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Does Ballmer Need To Go?

techcrunch.com — Microsoft’s dramatic decision this weekend to withdraw its offer for Yahoo and not pursue a hostile bid raises a whole host of questions. What happens to Yahoo now? What happens to Microsoft? Or is this just a tactic to drive down the price of Yahoo ’s shares so that Microsoft can go hostile with a lower offer? does ballmer need to go?

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  • buhbyebot, on 05/04/2008, -17/+62One has to hand it to Microsoft, when it comes to getting what they want, even when it appears they don't get what they want, they in fact, get what they want. Believe me, they will... get...what...they...want. It's Yahoo! Dead or Alive.
    • gozilla09, on 05/04/2008, -2/+13So....do they get what they want?
    • conmulligan, on 05/05/2008, -2/+39I'm not so sure; Microsoft's been making a lot of mistakes in the online sector for years, a bloody takeover of Yahoo! is the latest in a long line of misguided maneuvers. It seems to me that Microsoft hasn't been getting what they want in quite a while...
      • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2The Live service actually has a lot of features. And no MS said they would not perform a hostile takeover, probably because it would give them bad press. If MS still wants Yahoo they're just waiting for the stock to drop and for the share holders to pressure the board.
    • xerexes1, on 05/05/2008, -2/+14Donald Rumsfield, is that you?
    • slvrbullet87, on 05/05/2008, -8/+4How about Yahoo kept holding out for more money, and Microsoft finally said ***** you get your money comewhere else?
    • linagee, on 05/05/2008, -4/+7I'll make a proposition with you Ballmer. You can stay if you do the monkey dance, ONE MORE TIME! http://youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc
    • OBKenobi, on 05/05/2008, -5/+2buhbyebot, why such a defeatist attitude? The only thing Microsoft is going to get is a kick in the n+ts.
    • jabberwolf, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1BIll Gates returns... 2.0 !!

      Man that would shoot up the stock like mad and even appletards would shut up!
  • Szandor, on 05/04/2008, -17/+134Ballmer should've left years ago. Microsoft needs a paradigm shift; away from monolithic practices to producing a great, not just sufficient, OS.
    • gizzymo, on 05/04/2008, -21/+51"sufficient" seems a tad generous.... :)
      • Planets, on 05/04/2008, -20/+14There have been a few more Windows versions since 3.1, check them out. ;)
        • TheGuruStud, on 05/05/2008, -13/+11I'd reverse that statement. At least 3.1 worked.
          • Yodacola, on 05/05/2008, -3/+10You should check out the NT kernel; much better than the Quick & Dirty Operating System kernel.
          • Myztry, on 05/05/2008, -3/+3@Yodacola. While 3.1 was just a GUI on top of Seattle Computing Products Operating system, the NT kernel was still based (for compatibility reasons) on that hack.
            At least NT finally meant that Microsoft had an OS of it's own creation...
          • TheGuruStud, on 05/05/2008, -4/+3I like 2000 (which of course is NT matured, man was NT 4 worthless haha), that's about it. The rest are trash to me.
          • Planets, on 05/05/2008, -5/+3Strange, could've sworn you'd need a working OS to post on Digg. =P
          • Giga, on 05/05/2008, -3/+1"Strange, could've sworn you'd need a working OS to post on Digg. =P"
            Many cellphones have web browsers these days...
          • FKnight, on 05/05/2008, -3/+5@TheGuruStud
            "...man was NT 4 worthless"
            Actually, no.
      • KiraDnote, on 05/05/2008, -5/+8Ballmer is a menace to society. The failure of Vista is proof that he is incompetent. He should be fired ASAP.
        • ratsg, on 05/05/2008, -5/+5no no no......Ballmer needs to go down with the ship.
        • FKnight, on 05/05/2008, -6/+4The "failure" of Vista. HAHAHAHA.
        • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -1/+1Sales wise Vista has not been a failure. It's made money and that's all a company cares about.
    • woofers07, on 05/04/2008, -2/+50They need to "think outside the box" with their "paradigm shift" and develop their "sinergies" and other business jargon.
      • BOFH2, on 05/04/2008, -1/+12The question would be "who is on point" on that one?
      • roodammy44, on 05/04/2008, -0/+6Quality
      • Bluezdood, on 05/05/2008, -5/+5I just threw up a little in my mouth. I hate corporate ass-patting.
      • Myztry, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2They're are about to start 'organically' growing their online business. But with globally warming and droughts, they may have trouble finding enough water...
      • samuel514, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1they need to think different ;) hehe
      • Stonekeeper, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5woofers, i think we need to "touch base" about your role on Digg...
    • momsshizzle, on 05/05/2008, -30/+12Don't worry. What ever Microsoft produces will always kick Linsux ass every time.
      • Phlake, on 05/05/2008, -3/+11"Don't worry. What ever Microsoft produces will always suck ass every time."
        Fixed
        • Planets, on 05/05/2008, -8/+5"Don't worry. Microsoft products will always be hated no matter how good they are."
          Fixed even further.
          • Myztry, on 05/05/2008, -6/+7That's a theoretical argument. Microsoft has never had a good product.
          • burrgrinder, on 05/05/2008, -5/+5Microsoft's only good products are ones bought out from other companies, still leaving reason to hate their business practice.
    • zephyrprime, on 05/05/2008, -13/+2But monolithic products make them all their money. All their other products are money losers.
      • estvir, on 05/05/2008, -5/+6Their Entertainment division makes money, the Office division had a huge increase because guess what, Office 2007 is good, and so on.
        • s1mph0ny, on 05/05/2008, -4/+4Office 2007 good? Smoking a few too many paperclips are we?
          • prophetpimp, on 05/05/2008, -2/+6Vista Hater but Office 2007. Just hating a company blindly is stupid. They really really made some good changes in office 2007. Ribbons has been one of the best UI innovation in any of the MS products in recent years.
    • estvir, on 05/05/2008, -10/+8They already have started changing. They revised their development process, they have SDL, Windows is changing a lot (Especially thanks to people like Ray Ozzie), Office >= 2007 is changing, etc.

