Steve Balmer explains Apple's rise in popularity

Amazingly, he did it without jumping up and down or sweating profusely. In an interview with ZDNet, Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer had this to say about Apple's recent successes and increased popularity:

"...we're the big guy. We were the little guy for a while, we had a 10-year run where we were the darling. Apple, because they kind of went through the valley of the shadow of death and have emerged, they are the darling again, even though they have been around for a while...I know we're doing good work."

Oh, Steve. I realize that you're the guy in charge of selling Microsoft to the masses, but I don't think Apple's current success (not to mention 1 million recent switchers) is attributable to the consumer's love of the underdog. They're making good products that people want to buy, and then love to own. People (like me) wear Apple hats and shirts, put bumper stickers on our cars and read sites like this one because we just love the products this company produces. I'm yet to see someone walking around with a Windows logo T-shirt.

Still, I like Steve. After all, he's provided me with some wonderful entertainment.

[Via Mac Daily News]

View Tags

Categories

Analysis / Opinion Apple Corporate

Amazingly, he did it without jumping up and down or sweating profusely. In an interview with ZDNet, Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer had this to...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

14 Comments

Filter by:

chris

i have a Mac and a Windows computer. i love Windows computer much more than the Mac. Windows is a cool operating system while Tiger is just trying to be. What is the next Job after Tiger, Leopard or maybe Snake!

November 09 2005 at 11:05 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

wheels

The difference between Ballmer and the Star Wars kid is that the Star Wars kid thought that no one would ever see him do his shenanigans. Ballmer woefully and maliciously turned into the monkey boy in front of Microsoft and the world. I wonder how many Microsoft employees tendered their letters of resignation on that day. BTW: Does Ballmer remind anybody else of the kid in high school who got to hang around the cool kids, even though nobody in the entire school liked him?

November 09 2005 at 12:34 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Greg

Beautiful - Hilarious - Disgusting Someone should set up a dance off between Ballmer and the Star Wars Kid. It would bring a tear to my eye and my lunch from my stomach.

November 09 2005 at 9:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ephraimephraim

"I'm yet to see someone walking around with a Windows logo T-shirt." I have a Windows logo shirt - sort of. The windows are shattering and it says "Breaking up is hard to do." Souvenir of the proposed anti-trust remedy.

November 09 2005 at 7:31 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Moquiti

Bollmer's antics remind me dearly of the hype that accompanied the late ENRON quarterly meetings. Is that a "St. Vitus" dance?

November 09 2005 at 7:17 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Oliver

Thank you for that li'll clip at the end. If more Valey-Dollar$ on your bank account has those effects....please Steve don't sell more Mac's! ;-)

November 09 2005 at 4:12 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

trainee concentric

did he throw a chair?

November 09 2005 at 3:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Steve M

>>I'm yet to see someone walking around with a Windows logo T-shirt. Try living in Seattle and NOT seeing someone wearing Microsoft stuff. It's kinda funny actually, people who buy Mac's and hang out at the Apple Store saying "I don't see people wearing Window's logos." Well, yea. Oh, about Ballmer, I think Microsoft was the darling for about 13 minutes, just before they stiffed IBM on OS/2. Still, Windows XP is a great gaming platform, so they have their niche.

November 09 2005 at 1:03 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

sky_Deluce

Another company people are crazy about enough to brand themselves with is TiVo. Personally I'd love to see Apple buy TiVo and build it into every iMac! Here's a cool TiVo T-shirt complete with a cool quote from Allen Ginsberg: "Whoever Controls The Media Controls The Culture." http://www.tivotoday.com/tivo_today_t_shirt_1_0_released

November 08 2005 at 11:13 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ian Adams

Conor: try http://www.redlightrunner.com/ for Apple-branded merchandise. :)

November 08 2005 at 10:55 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply