...you know, I'm starting to get the impression that arguing with ole Henry is kind of a pointless thing to do.
in before "WHY CUZ YOU KNOW I'M RIGHT OLOL APPLE HATER".
yeah, I stopped when His only reaction to me was "you're an apple hater"
yes, I'm an apple hater who owns multiple apple products, has watched every apple keynote and product launch for years. has followed the tech industry since i was a wee teen in the 80's and 90's and has actually read many of the stories that have gone on between these parties.
But i'm an Apple Hater. Next I'm a fandroid cause I also own and android device. Or a crackberry cause I own BBRY products. I might as well have given Job's cancer myself cause I'm obviously an Apple hater in his mind since I look critically at all aspects of the industry. Just because I like Apple products, doesn't mean I'm going to ignore everything else involved in the idustry, like the business side, or the humanitarian side that the powers involved involve themselves in.
I agree, Bill gates was absolutely ruthless and cunning as a business man. There's a long, long laundry list of crap he pulled and people he stpped on to get where he was. the late 80's and 90's, Microsoft's name was synonymous with greed and corporate bullying.
Buit they did however, create good products. They DID however invest billions into the industry to bring us products and advance technologies by leaps and bounds.
And Mr Gates since leaving Microsoft has also completely changed. If you ever get a chance, go back and read interviews, books and discussions with him Post Microsoft. You will see that he honestly believes in the redistribution of wealth and that no single people need as much as they do. he's given away 30+ billion of his own wealth to charities. Not as atax breaks (since 30 billiion is probably more than he'd ever pay in taxes in his life), but because they're causes he believes in. he's built entire library systems in American schools. paid for medical research and cures around the globe. he encourages higher taxes for the rich and has vowed that his children will not be receiving the majority of his wealth. That they would be 'safe' but would still have to work for a living.
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I too am surprised that Microsoft's Board.... AND its (large) shareholders have proven to be silent, spineless wimps who have not ousted Ballmer long ago. They just keep tolerating his "performance" year after year.
Probably has something to do with the fact that Microsoft remains very very profitable every year.
there have been some dips, but traditionally under ballmer, each year saw increasing profits.
2008 - 17.6B
2009 - 14.5B
2010 - 18.7B
2011 - 23.2B
2012 - 17. B*** (after a nearly 6.5 billion write down on good will)
these net incomes don't get your COO fired.