Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer shills Windows 7 on U.S. national TV in front of Apple Mac (with video)

Mac Daily News ^ | 10/24/2009

[Swordmaker]

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer appeared on NBC's Today Show on Thursday to shill his company's Vista service pack, er, "Windows 7" and spent the entire segment in front of an older model (note the latches above the screen) Apple MacBook Pro (courtesy of an NBC graphic designer — Mac user, no doubt — who must have a wicked sense of humor):


Direct link to video via Hulu here.



Of course, it's easy to run Windows 7 (or any other Windows version, Linux, etc.) and non-Mac applications on OS-unlimited Macs natively (via Apple's Boot Camp) and/or via fast virtualization (VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop for Mac) which is just another reason to Get a Mac. But, Ballmer T. Clown doesn't like that concept very much at all (a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/9412/">Couldn’t you just buy a Mac and run Windows? Microsoft CEO Ballmer: ‘No, we prefer real PCs’) because he knows that when people get a Mac and really begin to use it, they never want to boot up Windows again if they can help it. Then they start to use iWork in place of Office and... suffice to say, it's bad for Microsoft's sales. Microsoft banks on ignorance; without it, they have nothing.

MacDailyNews Take: It must suck to work for Microsoft where important details routinely go left unchecked and, no matter where in the world you go, you're constantly surround by professionals who all use Apple Macs. Plus, every time you try to promote your inferior products, Apple's keep showing up in your TV appearances and even in your sloppy company's own ads that are, of course, also creating on Macs.

[brivette]

Mac’s suck.

[Swordmaker]

Ballmer talks about Windows7 on NBC, all the while with a MacBook Pro on the large screen behind him... PING!

I am seeing a real need for an "IRONY" topic selection on FreeRepublic... this is just crying out for one.

Windows7/Mac Irony Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

Ballmer talks about Windows7 on NBC, all the while with a MacBook Pro on the large screen behind him... PING!

I am seeing a real need for an "IRONY" topic selection on FreeRepublic... this is just crying out for one.

Windows7/Mac Irony Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

Mac’s suck.

Care to elaborate on your experience with Macs that provides you with the knowledge to make such a determination?

[BunnySlippers]

Oh man, Ballmer comes across as a slick, lying salesman. That big, wide smile with nothing ...

He said the Mac stores would fail. He said there was no market for iPhones!

[driftdiver]

Yeah, Microsoft is sooooo bad that only 95% of business is done using their products.

[GnuHere]

I didn’t see this segment, but heard them hyping it, at least twice calling Ballmer “charismatic” - I guess they had gotten their talking points.

[RetroSexual]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha yep! I’m posting from an identical MacBook Pro right now. And no, it’s not running Windows.

[Tolsti2]

They suck less than they did in the 90’s. But they still do suck.

[ChessExpert]

Steve had all the right answers.

Personally, I wish he’d help ease the path of running the old Mac OS 9 onto Windows. Apple has abandoned the Mac Classic OS, those applications, files, and users. I think Microsoft may have done a better job of supporting old customers than has Apple. I used to buy the latest and try to stay on the cutting edge. Now, it seems more like a waste of time and money. To each his own. But I have a huge amount of time, and some money, that may be orphaned (lost) due to Apple’s seemingly obsessive focus on new users.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

The Microsoft Derangement Syndrome is always hilarious.

Back in my college years I worked part-time in a camera store. I was into photography myself and it was eye opening to see the folks who routinely came in talked shop, occasionally bought something, but rarely processed photos and never brought any in. They could talk all day about how “my XYZ 5000 is better than that ACME Model 5” and get lost in the minutiae, but, evidently, they weren’t taking photographs. They were possessing objects - the hardware of photography back in that day.

Likewise what you have a computer for is to get things ( a multitude of things) done, not to salivate over the machine (or the operating system software) that gets them done. These arguments, these pissing matches, whether coming from a Mac is better than Windows or Windows is better than Mac perspective are pathetic.

[VanDeKoik]

“shills”

What the CEO of Microsoft cant go on TV and talk about their latest product? How dare he!

Oh, and Macs can run Windows, so I hardly see what the big iGotcha is supposed to be.

[Schnucki]

My last mac was a IIci and then I was off to wintel computers (windows/linux) for 10 to 12 years. This summer, I got a new macbook pro and my assessment is that the new macs are awesome. :)

[RetroSexual]

Mac’s suck.

Your knowledge of computers is only exceeded by your command of the English language.

[VanDeKoik]

“The Microsoft Derangement Syndrome is always hilarious.”

