[MW Forums]

Microsoft CEO says the company must be multicore, or be successful in multiple markets, to grow. more

[macnuke]

Did Steve ever say Apple was multi-core? (which they are btw)
or did Ballmer just take it from Intel cause it sounded like neat techy catch phrase?

[Scorp_56]

While I understand the need of a company to diversify its sources of revenue, I don't see a vision behind Microsoft's moves. It seems like they see a hot market then jump in -- hardly innovative. But when you have a cash horde like Microsoft innovation isn't really important.
While the Xbox has a lot of buzz, it has yet to make a profit. According to a Forbes article from October 2005 (via Daring Fireball), the Xbox is estimated to have lost $4 billion in four years -- how can that be considered successful?

[Nobody]

Stop it with the stupid "innovative" already. It's a purely subjective, meaningless word used as ultimate praise by cheerleaders and as the ultimate epithet by detractors.

[jmincey]

If Ballmer were a car in Pixar's "Cars," he would have no radio or antenna nor any rear or side-view mirrors. And thus he would would have no knowledge of what lies just over the hill or horizon, and he would be unable to see what is gaining on him. Ballmer would, however, be an expert on what had just passed him and is directly in front of him.
All this makes Ballmer nothing more than a chearleader, a game show host, a marketing shill. And I'm beginning to think he honestly thinks he and Microsoft are "innovating" merely on account of seeing what is directly in front of them.

[scfischer]

Quote:

---

"You have to confront the question: Is it OK to get into some area of endeavor when you're not first?"

---

According to Bill Gates it is. He took one look at the Mac OS and said (without any innovation) "I like it, let's copy it."

[RASTERMAN]

Quote:

---

"You have to confront the question: Is it OK to get into some area of endeavor when you're not first?" he said. "It's always best in our business to be first. We want to be first."

---

First to market?? Ooookaaay! Talk about a reality distortion field!
I'm sure there must be something they've "successfully" created from scratch, but nothing comes to mind immediately. I'm sure someone out there will help me remember.
Cheers!
---RASTER
P.S.
[I just wanted to point out that I was the first poster to make a comment on this story today, MS style! /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif]

[MrMe]

Quote:

---

While I understand the need of a company to diversify its sources of revenue, I don't see a vision behind Microsoft's moves. It seems like they see a hot market then jump in -- hardly innovative. But when you have a cash horde like Microsoft innovation isn't really important. ...

---

It is also important for a company to pare its business ventures to its core competencies. Diversification is an investment strategy, not a successful product strategy in today's winner-take-all economy. Its stock price shows that Microsoft's business strategy is clearly a failure.

[jmincey]

Measuring a business strategy by a stock price is foolhardy. Stocks are cyclical and there are many companies which would like to be failures by your definition of the term.
Another poster spoke of core competencies and building products atop that foundation, but Microsoft need not concern itself with that in light of its huge warchest. It can purchase whatever competency it requires -- particularly since its standard of quality is one not of groundbreaking but only of "good enough."
Microsoft could get into another industry altogether -- say the restaurant business -- and do well. All it need do is plunk down the cash and insto-presto, the next thing you know you are picking up a Microsoft menu.

[adobephile]

Buzz and bravado and not even much bravado. He actually sounds like the PC guy in Apple's ads. A surface self-assuredness thinly masking a growing anxiety over not knowing just what to do next.
"Multi-core!" That's a good hip one. Let's throw some money somewhere and call it a "core." Maybe he meant "multi-spore." Lower life forms use countless billions of spores to propagate. Only a relative few ever make it.

[tomtom]

Agreed
As a stockholder, I would like to see him out of the place.
He is an embarrassment at home bit more so in Europe.
The sooner he is voted out, the better.

[bondtrails]

I'll be happy to oblige everyone...
MicroSteal was first in mass VaporWare!
You have to take his comment "We will never [again] have a five-year gap between the releases of major products," with a grarin of salt, but shudder at the same time. So does this mean the rebirth of products like Windows ME? MS was so far away with their next "consumer" version of windows after Win98 that their marketing department came out with patchwork products to continue the revenue machine (Win98SE, WinME, etc.)
So after Vista, in order to keep innovating and not be 5 years between product launches, expect products like VistaSE, Vista 21st Century, Vista-StopGap-Edition, Vista-We'reAlmostThereWithOurNextVersion-Edition, Vista-JustGiveUsMoreMoneyYouStupidLemming-Edition, etc.
Cheers,
Bondster!!
/forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[leicaman]

[indent]Quote:

---

[indent]Quote:

---

"You have to confront the question: Is it OK to get into some area of endeavor when you're not first?" he said. "It's always best in our business to be first. We want to be first."

---

[/indent]
First to market?? Ooookaaay! Talk about a reality distortion field!
I'm sure there must be something they've "successfully" created from scratch, but nothing comes to mind immediately. I'm sure someone out there will help me remember.

---

[/indent]
Mr. Clippy comes to mine. And then there's Bob.
Even Akula, the MS cheerleader here, has got to see through that transparent nonsense that Ballmer has to spew for the clue-challenged Wall Street investor corps.

[kwill]

[indent]Quote:

---

"There really is a Sony that lives inside of us," he said. "There's an aspiring Google or Yahoo that lives inside of us."

---

[/indent] Ballmer is missing some alphabets ... and an aspiring Apple, BMG, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, Dell ..., and UN.