      Of course, you people just go onto Digg, read some silly, inaccurate propaganda about how Apple rocks yeah! and don't actually know anything outside of the little ecosystem on Digg.
      • Giga, on 05/05/2008, -5/+7SDL (http://www.libsdl.org/) is a 3rd party cross platform library, how does the fact that it works on Windows help prove your point that Microsoft is changing? Or are you referring to a different SDL?
        • estvir, on 05/06/2008, -1/+3Microsoft's Security Development Lifecycle.

          Do you, in all honestly, think I would bother to point out something like libsdl? Seriously? Especially in that context? Wow.
      • Theli, on 05/05/2008, -3/+8It's a good thing estvir is here to spread some enlightenment over the unwashed masses of digg.com
  • dfekke, on 05/04/2008, -12/+73Yes.
    • crazysamz, on 05/05/2008, -14/+9No
    • Wakuko, on 05/05/2008, -4/+4Ballmer has been a total failure and he must go.
      Now he will be remembered as a quitter, can't close big deals.
      Don't have the balls to lead negotiations of this caliber.

      Go hostile, ballmer, go hostile and watch the PR nightmare eat you alive if you survive as CEO...
      • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1MS already said they would not go hostile.
    • LegomanArt, on 05/05/2008, -1/+3What's wrong with Baltimore?
    • yunus, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1It's kind of a loaded question to ask on Digg.
    • Yazilliclick, on 05/05/2008, -4/+3Why? It's stupid to propose he has to go from this story. The Yahoo takeover would have been a good move. The Microsoft bid for it was a good one. Yahoo stupidly demanded more and Microsoft has walked away. Microsoft and Balmer made the right moves in this, the only screw-ups stand squarely on the Yahoo side.
      • aidave, on 05/05/2008, -2/+2How were they the right moves, if they didn't work? The right moves would have been the ones that worked. Ergo, Ballmer failed.
        • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Yahoo wanted more money then they are worth and would not budge on the price. That is neither Ballmer's nor MS's fault. Yahoo needs MS a lot more than MS needs Yahoo.
  • MavRevMatt, on 05/04/2008, -16/+29Hell yes.
  • gquaglia, on 05/04/2008, -22/+141Ballmer is the poster child for everything that is wrong with MS.
    • B1663r, on 05/04/2008, -31/+5So... really, if you look at Microsoft performance over the last... forever... Balmer is doing a great job by your reckoning?
      • KMartSheriff, on 05/05/2008, -0/+27Did you even read what he posted?
    • mithrasinvictus, on 05/05/2008, -1/+3correct. but let him stay and finish the job. competition is good.
  • j1a1g1, on 05/04/2008, -41/+22DEVELOPERS! 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!
    I LOVE THIS COMPANY!.......................................................................not
    • B1663r, on 05/04/2008, -21/+23I was unable to bury your comment more than once, so I went back into your post history and buried prior comments.
      • ufia, on 05/05/2008, -4/+19You're not a psycho, not at all. You would never go at someone's house and drown his dog in the pool just because he took your parking spot earlier.
        • TheGuruStud, on 05/05/2008, -10/+2I would just have sex with his wife/daughter.
          • dacheetah, on 05/05/2008, -1/+6Both at the same time? Revenge is a dish best served cold, or as a hot threesome.
          • jewcantdenyit, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3what if his wife is in a coma?
          • TheGuruStud, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5Have you seen Kill Bill? Coma sex is ***** awesome!
          • Jus7in, on 05/05/2008, -2/+2You all just reached a new level of stupid.
          • BoonTobias, on 05/05/2008, -1/+1then there are no victims
        • TheSabre, on 05/05/2008, -3/+3Yea, *that's* the same thing...
      • linagee, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5It's like you went back in time and killed his parents!
  • Scottievm, on 05/04/2008, -15/+12The thing is, buying Yahoo! would have actually been a good business move for Microsoft. Without them, I don't see how they can even attempt to compete with Google in online ventures.
    • sleeknerve, on 05/04/2008, -1/+21thats the thing, they wont compete with google, they will have to stick with other things
    • jejones, on 05/04/2008, -2/+8<John_Houseman>They do it the old fashioned way--they tie it to their OS monopoly!</John_Houseman>
    • Yodacola, on 05/05/2008, -0/+16The worst business practice is trying to be another company. Apple tried this and nearly went bankrupt.
      • s1mph0ny, on 05/05/2008, -2/+3You mean like when they decided to go into the music business? Huge disaster there.
        • mrBitch, on 05/05/2008, -2/+2Another disaster for Apple was going into the mobile phone business (Palm warned Apple that it had no chance of getting it right the very first try).
    • gquaglia, on 05/05/2008, -0/+7Maybe they shouldn't worry about online ventures and stick to their bread and butter money makers. Vista is the worst product they have put out in years and there is no excuse for it considering how much money and time MS has invested in it.
      • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Yet Vista sales are up and they have made tons of money off it. Oh that's right the majority of computer users don't have a problems with Vista.
  • peestandingup, on 05/04/2008, -15/+35Yes. MS has made a practice of gobbling up other companies & resources so they don't have to develop things themselves. Think about it. What have they really done the past 5 years that has made an impact?? They have just been maintaining & riding the coat tails of their successful past.

