back to article BALLMER TO RETIRE FROM MICROSOFT

Steve Ballmer is leaving identity crisis-hit Microsoft. The software maker's chief announced his intention to retire from MS within the next year. He said: "There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time." Whomever the new boss of Microsoft will be, he or she has a big job ahead of them …

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  1. Jim Willsher

    Thank F***. Roll on Windows 9!!!!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Windows 9: designed by new CEO Eadon.

      1. kdh0009
        WTF?

        Seriously though. Is Eadon on holiday? This forums is well onto two pages now and not a peep.

        1. Daniel B.
          Happy

          @kdh0009

          Didn't you get the memo? He's been nuked by the Vulture Masters. While they did leave what seem to be the evil versions of him, they have been clamping down on the most outright troll posts.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        You got it wrong, Eadon was kicked out by Ballmer when Ballmer decided to go.

    2. mrweekender
      Flame

      Windows 9, get real, he's getting out before they hit the wall. Microsoft are fucked and this just proves it.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Windows

        @mrweekender

        Microsoft are fucked and this just proves it.

        Well, I partially agree with you.

        IMO this just proves that Ballmer lacks any vision what so ever and, as you said, is now bailing ship. But apart from that this doesn't prove anything. Let's also not forget that Ballmer was convinced that Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 would be huge successes for Microsoft; and look where that got us.

        So, although I do share some of your criticism, let's also not forget on which "brilliant" ideas his decision to quit is based on.

        I am convinced that if they get a CEO who has a good feeling with the tech that is Microsoft, who knows what's living amongst people (end users, hobbyists, fans and professionals alike) regarding their products and who also dares listening to all those people who take time and effort to share their opinion with a company like Microsoft hoping that it might matter...

        If they can get someone like that onboard then I honestly think we might see a huge comeback. They do totally crazy stuff, they're not at all competitive right now, but if there's one thing Microsoft does have it's potential.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Appalling that he's retiring.

      He should have been sacked.

      Windows 8.x are abortions.

      Metro should be a Windows app, not the other way around.

      An abomination before God.

    4. Cave Homme
      Thumb Up

      Indeed, and "Microsoft shares are already up nearly 9 per cent " says it all really.

      1. Lazslo Anton Zapotec

        "Microsoft shares are already up nearly 9 per cent "

        Completely understandable it would initially go up. But I suspect the smart money is shorting the stock, or at least holding back their money, on the expectation that a wee glitch has been found in the manufacture of a major product about to be released.

        1. plrndl
          Linux

          Re: "Microsoft shares are already up nearly 9 per cent " @ Lazslo Anton Zapotec

          No glich in a new product could possibly be a bigger disaster than the various versions W8, on which Ballmer "bet the firm".

      2. Ralph B
        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Not really

          It's common knowledge the only thing keeping Nokia from not going the sensible Android route, was the Balmer connection.

          It's quite likely the Nokia deal will be abandoned, as will Windows Phone, Xbox and all their other failed adventures.

          This time next year, if Nokia are still around, they will likely be churning out products that CONSUMERS want, not products that MICROSOFT WANT CONSUMERS TO WANT. (there is a big difference between the two).

      3. Jamie Jones Silver badge
        Joke

        "Indeed, and "Microsoft shares are already up nearly 9 per cent " says it all really."

        Yes..... The investors are pleased to know that he's not likely to be going in the next few weeks, and could even stay as long as up to a year!!! *cough*

    5. William Donelson
      FAIL

      Too late...

      Too late…

      He’s already wrecked the company…

      Microsoft’s Downfall: Inside the Executive E-mails and Cannibalistic Culture That Felled a Tech Giant

      http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2012/07/microsoft-downfall-emails-steve-ballmer

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Too late...

        @ William Donelson quite frankly I think Gates wrecked the company by leaving the helm to Ballmer because he wanted to become "the big god of innovation" he never was. Microsoft is far from dead though.

  2. Philip Cheeseman

    About time. Maybe the new guy will start listening to the customer rather than a committee (or should that be ego). Sad to know we'll have no more chair flinging stories...

    1. tirk
      Unhappy

      "Maybe the new guy will start listening to the customer..."

      Don't hold your breath. Ballmer has surrounded himself with yes--men and they will decide (in most part) who his successor is. The best days of Microsoft are behind them.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Listen to all the customers or a committee of experts?

      Surely listening to customers is just listening to a larger committee?

