Comments on: Ballmer on PC's role in Web services world

Microsoft CEO argues that "software plus services" idea takes advantage of local processing on PCs.

[CentrOS]

Wow, who even listens to this guys anymore?

Doesn't he know that MS no longer leads the tech industry. You're a
has been Steve. You're irrelevant to all but the most die-hard MS
fanboyz.

[Neo Con]

...said the guy who ISN'T worth $50 billion...

...

[d_anders]

Sr. IT Managers in Corporate America

While they may not lead, they are the desktop, office productivity and collaboration platform for corporate america PCs, and a good amount of server side infrastructure with MS-Exchange, SQL Server, and Active Directory. While .NET is not much to really consider, it definitely has made a place on mobile systems.

Like or not, they've made managing and supporting PCs and Email very easy and at a lower cost (excluding the cost of the software, but it's about labor cost too).

That said, IT has to know where they are going with Vista, Office, etc.

In terms of SOA, application development and integration, I absolutely agree...they're not producing leading edge and scalable systems.

If your idea of tech, is just consumer electronics, then things like ZUNE may appear to be a yawner, but their presence in a given market is notable as well (whether they lead or not).

[dburr13]

New era?

New era?....That's very wishful thinking...Hosted services have a long way to go to make serious inroads on simply running a program on your PC...The internet's reliability is also still in question...As it stands with these new "live" services...If the net goes down...you're locked out of work...These "live" services may mean more dollars and tighter control for the providers...But I see no advantage for the consumer.

[dburr13]

New era?...I don't think so

New era?....That's very wishful thinking...Hosted services have a long way to go to make serious inroads on simply running a program on your PC...The internet's reliability is also still in question...As it stands with these new "live" services...If the net goes down...you're locked out of work...These "live" services may mean more dollars and tighter control for the providers...But I see no advantage for the consumer...

[chuck_whealton]

Re: New era?... I don't think so

I don't think so either.

The only thing I see is, as you mentioned, more dollars and
control for them. Incredible how they shamlessly blow smoke
over a "new era".

Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com

[i_made_this]

Lousy Disinformation From the BORG...

...if Ballmer's desire is to obfuscate the truth to the point of being unintelligible as in the transparent lies he tells in this artcile, our GWB Admin could really use him NOW. Our Republican party more generally really is in desparate need of an urgent "quality disinformation" PR update & Ballmer is the gladhanding joker for the gig.

Think about it - with all that dough, he can well afford to serve his country bigtime now. A side benefit would be that we can get him the hell out of the tech industry once and for all.

CNET readers - shall we band together and throw a big chair at this guy now, cursing at him in unison?

One thing we can do without in the software industry is his evangelical bragging about things like MSFT's sea-change move into web-based
services in which MSFT "suddenly excels." His pronouncements are an insult to the intelligence of minor geeks right up thru senior internet security experts - I believe that would cover all forty versions of the VISTA o/s and the pathetic IE7 browser they intend on releasing "finally" within the coming 30 to 90 days.

A little honesty AND 7th Sigma quality control ~ even if only a teeny tiny bit ~ would greatly enhace MSFT's validity as an effective BORG.

Til then, resistance will NOT prove futile. At this rate, MSFT will certainly be replaced by GOOG within the coming five (not even ten) years in the Dow 30.

I for one will keep my g/d XP Prof SP2 with a dual boot Linux Ubuntu for the time being, and wait til Google releases its operating system once and for all.

[Zymurgist]

"Click to run"?

That's awfully easy to confuse with Linspire's
trademarked "Click and Run". You would think
that Ballmer would be more careful to try an
avoid intentionally confusing their future
technology with someone-else's existing (and
competing) product.