    Once you become complacent you're done.
    • lacreme, on 05/04/2008, -12/+22xbox live
    • sparkmonkeyz, on 05/05/2008, -8/+6I think Microsoft Surface could redefine what Microsoft does as a company. They have always been known for doing stuff in the personal computer area, mostly with Windows, but Surface brings in a whole new market, customer computing. As long as they don't ***** it up in some Microsoft sort of way, which is always very possible.
      • skoles, on 05/05/2008, -3/+10Surface is technology developed by another company used by Microsoft. Except now you can expect a little balloon to pop up when you place your phone on the table asking you for drivers.
      • burrgrinder, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5Surface is just an expensive novelty, it may be a predecessor to some unforeseen great product in the future, but as is, there's not much incentive to use it versus USB/Bluetooth.
      • rebotfc, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6Surface is, at the end of the day a Big Ass Table.
    • estvir, on 05/05/2008, -7/+4What company doesn't buy other companies? Google? They have half the amount of Microsoft in under 10 years, whereas Microsoft has double the amount of Google within 2 decades.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_acquis ...
    • Scott2, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2And don't forget to include Apple in that. Apple bought Mac OS X, iTunes, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Shake, you name it. They even bought a processor company recently. Its less resource intensive to buy a company that's done the basic groundwork and add to the product yourself.
  • grumpychris, on 05/04/2008, -20/+100I say let him stay. He's been great for Apple marketshare.
    • kelly, on 05/05/2008, -7/+9I understand what you're saying, however it was Microsoft's illegal business practices and leveraging their illegally acquired monopoly that has kept Apple from gaining more share in the past.

      Apple's gear is just THAT great that they gan gain share amidst an illegal monopoly
      • gquaglia, on 05/05/2008, -4/+8Apple is just as much to blame as MS for that.
        • Phlake, on 05/05/2008, -5/+9And too be fair, Microsoft is the only reason why Apple didn't close up shop in the 90s.
          • kelly, on 05/06/2008, -1/+1Do you understand that Apple had 4 billion in Cash during the time that Microsoft invested $150 million?

            Also worth mentioning is that money was part of a settlement to a lawsuit in which Microsoft stole Quicktime code. Microsoft did not Not NOT "save" Apple.
          • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Keep telling youself that kelly. Apple was still going into Bankruptcy until Jobs came back and bearing MS money.
    • FKnight, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5"I understand what you're saying, however it was Microsoft's illegal business practices and leveraging their illegally acquired monopoly that has kept Apple from gaining more share in the past."

      Were you born in 2004? Anyone who's been paying attention to the personal computer industry from the START knows exactly why Apple didn't gain more market share in the past. People wanted commodity PCs that they could run their applications on. I'm sorry dude, but prior to Mac OS X there was no market for Apple except for schools and graphic design fields. Don't blame Microsoft for Apple having no market share prior to Jobs return from NExT. Until OS X came out, no one wanted a Mac.

