Ballmer Wants Cool Stuff from Microsoft
July 10, 2008
The Houston Chronicle’s Brad Hem wrote an essay that caught my attention just as I was heading to the log cabin in Harrod’s Creek to catch 40 winks. The title did it: “CEO: Microsoft Needs to Do More Cool Stuff.” The full text is here. The Houston Chronicle, fine paper that it is, struggles with search and its content management system. If you get an 404, good luck finding Mr. Hem’s must read story.
For me, the most interesting point was:
He [Mr. Ballmer] disputed the idea that Apple or Google is cooler than Microsoft.
Upon reading this sentence, the following thoughts flapped through my mind:
- The local mall is struggling to keep those wanting to buy iPhones out of the parking lot. I don’t recall any problem with squatters at the mall when Vista was released. I guess the 3G iPhone is uncool.
- Google snags 80 percent of the Web search traffic in Germany. Nah, this type of market penetration is definitely not cool.
- I received two emails with photos of a next-generation Macbook with an aluminum case. Again, who really cares? Not cool.
- Google rolls out a Second Life clone, its own version of XML to address transformation hassles, and posts on its corporate Web log a user’s method for making Google Docs work like a Web log editor. Again, opposite of cool. (I actually thought this was pretty nifty, but nifty is not cool.)
I look forward to some cool stuff from Microsoft; for example, more money paid to me for using Microsoft Web sites, an Xbox discount, a new version of SQL Server that really does complete back ups, and inclusion of DNABlueprint in the MSDN Web site.
Stephen Arnold, July 10, 2008
Stephen Arnold, July 10, 2008
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One Response to “Ballmer Wants Cool Stuff from Microsoft”
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If you want some cool stuff, try SilverLight, a Flash like plugin with much more potential. If I were to build a Software as a Service solution, SilverLight is the model I’m interested in.
Ballmer is there doing PR. His role requires him sniffing at any ‘other company cooler than M$’ idea. If you ask Sergey Brin’s reaction on SilverLight, you’d get similar PR response, too.