Filed under: Analysis / Opinion
Shareholders ask Ballmer about Apple
While Bill Gates looked on, Microsoft shareholders asked CEO Steve Ballmer about Apple at their annual meeting this morning. Steve's CEO-speak responses illustrate the larger problem.Portfolio reports that one investor asked about the company's reputation with young customers:
"I'm just wondering why your marketing group can't do something to try to rein in this next generation, because you've got a real bad image out there."He also said that Apple's ads make Microsoft look like "a buffoon." That's when the CEO-speak began.
"There's certainly always opportunities for improvement," Ballmer said. "[There is] ... a group of people with whom our market share is less."
When you hear "opportunity for improvement," you're screwed. Euphemistic language clouds meaning and hides the truth. Think "economic downturn" and "previously enjoyed" instead of "depression" and "used." Or "opportunity for improvement" instead of "problem."
Remember the Windows Mojave ads, in which producers tricked customers into thinking Vista was an unreleased version of Windows, only to then throw open the curtain and essentially say, "See? It's really Vista! You DO like it! There's nothing wrong here!"
Instead of telling people what they like, sanitizing language, insisting that the only reason the iPhone has 75,000 apps available is to make it usable on the Internet and denying your kids iPods, just say, "Our reputation with young people is poor and here's what we'll do about it." That's when you'll get something done.
[Via MacDailyNews]
You may 
This isn't specifically Mac news, but it is a name we all know well. Bill Gates has announced that he will be 
Microsoft CEO
Steve Ballmer is, let's say, a passionate guy. With Microsoft stagnating while the iTunes Music Store and Google (which
is practically synonymous with "search" these days) becoming the standard of what they do, he's got a lot of
stress to deal with. How does he manage? When he isn't sweating profusely, he's spending time with his kids...and
telling them not to use Google or iPods. 
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