      Digg me down if you want, you all know it's true. Complain all you want about Microsoft, but only a fool would believe that it's Microsoft's fault Apple had ***** marketshare at the turn of the century.
  • gcnaddict, on 05/04/2008, -12/+32If you guys want a better OS, it's not Ballmer who should worry you. These guys should be the ones your complaints should go to:

    Jon DeVaan: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/devaan/def ...
    Ben Fathi: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/benfathi/d ...
    Jawad Khaki: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/jawadk/def ...
    Julie Larson-Green: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/julielar/d ...
    Mike Nash: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/mnash/defa ...

    and the most important one:
    Steven Sinofsky: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/ssinofsky/ ...
    Steven replaced Jim Allchin after the Longhorn/Vista fiasco. Allchin retired once Vista launched. Honestly, Steven will probably do a much better job.

    No contact details exist on those pages, but I can try and arrange an interview at PDC08 with the one(s?) you guys want to hear from the most. Just reply below me with your choice(s) + questions.
    • gcnaddict, on 05/04/2008, -3/+25Digg broke the links, yay!
      Let's try this again:
      http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/devaan/def ...
      http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/benfathi/d ...
      http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/jawadk/def ...
      http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/julielar/d ...
      http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/mnash/defa ...
      http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/ssinofsky/ ...

      *prays Digg doesn't cut the ends of the URLs off this time*
    • Okari, on 05/05/2008, -23/+12I don't need a better OS. Vista is just fine.
      • gcnaddict, on 05/05/2008, -2/+19I know, but a lot of people on Digg disagree.

        Plus, Vista could've been about a million times better than it ended up being. Oh well.
        • futureisours, on 05/05/2008, -4/+5Vista would be nice if I could run it on my 2 gig, 2.8 dual core machine!
        • Jus7in, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5Vista runs fine on my 2 gig dual-core. I'm not a fan of MS or Vista by any stretch of the imagination (I'd use Linux full-time if not for the games I play), but I don't understand the problems people are having. I've never had any performance or stability issues at all since SP1.
        • estvir, on 05/05/2008, -1/+6How does Vista not run on a 2GB, 2.8 dual core machine? Considering I've run it on far slower hardware, I'd say you're a liar.
          • FKnight, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5Or doesn't know how to assemble a computer properly. Or, more likely, he probably just copied "Vista would be nice if I could run it on my 2 gig, 2.8 dual core machine" from some other Vista basher's blog and pasted it here. That's how Vista bashing usually goes down. Vista bashers typically haven't actually seen the box it comes in, let alone used it.

    • SSXDRN, on 05/05/2008, -2/+4Hey, there's ALWAYS room for improvement. A lot of people are happy with whatever O.S. they have but it could certainly get better, Windows could certainly use more frequent and cheaper releases, getting rid of the damn registry and a new file system among other things.
      • FKnight, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2"getting rid of the damn registry" So ... what exactly is the problem with a "centralized location to store system and application configuration information" ? I see this complaint about the "damn registry" all the time, and I've asked, and no one seems to be able to articulate what's wrong with it.
    • strevoir, on 05/05/2008, -0/+0Actually Julie Larson-Green is the person who design the user-interface of Office 2007.
    • sonicEd, on 05/05/2008, -3/+1I agree. Gates is more responsible for the suckyness of Vista. Ballmer is just a sales man. What a stupid article!
      • Darph.Bobo, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1And you're an idiot that knows nothing about the chain of command. Which is the chain you you should be beat with for your stupidity. You're argument could also be said of Steve Jobs, he's not coding he "just a sales man." but it wouldn't be any more accurate. btw it's salesman.
  • 4321234, on 05/04/2008, -10/+3Go? You mean like, #2? The thumbnail pic looks like he's going.
  • TomPlansMedia, on 05/04/2008, -9/+3no.
  • samk, on 05/04/2008, -5/+31After Yahoo shares plummet on Monday, the Board will lose the support of its shareholders (there may even be a few lawsuits), and Microsoft will be in a stronger position. Just watch.
    • rusale, on 05/04/2008, -10/+7your probably the only one on this site that has a clue
    • Seizure, on 05/05/2008, -3/+11Most shareholders invest in a company not because they like what the company does, but because they like the long-term effects on their wallet. That's why any company that operates fairly and reasonably in the greater interest of it's customer base will inevitably be eaten by a larger company who is less shy of practicing a... shall we be kind and say "less than ideal" moral code? Unfortunately it's the shareholders who allow that company to do what it does in the first place, so you really can't live with them and can't live without them.

