Steve Ballmer is a dissin' machine

Microsoft's competition might be looking for a silent contender, but they won't find it in CEO Steve Ballmer. Rather than relying on the software giant's marketing professionals to dish dirt on competitors, Ballmer does it himself. And he does it quite often.

On Tuesday, Ballmer had some interesting things to say about Google and its upcoming Chrome operating system.

Steve Ballmer fielding a question from Fortune's Geoff Colvin.

(Credit: Screenshot by Ina Fried/CNET)

Speaking in an onstage question-and-answer session following his speech at the Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, Ballmer told those in attendance that he doesn't "know if Google can't make up their mind or what the problem is over there...The last time I checked, you don't need two client operating systems."

Ballmer couldn't quite stop himself there. He had a few more interesting things to say about Chrome OS.

"Who knows what this thing is?" Ballmer said. "To me, the Chrome OS thing is highly interesting--it won't happen for a year and a half, and they already announced an operating system (Android)."

With all those zingers flying around, it made me start remembering other instances in which Ballmer has taken a company or product to task. So I decided to search Google for all results matching "Ballmer disses." Amazingly, the search returned more than 125,000 results.

Microsoft's CEO likes to hit the competition with some pretty tough comments. Here's what he's had to say about some of his most prominent competitors over time.

Macs

Date: March 2009

Comment: After his keynote speech at Media Summit 2009, Ballmer was asked about Apple's market share growth. Ballmer told those in attendance that Apple could be broken down into two basic elements: a $500 premium and a logo.

"Apple gained about one point, but now I think the tide has really turned back the other direction," Ballmer said. "The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment--same piece of hardware--paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be."

Result: Mac sales growth is outpacing PC sales growth by a sizable margin. Mac sales in May were up 25 percent over April. PC sales were up just 1 percent. But overall, Microsoft still dominates the operating-system market.

iPhones

Date: January 2007

Comment: After being asked to comment on the iPhone after it was first announced (and prior to its release), Ballmer indicated that his first reaction to Apple's product was skepticism.

A phone that costs "$500, fully subsidized, with a plan? That's the most expensive phone in the world, and it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not a very good e-mail machine," Ballmer said laughing.

Result: More than two years later, the iPhone is in its third generation. Apple has sold more than 20 million iPhone units since its release. More than 65,000 applications are available in its App Store. More than 1.5 billion apps have been downloaded. It is gaining in popularity for e-mail use and has also had some success in the enterprise.

Yahoo

Date: March 2009

Comment: Ballmer hasn't been content to keep his mouth closed on Microsoft's on-again, off-again acquisition talks with Yahoo. On one occasion, Ballmer criticized Yahoo's management for the way it has handled the negotiations.

"That whole episode left me understanding how shareholders can get frustrated with management that isn't serious about performance," Ballmer said about Yahoo at Media Summit 2009.

Result: Microhoo still doesn't exist. Since Ballmer made his comments, Yahoo's search market share has remained relatively constant. According to StatCounter, Yahoo's June market share was 11 percent. It beat out Microsoft by almost three percentage points. It has also hired a new CEO, and its stock has risen in value.

Google Android

Date: November 2008

Comment: After seeing what Google's Android platform was all about, Ballmer said he was "confused" by Google's strategy and focus.

"I don't really understand (Google's) strategy," Ballmer said at Telstra's annual investment day. "Maybe somebody else does. If I went to my shareholder meeting, my analyst meeting, and said, 'hey, we've just launched a new product that has no revenue model!'...I'm not sure that my investors would take that very well. But that's kind of what Google's telling their investors about Android."

Result: Since Ballmer commented on Android, Google announced that the T-Mobile has sold more than 1 million units of the G1, the first Android-based phone. That said, Android has only been able to capture 6 percent of the market, based on operating-system use. Google hopes to have close to 20 Android-based devices on store shelves by the end of 2009 to capture more market share.

MacBook Air

Date: March 2008

Comment: Speaking at the Mix conference in a one-on-one interview with Guy Kawasaki, Ballmer took Kawasaki's MacBook Air out of an envelope and debated the value of the computer.

After Kawasaki asked him why he didn't want a light machine, Ballmer said his Toshiba laptop weighs less.

He went on to say that the MacBook Air "is missing half the features. Where's the DVD drive?"

