O/Ss after XP and you start to understand why businesses aren't embracing O/Ss after XP. The fault has to be set at MS feet for failing to understand the business segment's needs and addressing it. Now Windows 8 doesn't address any of these issues and adds features businesses don't need or want and don't want to pay for. The interface is so different from XP which most of these businesses are still running to make the learning of the O/S very slow and time consuming. This would greatly reduce office efficiency and productivity costing the businesses more. For businesses upgrading to Windows 8 can be a lose, lose and lose proposition.