      In summary, boo short-sighted investors in a capitalist economy! Hooray beer!
      • Yazilliclick, on 05/05/2008, -2/+1What exactly does this have to do with morals? Nothing. How is this really in the worst interest of the customer base? It isn't. Thus your 'point' is rather useless with regards to this story at all.
  • lacreme, on 05/04/2008, -3/+13this is all just part of microsoft's plan.




    i think, it's pretty unpredictable with a guy like ballmer
  • pixelsoup, on 05/04/2008, -14/+7This "article" is rubbish.
  • GorfTron, on 05/04/2008, -9/+31Ballmer is a screaming fathead.
  • techweenie, on 05/04/2008, -9/+50Ballmer's key job qualification was that he was Gates' poker buddy. As a manager, he's been a serial failure.
    • twiztidsinz, on 05/05/2008, -2/+1mmmmm cereal
    • ArthurSucks, on 05/05/2008, -3/+3Don't forget Ballmer was Bills bodyguard in school. LOLz!
    • nycmac247, on 05/05/2008, -0/+15maybe he should switch to USB!
      • Lynxpro, on 05/05/2008, -1/+8I think your reply would've received more respect on Slashdot...
      • opnickc, on 05/05/2008, -0/+9USB IS serial - Universal Serial Bus. The joke would've made sense if you said he should be parallel.
        • Lynxpro, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Yes, but it isn't outdated like an RS-232 connection or a PS/2 port. That's why it was funny.
  • JordanTW90, on 05/04/2008, -7/+12The amount Microsoft is offering for Yahoo is far too much. Software buyers will soon be subsidizing the high cost of a Yahoo takeover, don't do it Microsoft.
    • Lynxpro, on 05/05/2008, -3/+8...how's that different from the customers who purchase Microsoft Office? That software package subsidizes the rest of Microsoft's never-ending failures. It would've been much better for shareholder value had Microsoft voluntarily broken themselves up before the DOJ action.
      • JordanTW90, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Its not supposed to be any different.
  • S4MF1SHER, on 05/04/2008, -9/+6Let him go? He's the fire in the belly of Microsoft!

    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc
    • ThankTheCheese, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2I found that rather unsettling.
    • Phlake, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3If I claim that this is a Rick Roll will I not have to watch it again?
  • 0260, on 05/04/2008, -21/+8i think ballmer is actually good for microsoft...
    (i know i know digg me down)
    • vfreak2, on 05/05/2008, -1/+1Smart post :) I guess he should stay there!
    • unrealmp3, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4Down you go >:D
    • thisissami, on 05/05/2008, -2/+3did you really think the "i know i know digg me down" comment would get you dugg up?
  • thrive868, on 05/04/2008, -13/+8Microsoft withdrew its offer of $31 per share after Yahoo tried to sweeten the deal by asking for $37 per share. All in all, Microsoft made a wise decision, whileYahoo screwed its shareholders.
    • Myztry, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Microsoft will make a sudden mass move to buy the lowered stocks (Microsoft and Ballmer in particular are too arrogant to lose). They will get so many before the stock shoots back up, and in order to get controlling share, will pay Yahoo's CEO's and the smart investors $37+... Overall they will pay less than $37 but some shares may end up costing them $40+. Depends on how smart the stock holders are...
  • a1lostnomad, on 05/04/2008, -2/+17Yes, Ballmer doesn't have the poise to be CEO of Microsoft. He's trying to use pages out of Larry Ellison's playbook in the internet market and it just doesn't work...
    • ConceptJunkie, on 05/05/2008, -1/+3Cut him some slack, man. He has more Y chromosomes than feet.
  • rpgmaker, on 05/04/2008, -1/+26Putting the bias aside, it's a shame because he has been with Microsoft since the car advertisement-like Microsoft ads but in this era he is dragging the company down, not only him, so many other executives that we don't hear about in the news. But as someone before me said: Ballmer is the poster child for everything that is wrong with Microsoft. They're way too chained to the 80s and 90s business techniques. If Microsoft wants to change its image it will have to give Ballmer a back seat.
  • YodaJones, on 05/04/2008, -9/+41The answer is yes. Steve Ballmer is a ranting raving lunatic without one iota of technical competence who is supposed to be running a high tech company.
    • Bamont, on 05/05/2008, -5/+12Not to rain on your parade - I know its popular to hate on Microsoft.

      The company is worth billions because of good investments and business choices.
    • Lynxpro, on 05/05/2008, -1/+8Technical competence doesn't mean the person would be a successful CEO. Steve Jobs wasn't his first time 'round. And hell, James Morgan was a tobacco executive and he would've turned Atari around had Steve Ross not had to sell the company to the dreaded Tramiel family in order to save Warner Communications from a hostile takeover attempt by Rupert Murdoch (who then bought 20th Century Fox instead)... The previous head of IBM had no tech background but he was a successful CEO that made it successful again.
      • FKnight, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Most people on Digg are too young to remember that Steve Jobs ran Apple twice.
    • Scott2, on 05/05/2008, -1/+1I'd like to see you run it.
  • 1timeuser, on 05/04/2008, -10/+26Maybe he should concentrate on developers. developers. developers. developers. developers

