Steve Ballmer Mocks iPhone-Toting Microsoft Employee

[gnasher729]

well, regardless of how I feel about Ballmer's blatantly unprofessional nature, it does sound like he was just trying to make a joke out of this... unfortunately, though, he's got a long track record of immature behavior, which I'm sure is a reason that people would take his actions in this situation out of context.

If the boss of your company, a person who can fire you any time he likes (and who has the lawyers to get away with it even if it is illegal) takes your phone and pretends to destroy it, that is bullying. Plain and simple bullying. So there is this big guy, running the biggest software company in the world, has billions in the bank, and all he is is a ******* bully who can't handle a bit of competition. No wonder that the whole company is the same, if that is what their leadership does.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Ballmer should put his time/efforts into making something that works without first being fixed. He should start with himself.

Bill Gates was more cool, in a mature kind of way. He's not what we teenagers consider "cool" but more like a cool adult. He was more "Microsoft-y" than Ballmer. Ballmer belongs in a circus, you could do whatever you want and get paid. As long as you make people laugh at you. Not with you, at you.

 

[maokh]

Steve Ballmer is a walking HR violation. Depending on how forcefully the phone was removed from the employee's hands, whether the employee enjoyed it (or felt violated/etc) .. no one is above the law.

 

[Bevz]

LOL - he's such a ****....

 

[rxse7en]

Im convinced his black turtleneck is some sort of weapon. Laso of truth? Maybe it expands and becomes a net?

Maybe a biological weapon if the rumors about his hygiene are true.

 

[gkarris]

Steve Jobs should make a public announcement, offering to hire any Microsoft employee that is terminated because they have an iPhone.

There goes the whole Microsoft Office for Macintosh Team...

 

[JSFEng]

Ballmer is now an iPhone 'pitch-man'!

Ballmer just sold another 500,000 iPhones! Thanks, Steve! I always wondered what you did for a living...

 

[kdarling]

Steve Ballmer is a walking HR violation. Depending on how forcefully the phone was removed from the employee's hands, whether the employee enjoyed it (or felt violated/etc) .. no one is above the law.

Balmer joking around, is pretty tame compared to Jobs, who is infamous for his actual tantrums (used to scare his people into working harder).

Jobs's employees are also known to often go out of their way to avoid passing near him in case he's in one of his random firing moods.

But I agree, any manager who thinks screaming or making fun of people is the way to rule, is not a good one to work for. Neither one of the two examples here are exactly full of class.

 

[leandromp]

I'll admit, it was a little stupid for the employee to bring in a competing product, especially if you're taking a picture of YOUR BOSS with it.

On the other hand, if I were Steve Ballmer, I'd think why would one of my employees want a rival's product instead of our own & try to make my own product better rather than bashing the rival product.

ur kidding, right?
Is his money, he can buy whatever he frikin wants!!!

 

[asphyxiafeeling]

...Then again, the iPhone does have probably the s#!ttiest camera of any cell phone, ever.

UMMM WHAT?

iPhone's camera is pretty good. I think it's in the "above average" as far as camera phones go.

 

[Harpo]

Harpo, are you joking? I agree that Ballmer sometimes comes off bad in public, but Apple has based their marketing the last few years on nasty, arrogant flippancy towards Microsoft, the same things you deride Ballmer for. Is that cool as long as its done "in style"?

I was not talking about Apple and Microsoft; I was talking about Jobs and Ballmer. As far as marketing goes, it seems to me (though I am not as familiar with Microsoft's marketing) that Apple usually throws the first punch, and it would be better if they did not attack Microsoft so much. It would be much better for them to tout the Mac's best unique features without actually saying "and Windows sucks"; for example, advertising the Mac's lack of viruses and malware without badmouthing the risks of Windows would, I think, be every bit as effective, because everyone already knows about Windows viruses.

I don't find Microsoft's responses to be in good taste, but they're not in poor taste. Apple's "Get a Mac" ads are in poor taste for their petty attacks, but simultaneously in good taste for being concise, well-made, and often amusing. The choice of John Hodgman was a matter of good taste--he is able to be very funny in that part. The choice of Jerry Seinfeld was inexplicable, except to throw another famous face in there; his talents are very limited and were not used at all.

But certainly things like "Redmond, start your photocopiers" would be better left unsaid.

 

[cohibadad]

Haha. I usually like to think of Ballmer as a complete goon but this is kinda cute. Playful is better than crazy IMO.

 

[bretm]

This is stupid. How is this macrumors news? Just sounds like he was trying to be silly.

You really think so? I would've fired the guy on the spot. You don't own an Apple Product if you work at MS. And if you work at Apple, you shouldn't own a MS product, sans Windows on boot camp.

If you work at Coke or Pepsi you are not permitted to have the competitor's product in your home nor are you allowed to visit facilities serving solely the competitor's product. Now obviously the latter is tough to enforce. Probably best just to not mention you're an employee of either when in the wrong establishment. But having the competitors product in your home would be a big no no. Your friends and colleagues know where you work and you start to not look like a team player, etc. Not to mention if the competition picks up on it they can run ads, etc. Kinda like we're harping on the fact that a MS employee has an iPhone and it makes MS look stupid and Apple look great.

