Ballmer to his kids: "You don't use Google, you don't use iPods"

He's just a big, sweaty monkey. I can understand where he's coming from because Apple and Google are the biggest direct competitors to Microsoft, but how does he expect to "deal with the iPod"? It seems that whenever Apple makes something so brilliant and user-friendly, Microsoft has a way of stealing that idea (albeit 5 to 6 years later) and make it completely unfriendly to the end user and just plain ugly or costly to repair and maintain. I have, however, heard rumblings about a handheld Xbox to compete with the PSP, which could in the end be a glorified iPod-killer, but let's be honest, it's gonna take a pretty freakin' fantastic Microsoft product to de-throne Apple, and I haven't seen anything particularly good from Microsoft aside from the Xbox itself.

Still though, telling your kids not to do something only makes them want to do it more. I'd laugh if one of his kids ended up working for Apple one day.

I think this is just the beginning of the end for Steve Ballmer. Apart from the fact that he's an aggressive sweaty big man who, let's be honest, isn't good looking, he's now openly admitted to "brainwashing" his kids. That's a big admission, be it for the want of saving his job or not. I'd call Child Protection. Couple that with Vista's Vista (i.e. future glorious delivery that's just a dream at the moment) and you've a pretty substiantial case that he's on his way out. So I think we should start looking at options! Maybe Steve J and his new found friends at Disney might take Microsoft on... let's be honest, they're better in every single way! Who says Monopoly is a bad thing? Obviously no-one big enough to say Bill, you're fired!

diarmy (R. of Ireland)

seems like dubya has an ally in balmer.

to use ipods or google is unpatriotic! after all... you can use an ipod to listen to stolen music and google to search what a great job people in high positions of power are doing.

to use google or ipods is unamerican and helps the terrorists.

Number 38, would you prefer that kids are able to do things that are not good for them? why don't we all pute the draino out instead of putting it locked under the sink... or is that brainwashing?

children are children. and so are mac users.

Y'all are harping on the tech side of Ballmer's comment, but this makes him look like a horrible parent too.

When his kids want something that he thinks isn't good for them, he brainwashes them! He doesn't trust his own kids enough to talk to them about why he thinks it isn't good for them.

Wow. I bet he treats his employees the same way. He must be a great guy to work for.

"Call me crazy, Steve, but telling kids not to do something only makes that 'something' more appealing."
--The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Unless, Apple Blog, the kids have common sense. With options like the Creative Zen Vision:M that costs the same as the iPOD Video, will play any video file (as apposed to being restricted to apple media) and that you can load any music on, as well as not being restricted from not copying it from one computer to another (among other restrictions that apple throws in place), let alone the fact that the screen is brighter and outputs 10 times the colors to a TV then the iPOD Video... then there is the free built in FM Tuner also on the Vision M... then there is the longer battery life...

with stats like that... I don't understand why anyone buys an iPOD. Those kids aren't brainwashed... they are educated.

#34, totally agree. The way he puts things and, by implication, the way he thinks are just scary.
Take this example;
"Who is better to deliver an ad, a computer that knows about you and can target you, or an ad sales guy who's walking around?"
So now your computer "knows" you better than another human being..? I know we all spend too much time in front of them, but I don't think they "know" us yet. Although I can see why no human salesman would want to go and talk to Steve Balmer..!
Is this just a hint at how much more spyware will be built into Vista if and when it ever launches? I like the CNN puff about how M$ are "about to roll out new versions of Windows and Office". Didn't they just annouce a *delay* to the next version of Windows??

Yes, one would expect his kids to not use what he feels are competitors' prducts. However, when posed with such a question, a skilled speaker could offer an answer better than his.

Ballmer: "That's a good one! iPods seem to be very popular, but I give my kids considerable discounts on alternatives to the iPod." or

Ballmer: "If they have iPods, they're hiding them from me, but I guess that's better than hiding weed, right?"

Ballmer: "You know I don't really know. They're free to spend their money in any way they choose -- just like every consumer."

Poor kids. I guess they'll just have to keep themselves occupied with their yachts, Ferraris, beach houses, and tracking their billion dollar trust funds.

I think the only way Microsoft could really compete with the iPod is if they were to buy them all up so that consumers would only have access to a PlaysForSure product. Seriously.