    BSOD
    • estvir, on 05/05/2008, -1/+6You can joke about that video all you want, in fact, Bill Gates and Ballmer joke about it themselves openly, but at least he's right. Microsoft focuses on developers and gives them a ton of excellent tools and makes it easy for them.
      • 1timeuser, on 05/05/2008, -5/+2Yes, they do have excellent tools and treat there developers well... which makes me wonder how the hell vista failed so.
        • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Vista hasn't failed. Most people are actually quite happy with it and it's made a lot of money with high sales.
    • MAGZine, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2Yeah, but BillG doesn't break chairs.
  • Tanbo, on 05/05/2008, -10/+17Ballmer definitely doesn't need to go, in fact in this era of insane valuation for tech companies he's bringing some sanity to the picture. Message to yahoo: Just because you're going to pay stupid money for things like flickr or broadcast.com, doesn't mean we (Microsoft) are going to do the same. We didn't get this far by by making stupid financial decisions and we're not about to start now.

    Techcrunch hates this, cause the entire premise of techcrunch is reporting on "promising" companies that get bought out by stupid money.

    I like Yahoo! I use their email and I think they still have the best financial section. But they aint worth more than 40 billion. They buy things like Flickr and delicious, which are nice tools, and then they never really bother integrating them.
    And if you're gonna spend stupid money, spend it on something like facebook, which they could have had for 1 billion.

    Peace to yahoo!
    • sirhomer, on 05/05/2008, -2/+7Facebook is worth over $15 billion dollars. Microsoft bought a tiny stake (1.5%) in Facebook for hundreds of millions.
    • chevyorange, on 05/05/2008, -4/+6"We"? You speak like you are Microsoft.
    • digitallysick, on 05/05/2008, -4/+1You like yahoo? what a n00b flickr is a decent service though
      • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1When you're done blowing Google employees try to realize that many of the search engine groups provide unique and useful services.
    • ozexige, on 05/19/2008, -0/+0Your joking, aren't you? You have to be kidding, either you're 11 years old or you should be comited with Ballmer, holy cow man.
  • rusale, on 05/05/2008, -9/+8who wrote this article? remember 50% of Yahoo's return this year is because of Mr. Softies bid and not because of that idiot Yang at Yahoo.
  • CamperBob, on 05/05/2008, -7/+4Fire Ballmer? Inconceivable! (I can't look at him, or listen to him, without thinking of Vizzini.)
    • mrBitch, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Ah, Vizzini quotes are classic :
      Vizzini: "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The first is never get involved in a land war in Asia. The second, only slightly less well known, is this:
      Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha -- " [stops abrubtly and falls over, dead.]
  • copypastry, on 05/05/2008, -7/+47DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS
    • indiekiduk, on 05/05/2008, -1/+12always a classic
    • boldfire, on 05/05/2008, -5/+7It wasn't funny the first 10 times it was posted, why would it be funny the 11th?!
      • loganisamonkey, on 05/05/2008, -0/+13Because that's how Digg works.
      • dacheetah, on 05/05/2008, -1/+8It's not the joke, it's how you tell it.
    • tian2992, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4I have four words for you: I LOVE THIS COMPANY YEAHHHHHHHH!!!!!
    • fr3ddie, on 05/05/2008, -1/+1i knew this would be in the comments. LOL. thank you copypastry.... nice nick too.
  • renegadeafk, on 05/05/2008, -10/+2Cue vista bashing
    • dacheetah, on 05/05/2008, -1/+7Vista bashing started a while ago. Seems they pre-empted your cue.
      • renegadeafk, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Yeah I fail for not refreshing the page
  • bikepundit, on 05/05/2008, -3/+17He probably doesn't care either way, he'll just buy yahoo for himself with his severance package
  • vfreak2, on 05/05/2008, -2/+25Does Balamer need to go? What kind of a question is that? Balmer would try to terrorise the world and his competitors even if he ran a toy shop.
    • ArthurSucks, on 05/05/2008, -0/+13The image of Ballmer screaming at children makes me laugh.
  • BrendanSheehan, on 05/05/2008, -5/+13But if he walks away Microsoft will lose its chair-throwing culture ;)

    In all seriousness, what the ***** is up with digg and Safari. It's going on for about 4 months now, on and off. Digg, get your act together will you. Comment sent from Firefox. Damn!
    • DeathJux, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3I use Digg via Safari on an eMac and a Macbook Pro, and it works without issue on both. Perhaps you have bigger problems with your machine.
    • aussieNickuss, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2I have serious problems with Safari as well.....on three different machines. I can't digg anything (comments or stories) and I can't comment either. I tried to report a bug, but the damn CAPTCHA wouldn't work in Safari either. It's not just a problem with your setup.