Result: Today, the MacBook Air is still available from Apple. It has a fresh design and a more affordable price tag. The competition must believe Apple is on to something--Acer, Lenovo, Dell, MSI, and Asus have all announced plans to debut PCs that will compete with the MacBook Air.

So there you have it: just a small sampling of some of Ballmer's finest disses. Do you have any others you wish to share? Let us know in the comments below.

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[steel36]

Ballmer's just like most high-level VP's I'm been around, dismissive of other products and talking up their own. They're so used to preaching in the midst of the choir that they're out of touch. Admittedly, Ballmer is a worst case scenario, esp. since he's the CEO.

[wigmo]

Are those really fine disses, or do you just want to make him look like a lousy prophet?

[rbrown653]

so true

[dk jones]

it would seem from reading this "list of diss", a diss by Mr. Ballmer would insure some modicum of success for the "Diss-ee". that's the irony.

[gidstelios]

Well I don't get it. Every time Mr.Balmer does negative criticism on a product its popularity goes straight to the top. This mean that every time Mr.Balmer does positive criticism the product goes all the way down?

[gigogogogown]

... and doesn't MS have a Mobile OS in addition to Windows?

[MaggieRed]

Exactly and like four versions of the desktop OS, and another four versions of the server OS. So that's like nine OS's.

Balmer is an azzhat. Even for 10 times the money he has, I would never want to wake up in the morning and look in the mirror to see that as the person I am.

[monkeyfun14]

Android is not just a mobile OS they want it on netbooks as well.

What ballmer is trying to say is that they want 2 OS's for the desktop Android and Chrome OS

[Random_Walk]

"What ballmer is trying to say is that they want 2 OS's for the desktop Android and Chrome OS"

1) Android and GoogleOS (or whatever they call it) has the same core, just like...

2) Windows Vista Starter Edition, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Mobile 6.5, Windows Server 2008 Standard, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition, Windows Server 2008 Small Business Edition, Windows Media Center Edition, and etc. ...

3) ...all of which can run on a desktop (Windows Mobile can do so in emulation, inside of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET)

...your point? (aside from the fact that Ballmer is rather confused, considering that the android-on-a-netbook thing was spoken of way before Google announced its new OS, which would obviate the latter anyway).

[Random_Walk]

LOL! He doesn't have much room to talk... IE marketshare has dropped from 90%+ to ~65% (and falling), Windows marketshare has slipped from 95% to 80-something% (and still falling), WinCE/WM went from #3 (behind RIM and Nokia/Symbian) to #way-the-hell-down-there, Vista released under his tenure... and one word: "Zune".

Note that I'm not bad-mouthing Microsoft the company per se, but when a CEO wants to trash-talk, it helps if he had his own house in order first... and Ballmer is the last person to say he has that. Granted Windows 7 shows some promise to patch the bad taste Vista left in many mouths, but seriously - Ballmer has zero room in which to talk right now.

[cvaldes1831]

Absolutely. Microsoft's primary asset is its inertia.

As a MSFT shareholder and reflecting upon the stock's languishing performance over the past five years, one might say that Ballmer can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk.

Show me the money, Steve.

[SIGHUP]

As much as I hate to admit it, Ballmer was right on most of those products. None of these products have put a dent in Microsoft?s armor with the exception of the iPhone.

[Random_Walk]

Really?

* Windows Mobile and Windows Vista are, by Ballmer's own definition in his first quoted bit, two separate OSes. So unless Microsoft is planning to cede the mobile market entirely and discontinue Windows Mobile...

* Yahoo is still a comfy distance ahead of Microsoft in the search market (well, from the scraps that Google left the two), in spite of the heavily-advertised Bing looky-loo spike.

* Apple is still doing better than Microsoft-primary OEMs, and now has more cash than Microsoft itself. Seems that folks can indeed cough up that mythical "extra $500", and in droves.

...and Microsoft is still in decline from it's highs of the Gates era, with nothing more than promises with Windows 7 to break the fall. Heaven help 'em if Windows 7 RTM comes out with any major bugs...

[themrwhite]

Because the mindless drones keep buying Winblows. If people would look around and do research they wouldn't buy windows. People also buy windows because IT departments keep pushing the crap out onto its users and the only reason they do is because it's job security for them. Google search the percentage of IT people who use Macs at home instead PC's, it's staggering.