      As Henry Ford said: If I gave my customers what they wanted, I'd be making faster horses.

      1. Mephistro
        Happy

        "As Henry Ford said: If I gave my customers what they wanted, I'd be making faster horses."

        Yeah, But Henry Ford didn't try to sell his customers cars with square wheels.

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
          Coat

          Yeah, But Henry Ford didn't try to sell his customers cars with square wheels.

          That's because he had a patent on very rounded corners.

  3. Stoneshop
    Go

    They've run out of chairs?

    letters

  4. Vince

    retirement, retirement, retirement!

    1. hplasm
      Happy

      Who's the replacement?

      "Elop is, Elop is, Elop is."

      Perhaps.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Who's the replacement?

        Elop, Apotheker, Sarah Palin perhaps. interesting times ahead.

  5. Phil E Succour
    Joke

    >> Microsoft shares are already up nearly 9 per cent as this article is published

    >> following the announcement.

    Meanwhile shares in local chair manufacturers have plummeted like a stone...

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There was a right time...

    About 10 years ago.

  7. This post has been deleted by its author

  8. K
    Pint

    Return of the Start Menu

    This will be a day year long remembered. It has seen the end of Kenobi Sinofsky and it will soon see the end of the Rebellion Ballmer!

  9. Anonymous Custard

    "There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is far far too late.."

    FTFY. The stock price bounce says it all.

    Maybe some university somewhere will give him a chair or something? :)

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Nah, universities don't have the kind of office furniture budget Microsoft has.

  10. Jim_aka_Jim

    And on his last day...

    ... balck smoke comes pouring from his mouth as a devil exits his body.

    Or I hope so anyway; only logical explanation for someone destroying profits so efficiently.

  11. Alan_Peery
    Happy

    Smiley

    That's all that needs to be "said".

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ding Dong The Ballmer's Gone

    Now let's see if TPM gets dumped as well

  13. leeeeeb

    That's the way to do it, always leave on a high and with the audience wanting more.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Oh don't.

      Kicking a man when he's down is shocking.

      You wouldn't get me doing that to the creator of the masterpiece than is windows 8.

      That said, he could be replaced by she who created the Ribbon. That would make my day.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Does not matter who replaces him. Windows 7 is my last MS OS.

    1. Miek
      Linux

      Well, I want to up-vote you in principal, but, there will undoubtedly be a considerable amount of pressure on "the new guy" to deliver a Windows 9 that is what the consumer wants AND the enterprise wants, perhaps a big tickbox in "add remove windows components" called "guff" that can be unticked.

      1. Fibbles
        Joke

        " perhaps a big tickbox in "add remove windows components" called "guff" that can be unticked."

        That's not going to work. The next time the user restarts the computer they'll be greeted with the message;

        "Failed to load operating system. Insert system disc and press any key."

    2. Jo 5

      Yeah riiighht. We remember when you said that about 3.11

  15. hammarbtyp
    Thumb Up

    1st qualification for the job

    Some sort of understanding of technology and how the future is being shaped by it. Under Ballmer MS missed to many boats(internet, phones tablets) while hung on to too many sinking ships(desktop PC's). The guy in charge has to see the markets before they happen not try and muscle in years later

  16. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    Microsoft shares are already up nearly 9 per cent

    Thus increasing the value of his retirement fund. Bummer

  17. GettinSadda

    "Microsoft shares are already up nearly 9 per cent as this article is published following the announcement."

    Wow! That's some statement about his running of the company.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Too bad

    I would have liked him to run the company further into the ground. Well, we can only hope the next one to take on the role will be equally clueless.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Ming The Merciless

    I'd always imagined his retirement would be like the final scenes of Flash Gordon, but with more chairs being thrown.

    1. Allan George Dyer
      Devil

      Re: Ming The Merciless

      But Ming always escaped for the next series...

  20. Robin

    Where do you want to go today?

    Out the door, sharpish.

  21. Aoyagi Aichou

    Good.

    Now if only it was "the right time" for Elop and this place will probably be a much happier place. Hopefully they won't replace Ballmer with some other crazy person.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Thanks, I was trying to think of a suitable replacement

      Elop's work at Nokia is almost complete. Time to ship him back to Microsoft.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Thanks, I was trying to think of a suitable replacement

        I think the next CEO will just buy Nokia.

        Given that HTC are looking to ditch Windows Phone and Samsung are only mildly committed to Windows Phone (more like using it to extract some co-operation from Google) it makes sense.

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