      [commenting from Firefox also]
    • jwdav, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1It's cookie related - when ever it happens, I dump (all 10 or so) digg cookies and I'm good for a while, until the cookies screw up again.
    • FKnight, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2Any one who believes that someone having problems with the Digg comment system or with the Diig thumbs up/down system is caused by the person's computer setup is seriously deluded and has drunk probably sixteen different flavors of the OMFGAJAX JAVASCRIPT RULEZ IS THE FUTURE OF APPLICATIONS Kool-Aid.
  • AWBoy666, on 05/05/2008, -6/+15Yahoo was lucky to get MS to offer $33.....they were below $20 when the deal was first leaked. YHOO is just being greedy. I'm shocked that Microsoft's board would even approve $33. (this coming from a finance MBA).
    Yahoo probably won't find a better offer. This will still happen IMHO.
    • indiekiduk, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4Yahoo will go to Time Warner for $1 next year. Yahoo shares will be around $10 on Monday.
  • TheWriteGuy, on 05/05/2008, -5/+15Finally somebody in the tech media press is stating the obvious.

    Yes, Ballmer needs to go. He has absolutely no respect for "developers, developers, developers". He is a jock meathead. Microsoft, and the industry, needs a genuine tech head in charge of things... someone like a younger version of Bill Gates but with lots more savvy, intuition and heart.
    • Lynxpro, on 05/05/2008, -2/+3He's definitely a meathead, but show me proof he was ever a jock.

      Microsoft doesn't need another Bill Gates either... they need to actually create something on their own instead of stealing things like BASIC (from DEC) and CP/M, from which they built an empire on ill-gotten gains.
    • chokeaduck, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2In other news, Kevin Rose was recently named the new CEO of Microsoft. WHAT?!?
  • schoate09, on 05/05/2008, -10/+15They need to get rid of everyone behind the latest wave of Microsoft. The latest in their product line, including IE7, Vista, VS2008, and even Office 2007 is bloated crapware that does very little to benefit the end user. Microsoft really needs a fresh start and a return to what made their products accepted in the past. I've always used Microsoft products largely because they did only what I needed, and nothing more. I still use Xp for it's basic do only what I need, and I use Office 2003/VS2005 for the same reason.
    • estvir, on 05/05/2008, -3/+5And you could get by using Windows 2000 and Office 97 for basic needs but that means nothing. If you get over the lies that are that are the majority of the 'pitfalls' of Vista you'll find it's a good OS and how is Office 2007 'bloated crapware'?

      The Ribbon is brilliant and I don't see how Office 2007 is bloated.
    • grumpyrain, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5Word 2007 launches just as quick on my Vista box as Notepad does on my XP box (ie, instant). There is nothing magical, just Superfetch doing its job. Apart from having to open help to find a couple of things the first time I needed them, 2007 is much easier to use. Just remember to use the 97-2003 compatibility (in Save Options) to avoid the OOXML crap.
  • BelatedHero, on 05/05/2008, -1/+17Isn't the man worth like $15 billion? Why does he even bother?
    • sgtpppr, on 05/05/2008, -0/+12People like this don't work simply for money. They work to dominate and to be successful. They just use money as a measurement of that success. Personally, I would love to have $10 million and just buy a huge part of Costa Rica and live out the rest of my life half-asleep on the beach.
    • Lynxpro, on 05/05/2008, -1/+6I'd be getting a hair transplant with that much amount of disposable cash.

      Same goes for Steve Jobs.
      • DarkShroud, on 05/06/2008, -1/+2Some people don't share your insecurities.
  • Rogozhin, on 05/05/2008, -1/+14Hell yes he needs to go. He just propagates that old mantra of 'assimilate without merit'. He's also much too highly paid for what his CEO duties entail.
  • MrESaulved, on 05/05/2008, -4/+18Steve...take your DRM infesting control-freakiness and micro-transaction software subsciption greediness and some soap and then go soak your head in the sink, like beans.

    You blew the best tech monopoly opportunity in the history of mankind. I hate monopolistic practices, but you had such a strong and widespread user base with Windows 2K and XP, you could have issued SP after SP, with cool features (like BitLocker and Aero). Charged retail for XP with those new SPs slipstreamed and let the geeks DL the new SPs and show them off.

    Oh? Didn't think of that? You're fired.

    • estvir, on 05/05/2008, -8/+1Wow, are you actually promoting hacking on features that big onto XP? That's more stupid than anything Ballmer has said.
    • Scott2, on 05/05/2008, -1/+1Two words: Sarbanes-Oxley.
      • MrESaulved, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1That financial reporting act has nothing to do with this discussion, nor did you make the connection.
  • kreatre2007, on 05/05/2008, -9/+10I would say that this question is largely up to the board and the stockholders. My opinion is that I think that Ballmer is a loud mouthed *****. His company makes third rate products. Their strategy of taking over everything and perverting it into some Microsoft zombie product is bad for consumers and it's bad for the industry. Ballmer has presided over this strategy. He has no class or culture. No matter how big Microsoft gets, it will always be third best behind Apple, and Linux distributions.