[paulej]

Many large companies only think quarter to quarter. Worse, they get complacent and develop a religion around what they have. When they see new technologies that might be a threat, they immediately dismiss them out of hand. Further, unless there is an immediate need for a product or a clearly visible need for some technology to fit into a well-defined product roadmap, they do not want to spend time developing that new technology. And, so it is with Balmer's statements. What he says about Google's strategy is entirely true for the next quarter and next year. He confessed that he doesn't get Google's strategy. I've heard several CEOs at top companies say the same thing. While I cannot say that the strategy is, I can see the results of what they are doing and, therefore, a hint at the strategy. Perhaps 15 years later as you are using that Google operating system on a laptop or mobile device, using Google Wave to communicate with people around the world, sending around links to Google Docs, storing your family photos in the cloud, and asking the younger generation if they have ever heard of Windows, we will all get it.

I think the details of Google's strategy are not readily apparent, because they have an immediate revenue stream and they are investing heavily in long-term R&D. Success or failure of any one of these R&D activities is not so important, so long as they continue to make progress on the broader plan. What's amazing about their long-term strategy, though, is that they seem to be doing it right in front of our eyes. And it is our eyes that Google wants. Once we are inundated with their products and services, we are a captive audience. They will easily be able to dominate any market segment. The only thing they have to do is seed our dumb terminals :-) (yeah, that's what I think of netbooks) with links to products and services offered by Google.

Of course, it might be that Google is just trying anything and everything -- without any real plan ? to find something that might bring in revenue beyond advertising, as they recognize the advertising business will only grow so large. And, growth is what drives the stock price.

[SIGHUP]

@Random_Walk

Why don't you read instead of jump on the Microsoft bashing bandwagon so soon. My little commet contained nothing about Microsoft was doing great.

Your first point contained a quote from Ballmer so I am just going to ignore what ever your point there was.

Yahoo has always been ahead of microsoft in search.

So what if apple has money? I guess your point is that they are better than Microsoft because they have more money?

Ballmer is no Bill Gates. I agree with you on that but that is not what this article was about.

[Random_Walk]

...but that's the thing: Ballmer was wrong on nearly all of them. ALL of the products mentioned (including Android) have put a dent in Microsoft's marketshare, from small (Android) to large (Macs, iPhone, etc). The only aspect Ballmer got even half-right was Yahoo's management (which seemed to have righted itself in very short order once Yang got tossed aside).

[man_w_balls]

psychological analysis: egomania

his mindset is coming from being at the top of the biggest name in the computer industry
whenever a competitor arrives with something innovative, he thinks, "***? How dare they?"

[davidwb]

He should open an amusement park - name is DissNey World.

[eadeguzman]

Google this...

"schmidt disses" - 7,340,000 results
"jobs disses" - 1,150,000 results


What's the point, Don? How do you relate the numbers above? So Eric Schmidt's and Steve Jobs disses are working and Ballmer's dissing is not? Funny.

Your cause and effect narrative is very weak. There is nothing there. No correlation whatsoever. It's an unproductive random thought.

[themrwhite]

Because Jobs and everyone else is usually right on, because they diss based on facts. Ballmer just speaks out of his ass because he has no clue about anything tech related, period. Ballmer see, Ballmer do. MS is the the number one me too company of the world.

[G|Net]

eadeguzman, are you sure that "jobs disses" are all about Steve Jobs? Google is likely serving up pages about employment in many of those hits....you know, 'jobs'....

If you type "Steve Jobs" (in quotes) and "disses" in google, you only come up with 23,000....

[eadeguzman]

G|Net -- Are you sure that "Ballmer disses" is all "Steve Ballmer".... That's my point. Substituting Google for a survey does not work.

My point is Don's data is worthless and so were mine above. Any attempt to give meaning to that data sampling is unproductive.

[eadeguzman]

By the way "steve ballmer" disses retuned only 8,640.

Who knows how many duplicate articles are there. Even if they are unique articles and even if they are all the real "steve ballmer" or "steve jobs", that still does not mean anything because most of the time it's the interviewer who provokes these kind of responses. And of course, that will be the highlight/headline of the article -- because apparently "dissing" sells... In that regard, congratulations, Don.

