Ballmer blasts Apple- "tide has really turned back"
updated 06:00 pm EDT, Fri March 20, 2009
Ballmer blasts Apple
Steve Ballmer, speaking at a The McGraw-Hill Companies' 2009 Media Summit in New York, blasted Apple when asked about the momentum that Macs have been gaining in the computer market, according to TechFlash. Ballmer reacted quickly and claimed that the opposite is true. "Apple gained about one point, but now I think the tide has really turned back the other direction," he said.
Ballmer likely was referring to recent analyst reports suggesting that Mac sales dropped by 12 percent in February, following a six percent slide in January. Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray believes, however, that the latest iMac and Mac mini models will contribute to better numbers for March.
Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu expressed similar views, noting that Apple should prove mostly immune to the negative effects of the recession. Historically, the company's shipment fluctuations appear to follow product cycles closer than economic swings. For February, Apple's numbers were up against the MacBook Air launch last year which contributed to a 60 percent jump for the respective time period.
Aside from raw shipment numbers, Apple has maintained its ASPs while the overall PC market has seen a price collapse. The Mac-maker holds an ASP above $1400, as Dell computers dropped to around $800 and HP devices fell to near $600.
The Microsoft executive did not stop with the market numbers, adding his own opinion which is sure to fuel the Mac versus PC rivalry. "The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be," Ballmer said.
RDF?
03/20, 06:13pm reply
Talk about a "Reality Distortion Field". Every time he speaks to the press I feel like he tries to badmouth another company figuring that the majority of readers/listeners will never bother to learn the truth and will take his words at face value.
shmoolie
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Joined: May 2002
No one's listening
03/20, 06:19pm (1 reply) reply
Why does this guy keep talking?
Call-151
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Joined: Mar 2009
Clean your porch
03/20, 06:31pm reply
Ballmer would do well to quit giving advice about other companies and instead worry about how he can stop his company from laying off more employees.
Ballmer has done nothing to distinguish himself as a top CEO, much less a known leader & innovator for the world's largest technology corporation. Windows & Office are already showing they won't last forever.
/
pairof9s
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Joined: Jan 2008
Blasting?
03/20, 06:31pm (1 reply) reply
I wouldn't call what he said "blasting" at all. He may be an ignorant blowhard, and his reasoning is utter BS, but that was actually level headed.
Surely we don't expect him to say "You're right, Apple produces a superior user experience and customers are wising up - I wish we could do that."
hayesk
Professional Poster
Joined: Sep 1999
$500
03/20, 06:33pm reply
He has a point on the price, consumers won't pay $500 for a Windows retail box. Now he has to understand his own words, any moment now ... not.
Peter Bonte
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Joined: Aug 2001
well
03/20, 06:35pm reply
you're right. They don't say it. But they sure as h*** say it in the way they copy every fricken thing that comes along. Actually, sometimes they do say it then do an about face.
nat
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
I liken MS...
03/20, 06:41pm reply
...to the Bush administration, and Apple to...? (I'll give you 3 guesses) and I really quite frankly don't understand how so many blue chips just keep rhetorically regurgitating the party line & 'rollin' on' with what is produced... I am troubled just looking at the splash screen of XP & I dare not upgrade to Vista for the few apps I need to run...
bobolicious
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Joined: Aug 2002
deja vu all over again
03/20, 06:54pm reply
I hold these latest comments with the same regard as his comment in in April of 2007 about how the iPhone stands no chance of gaining significant market share.
Really - it's like the guy is clairvoyant!
Obviously, there's a huge void to fill in meaningful news about Microsoft. Are they relevant anymore?
sodajerk
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Joined: Sep 2007
tidal taunt
03/20, 07:02pm reply
Who better to know the intricacies of "tides" than a
beached whale like Ballmer?
SlimGem
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Joined: Jul 2008
What a tard!
03/20, 07:03pm reply
Hey Monkey Boy! Do the world a favor and STFU.
Mr. Strat
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