    ** Yes... I am an Apple Fanboy :)
    • UnWeave, on 05/05/2008, -4/+1I don't see how you can fairly compare Microsoft's business attitudes to a "linux distribution". OSs maybe, but that's it. And dislike it as you may, Microsoft are still well on top of the computer market at the moment and look set to be for some time to come. You can complain about how they did it, but they still did it.
  • Dysarthria, on 05/05/2008, -6/+9Ballmer was right to reject the ridiculous demands by Yahoo! execs; as Yahoo! continues to fade it will be worth less in another year or two.

    • Scott2, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Agreed. Yahoo was not riding high on the Internet, and has not been for a long time. Microsoft is likely their salvation.
  • jerrycurley, on 05/05/2008, -9/+3Of course, if this EXACT same process was done by Apple, this article (and submitter) would be talking about what a GENIUS move it was by Steve Jobs.
    • Echosphere, on 05/05/2008, -2/+4Here's the rub... Steve Jobs wouldn't do this.
      If he DID do it though, he would have succeeded.

      Love or Hate Jobs... you have to admit he gets his ***** done.
    • chevyorange, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Apple is smart enough to partner now, not always buy. They partner with Google. Good idea!
  • HandofLettuce, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2He reminds me of Lt. Thorn from BSG in that picture
  • boldfire, on 05/05/2008, -3/+4As an user of both Microsoft/Apple/Sony/Nintendo products it's my impartial consumer impression that this man is running Microsoft wrong. Not badly, I'm sure he's quite capable else he wouldn't have been put in the role. But wrong. He should take a look at where he wants Microsoft to be, and work to get their in a competitive and friendly manner whilst innovating.
    There's no point saying "He's going to ruin Microsoft" because let's face it, that's just not going to happen, but he will be the driving force for that possible future.
    • Echosphere, on 05/05/2008, -1/+1I agree, he just seems to be grumpy all the time. If I ran the largest (and thank God I'm not) software company in the world. Personally, I would be quite happy.

      Btw, both means two, not four.
      • FKnight, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2You'd be grumpy too if you had to think about ***** like "will we get sued for bundling a freaking clock into the OS even though every other OS has one?"
        • Echosphere, on 05/06/2008, -0/+0True, but that's what his minions are for. Yup, sit back and watch out for the next great thing to copy or buy while no one expects you to innovate.
  • oldcyborg, on 05/05/2008, -10/+1Ballmer HAS changed... More times than I even know! Next to Gates, Ballmer is the heart and soul of MIcrosoft, and this suggestion is pure lunacy, not to mention rude and crude........

    I don't even like Ballmer, but he is someone that I trust to do what he says, and what he thinks is right. THis suggestion that he needs to GO is purely crass and vindictive...... I was pleased when he quit the yelling and screaming all the time, and am mortified that he is now subjected to this kind of abuse....
    Right or wrong, he IS Micrsoft and I have NO doubts about that. I hope something bad happens to whomever put forth this vicious drivel.
    Cyborg
    • srg13, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4Satire?
    • Jus7in, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Signing off with your real name on Digg is dumb. Signing off with 'Cyborg' made me want to puke. And that's before one takes into consideration the crap you spewed in your comment. Ballmer is a loon, and at this point it is difficult for people to take Microsoft seriously with him on board.
  • digiguy, on 05/05/2008, -6/+3Who cares. I don't work for Microsoft
  • Hegemony, on 05/05/2008, -0/+7But if Ballmer goes who will run around like a sweaty lunatic pumping their fists?
    • DeathJux, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6We'll find an even SWEATIER lunatic!
    • UnWeave, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2I can if you like? And I'll do it for half of what he is paid, too.
    • Lynxpro, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1....Allard will.
  • mrdoogee, on 05/05/2008, -2/+6In my sweet worthless opinion, MS ought to let the Xbox people run the whole place. It seems to be the only segment of the company that anybody outside Redmond likes. Personally I don't have a 360, but you can't argue with the numbers. 360 > Vista.
    • zephyrprime, on 05/05/2008, -2/+0Yeah but 360 is profitless where even though Vista is a disappointment, it still makes money.
    • digitallysick, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1I agree, the whole xbox360 setup is great, it makes money, but people don't mind paying it for services they get in return. The xbox360 dashboard is even great.
  • Beylan, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3I dunno, does he have to go? Is he standing around doing the gotta-pee dance? Or in his case, throwing chairs?
  • thestaton, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4He's doing a great job of running MS into the ground! Sign him up for 8 more years.
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