 

[bretm]

UMMM WHAT?

iPhone's camera is pretty good. I think it's in the "above average" as far as camera phones go.

Takes amazing videos too! Maybe it doesn't have a flash, but beyond that it's probably one of the best cell cameras out there. 3GS that is.

 

[bretm]

If the boss of your company, a person who can fire you any time he likes (and who has the lawyers to get away with it even if it is illegal) takes your phone and pretends to destroy it, that is bullying. Plain and simple bullying. So there is this big guy, running the biggest software company in the world, has billions in the bank, and all he is is a ******* bully who can't handle a bit of competition. No wonder that the whole company is the same, if that is what their leadership does.

Nothing illegal about firing your employee because he uses a competitor's product. Nothing illegal about firing him just because you don't like them for that matter.

 

[synth3tik]

Kill 'em all. Kill 'em.

 

[bruinsrme]

You really think so? I would've fired the guy on the spot. You don't own an Apple Product if you work at MS. And if you work at Apple, you shouldn't own a MS product, sans Windows on boot camp.

If you work at Coke or Pepsi you are not permitted to have the competitor's product in your home nor are you allowed to visit facilities serving solely the competitor's product. Now obviously the latter is tough to enforce. Probably best just to not mention you're an employee of either when in the wrong establishment. But having the competitors product in your home would be a big no no. Your friends and colleagues know where you work and you start to not look like a team player, etc. Not to mention if the competition picks up on it they can run ads, etc. Kinda like we're harping on the fact that a MS employee has an iPhone and it makes MS look stupid and Apple look great.

Don't bite the hand that pays you.

 

[Compile 'em all]

Exactly, I think this was just normal office type joking around, and because of the interwebz Apple vs MS feud, they played it up.

I guess you don't know steve ballmer then.

 

[puckhead193]

Look, I like Windows 7. I like Windows 2008 Server, a lot. But Windows Mobile is absolute dog poo. Worst mobile device OS available right now.

can't be much worst then verizon standard OS they put on the non-smart phones
is it possible?

 

[Gasu E.]

I hope the iPod doesn't have permanent Ballmer sweat stains.

 

[cjmillsnun]

You really think so? I would've fired the guy on the spot. You don't own an Apple Product if you work at MS. And if you work at Apple, you shouldn't own a MS product, sans Windows on boot camp.

If you work at Coke or Pepsi you are not permitted to have the competitor's product in your home nor are you allowed to visit facilities serving solely the competitor's product. Now obviously the latter is tough to enforce. Probably best just to not mention you're an employee of either when in the wrong establishment. But having the competitors product in your home would be a big no no. Your friends and colleagues know where you work and you start to not look like a team player, etc. Not to mention if the competition picks up on it they can run ads, etc. Kinda like we're harping on the fact that a MS employee has an iPhone and it makes MS look stupid and Apple look great.

Several MS Employees on the Windows team have Macs. Also how do the Mac software group at MS function without Macs? There are 2 MS apps on the iPhone. So for me this is a non issue.

 

[guzhogi]

ur kidding, right?
Is his money, he can buy whatever he frikin wants!!!

As you know, image is everything. It's basically saying, "My company's product isn't good enough for me." Needing a rival product at work to do your job is one thing (like the Mac division), for personal use, it's something else. While I don't mind him having an iPhone, but using it in such a public and open way that gets people's attention looks bad. Kinda like when you were in high school / college, and you and went to a football or basketball game, you don't cheer for the other team. Even worse, in a war, you don't purposely kill people on your own side.

[hypothetical situation] And under your logic, saying that a person can use their own money however they see fit, I guess it's okay with you if I hire a hitman to kill your whole family and slowly & painfully kill you is fine since it's my money.[/hypothetical situation] I wouldn't do that, but you should get my point. Might ≠ right IMO.

 

[cleanup]

At last we know how this happened!

original news story​

I don't know why, but that photo always makes me uncomfortable. Reminds me of a harlequin fetus. Do not Google that term if you are made uncomfortable by pictures of grotesque medical conditions/have strong empathy/can be made queasy by unsightly pictures. TBH, it is actually one of the scariest/saddest things I have ever seen in my life.

 

[0098386]

^ You bugger. I just had to Google that didn't I...

When I want to read a story I want the source of the news, I don't want to read a further interpretation of it. As the page loads I apple+f and type "source" and continue my journey for news.

 

[maokh]

Balmer joking around, is pretty tame compared to Jobs, who is infamous for his actual tantrums (used to scare his people into working harder).

Jobs's employees are also known to often go out of their way to avoid passing near him in case he's in one of his random firing moods.

But I agree, any manager who thinks screaming or making fun of people is the way to rule, is not a good one to work for. Neither one of the two examples here are exactly full of class.

Yeah, well .. a lot of these guys have common roots. However, i lost count of how many tantrum throwing executives there are in this world. My wife has had some pretty funny stories.