[ikramerica--2008]

Anyone who wants to see how "wrong" Jobs is in comparison simply need to read this article for Playboy in 1985, before Apple stupidly dumped Jobs for wanting to follow his pretty spot on vision.

http://www.playboy.com/articles/playboy-interview-steven-jobs/index.html?page=2

He was right about a lot, wrong about a bit, and right about some things but with the players wrong. For example, he knew that software would be where true innovation would lie, and figured IBM and Apple would dominate hardware design. Instead, it was Apple and Intel, as IBM became irrelevant in personal computers, but the underlying chips that ran IBMs ended up dominating. And Jobs eventually had to bite the bullet, a mere 20 years later, and become "IBM compatible" after all.

[dlcollison]

This man is a comedian - I used to rabidly support Microsoft because of the fundamental changes they were making in the marketplace and the value that they brought to businesses. Now they are just like any other vendor - only interested in how many $'s that they can take from me. Hey, it's a free market and I support anyone's ability to promote themselves and make a buck. However, there is a line and Micosoft has crossed it - how many flavors of Win VISTA/Win7 do we really need? He likes to throw flames at his competitors, I wish he would take a closer look at his own operation and clean it up and provide higher value to the consumer. As for me, I've already made the decision - no Win7 in my home. New computers will be Macs for the kids and wife and most likely Linux based for myself.

[mikeschlenk]

I work with Microsoft Licensing in my job. The more I deal with Enterprise, Select and Open agreements the more frustration I feel towards Microsoft. I'm trying hard not to become a MS hater. This makes it even harder.

[therealgeeves]

The only saving grace for Ballmer is that he decided not to sport a comb over...

[FF2009]

in other words: Ballmer is worried that M$ earnings will plum next year because of GoogleOS. If I was Ballmer I worried too.

[MadLyb]

Good for him and any other company exec who proudly stands behind his products rather than being obtuse or evasive.

[zelrik]

Well for sure Ballmer will never say : " Oh man, the iphone is awesome, I ordered 3 of them for my family last week ". The reality people are missing here, he is the big boss of Microsoft, anything he says can make the MSFT stocks change by 10% in either direction withing seconds.

[Random_Walk]

Good point - if you;re CEO, you never cheer for the Other Guy.

[themrwhite]

Bill Gates wife wants an iPhone, but Bill won't let her have one. :\ I Lol'd

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10185083-1.html

[Mr. Dee]

Dissin', Dissin', he's a dissin' machine
OoooWee Baby....Automatic, systematic
Cannot keep himself contained

[tbsteph]

This article is absurd. Did anyone expect Ballmer to say kind words about Google's new OS announcement? I don't recall cnet praising it competitors.

[ballmerisanape]

There is a difference between tactful ridicule and ignorance. Ballmer says these things because he really believes them... and he has been consistently wrong. Ballmer's comments about iPhone platform is probably the best example of him not "getting it". If Ballmer was CEO of Ford.. we would all be driving Model-Ts... after all.. they work.. and would be cheap to make. Isn't that what's important?

He is totally out of touch with the consumer side of things.. and it has taken it's toll on Microsoft in a big way. Windows 7 better be at least as good as Mac OS 10.4 or Microsoft is going to fade away over the next 10 years... and that would be bad for everyone.

Personally, I am looking forward to running 10.6 and 7 side by side on my iMac. I hope I have that option for a while.

[dburr13]

I think Steve Ballmer is a refreshing difference from those who are afraid to say what they really feel...Sure...sometimes he gets it wrong...But he gets it right too...He is the larger than life persona at the top of the heap at Microsoft...and his every word seems to get plenty of attention...I think he's too smart to do this kind of stuff if it wasn't getting the desired result...

[themrwhite]

Sometimes wrong? Try everytime he speaks. He's a moron that needs to learn tact.

[roark1]

@dburr13:

what is the desired result? are you saying he is a double agent with in the royalty of Micro$oft? The problem of not being afraid of saying what you feel, is you generally need to have the good sense to speak after you think, not before. If he is thinking before he speaks, then I have to question his thought process. ***** and moan about innovation, calling them failures only to see them BLAZE WITH GLORY!!! Please Balmer..... keep on jabbering!!! How did he get that job anyway... did he used to steal Bill Gates lunch money in college or something.... For me... he is and always will be a mindless thug. A big gorilla beating his chest, screaming and saying NOTHING. But people listen to his blabbering because they are afraid that the Gorilla my smash them for not paying attention.

[c_payne]

Ballmer will continue to stress how many PC's in the world
run windows.

Keep in mind those PC's all run PRIOR (aka OLD) versions
of Windows.