Send in your questions for Steve Ballmer

What would you ask Microsoft's CEO?

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

It's time for the next installment of CNET Conversations, and we have another terrific interview lined up: Steve Ballmer.

Click here to submit your question!

Regardless of whether you love or hate the CEO of Microsoft, one of technology's most polarizing companies, there's no denying the influence that Ballmer has on the industry and, by extension, on the U.S. economy.

Microsoft is most obviously known for developing the operating system that runs the overwhelming majority of the world's PCs, Windows, and its Office suite of products has helped businesses around the globe operate more efficiently. Additionally, the Xbox gaming console, Windows Mobile software, Bing search engine, and MSN Web properties are significant businesses and ripe areas for exploration.

CNET has talked with Ballmer many times over the years, and we can say he's one of our favorites: insightful, forthright, funny, and passionate. For one interview at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., headquarters, he showed up bleeding from the bridge of his nose, following a rough game of basketball on the campus court. (His team won, he assured us.) During another interview at CNET's offices, a food tray that included deviled eggs provided an opportunity for some juvenile humor.

This time, CNET's Ina Fried and Molly Wood will be traveling to Redmond. We've started crafting our list of questions to ask Ballmer on Thursday, but we want CNET's users to be part of the process.

Leave your questions in the comments section, and we'll select some of the more interesting ones to ask Ballmer. Leave your name, title, and company, and we'll give you credit during the interview.

For some inquisitive inspiration, here are a few noteworthy Ballmer headlines:

• Court docs: Ballmer vowed to 'kill' Google
• Steve Ballmer is a dissin' machine
• Ballmer: We're cheaper than Apple! (but not Linux)
• Ballmer: Google, Google, the economy, Google
• Ballmer on car insurance and gay rights
• The worst Microsoft promo videos ever! (scroll down to see Ballmer pitching Windows 1.0)

[Splashes]

1. "You used to be a used-car salesman, right?"

2. "So, how's that iPhone prediction workin' out for ya?"

3. "Care to make any more predictions about Apple?"

[DemonDuck000]

When I got my Vista Business 64 machine, I spent about two weeks turning useless and obstructive features off -- like User Account Control; Indexing; Interface Animation; a whole gaggle of services that I would never need. Then I reverted to the Classic theme and small icons. Those steps made my computer more responsive -- less obstructive and simpler to use. And I would like to find a way to revert folders to Windows 2000 simplicity.

Question: Why don't you ship the simplest possible OS and let the end user chose to turn things ON instead of having to find ways to turn things OFF to get work done?

[mrcjacobs]

I have but 1 question; can I come work for Microsoft in your mobile division? I will work for free. I've been a WinMo fan for years and it's obvious that that division has lost it's way. I can make it better!

Your marketing scheme for Windows-based products has been all over the place. Have you thought about going through the "crowd-sourcing" method of finding what you need to do?

Clearly, Microsoft has competition. Just as clearly, you are in business to make money. Can you explain the business rationale that seems to say "MS will not work with ANY other software - if you use MS - you MUSTonly use MS."? As a follow-up, I point to Palm and Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile has clearly engulfed Palm - yet Palm was a GREAT prpogram that loaded faster and worked faster than Windows Mobile. Why not just develop apps for something that already works? MS's attitude reminds me of VHS & Betamax "wars". Both got replaced by DVD. What happens when MS gets replaced?

[slickuser]

Windows 7 is Vista SP3, correct? Tell me truth, Steveo

[eekthemouse]

Steve, would you be willing to use an iPhone and Mac for 1 week, to see what all the buzz is about? Only seems fair to give it a chance.

[Interframe]

Question: Do you ever feel that Microsoft should move much faster against competition? Will this become a reality? A good example where Microsoft has been slow is in the mobile space with Windows Mobile.

[brucel86]

Why not develop apps for the iphone, maybe a zune app if apple would approve it.
remote desktop to connect to windows based machine would be great.
Me being a huge fan of the 360 and the iphone, why isn't there a Microsoft branded app for viewing xbox live friends and sending them messages like the myspace app, there is no losing. Think about about it 10 million + users on the iphone and who knows how many xbox live users have iphones.
Please develop an xbox live iphone app

[sherschbein_dotmac]

In USA Today on 4/29/2007, Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft said:
"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance."

Microsoft just had a quarterly loss for the first time in its history, yet your pay for 2009 increased.

Question: was your pay raise for job performance?

"The day Microsoft makes something that doesn't suck will be the day they start making vacuum cleaners."
[e-mail]

[docster87]

Is it really wise to encourage hardware makers (HP, Dell, etc) toward a race to see how cheap a laptop can be made? Quality usually comes at a cost. Also I've noticed that Window based systems usually do not come with restore discs anymore... Is that a directive from MS or solely up to the hardware vendor? ALL COMPUTERS SHOULD COME WITH RESTORE DISCS!

When people ask me about buying a new computer (and I get that a lot), first I recommend Macs and second, if they insist on Windows, I recommend a system that comes with restore discs. I've found that if they go with Windows, most of them come back to me within a year asking me to fix their computers and without a restore disc I refuse to fix Windows. Main reason I switched to Mac was I got tired of spending time fixing Windows on my machines.

[solitare_pax]

1. Why is your PR department passing Windows Machines off as cheapo pieces of junk in the PC Hunter ads?

2. Why does "Bing" want to make decisions for me? I can think for myself thank you.

3. When will you bring Windows XP back? It wasn't that bad. Really.

[SlimGem]

My question: Did your kids ever get an iPod?

[infogars]

What's the deal with the latest "Windows 7 Party" campaign? Has Microsoft finally run out of good ideas?

[Xaymacan]

Can Steve Ballmer confirm that Microsoft is developing a tablet computer called Courier?

[ofmyony]

I am interested in a dedicated Microsoft phone. I have the Zune HD and marvel at it's design and function. As a owner of the Zune HD, I would like to see a similar design as a phone. I am interested in a single device,(phone and media capabilities, Zune software)

Is it possible that we could see Microsoft phone that is as unique and functional as the Zune HD?

Jimmie

[steve315]

STeve, baby, do you not get that the Apple OS just allows one to accomplish more and better?

[lazycat202]

"we don't need competitors. Why doesn'tMS just kill Apple and engage with Linux and Chrome?"

[pedromaschio]

I find Microsoft branding very confusing, msn, live, messenger, hotmail, passport, .net, bing, sql, xp, vista, and goes on and on. Then goes home edition, students, pro, web, server ... but, none of the names tell what the software does. The competitors are easier to understand, and some people I know don't even realize that Microsoft has a software that does what they want. Good for me because I sell consulting. My question is: do you agree it is confusing? Do you expect a normal person to remember that all this names belong to Microsoft or confusion is on purpose?

[lewac]

yeah ubuntu 9.04 is already faster and prettier than windoze7 and 9.10 is being released exactly one week later. no way you can compete with their 6 month release schedule. jack be nimble jack be quick. they are, you ain't and there's NOTHING you can do about it. openOffice is just as good as Office suite and we'd have to agree a LOT cheaper. IE is losing it to firefox and chrome and there's not a thing you can do about that either. server side is owned by LAMP and there's nothing you can do about that either. I think you gotta buncha issues here regarding all your proprietary stuff catching the big squeeze.