In this case it’s both funny and sad.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

This petty back and forth, playground crap from Apple is turning people off. Not everyone wants all the latest cutting edge software nor do they have the $1,000 to spend on a Mac. Why can’t Mac users just leave Windows users alone in peace? I’ll never buy a Mac, and the primary reason is the elitist, hoiler-than-thou garbage that emanates from its stupid commercials and users with art or woman’s studies degrees still living with their parents.

[Senator Pardek]

"courtesy of an NBC graphic designer — Mac user, no doubt"

HELLLOOO, Frisco!

[CodeToad]

“iGotcha “

lol. nice.

[McGruff]

Sounds like somebody's got their panties in a bunch.

[big'ol_freeper]

[Senator Pardek]

I don't understand the appeal of their ads featuring a clean cut white collar worker (PC) vs. a pothead vidiot slacker (Mac).

Their merchandise is top-notch, IMHO - why not have someone successful looking representing their products?

[Dallas59]

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

These arguments, these pissing matches, whether coming from a Mac is better than Windows or Windows is better than Mac perspective are pathetic.

That's all they are is a bunch of losers screaming that their product is better but keep scratching their heads wondering why everyone else is using the competitor.

Maybe if they stop treating potential customers like Democrats do to conservatives, they would have more market share.

My computer gets me where I want to go and I heard Windows 7 kicks ass which is why Mac users are acting like libs.

[Terpfen]

This petty back and forth, playground crap from Apple is turning people off.

As evidenced by their latest quarterly earnings report... oh, wait, no, they actually just had their best quarter in company history.

Beyond that, I'm failing to see how NBC-controlled Today Show background images are somehow secretly planted by Apple as a "gotcha."

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I don't understand the appeal of their ads featuring a clean cut white collar worker (PC) vs. a pothead vidiot slacker (Mac).

Supposedly, it appeals to the inner-slacker and anti-authority figure in all of us.

When Windows ran their "laptop" commercials it was brilliantly done and Apple had a fit about it.

Microsoft Changes 'Laptop Hunters' Ad After Apple Complains

[Revolting cat!]

Mac’s suck.

"Mac's" haters is illiterate's!

[Swordmaker]

Personally, I wish he’d help ease the path of running the old Mac OS 9 onto Windows. Apple has abandoned the Mac Classic OS, those applications, files, and users.

Apple provided Mac Classic emulation in Mac OS X that fully supported the applications of Mac OS 9 and lower for SIX AND A HALF YEARS after the introduction of Mac OS X in March 2001.

All of the files can be read on an OS X Mac and all of the functionality of the previous operating system is included in OS X. I support a local charity that uses a database I wrote in 1991 in FileMaker Pro 3. Their current Networked Macs are running that database in Classic under OS X... faster and more stably than it ever did under OS 7, 8, or 9 alone.

So exactly what are you doing on an antique Mac that you can't do on a modern one?

Every Mac user that I know has moved into the future and embraced OS X. OS 9 has not stopped working. If YOU want to continue using it, you're welcome to do so.

By the way, when was the last time that Microsoft issued an update to Windows 95, 98, 2000, or ME? How about for DOS?

[1rudeboy]

I’m beginning to think that these threads should be posted in the Religion forum.

[Senator Pardek]

How anti-authoritarian can one be when one's Mom still does one's laundry?!

When I get home I kiss my mom
And she fixes me a snack
And I head down to my basement bedroom
And fire up my mac

[chris_bdba]

Oh that’s funny!

[Cyber Liberty]

I noticed “Mac’s” is possessive. I think he’s saying people named “Mac” suck. Must be a guy named Mac in post 2.

:^)

[Woebama]

I’m mad at Microsoft right now. I am trying to put out resumes . . . and low and behold . . . the online job sites only accept Word format. .txt files through any other platform that I’ve found other than Microsoft comes out messed up with random characters. Pay Microsoft 100’s of dollars for Word or Office if you want to apply for a job. It’s a monopoly.

[Soothesayer9]

I cannot fathom why Gates has not hired an assassin to run this guy over yet. I still get chills from his “advertising!” speech. Truly the guy was a reptile in his previous life.

[PIF]

There’s a new version of Sheepshaver out - will run classic.

[PIF]

Get a Mac Mini - use your old monitor, keyboard, and mouse - from $600.

[Incorrigible]

Here you go. Full Microsoft Office all for $100 or less.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=microsoft+office&_sacat=See-All-Categories

[dennisw]

My thoughts are the same and look at this contrast

undersized 13.3” Mac laptop for $999
vs
full sized 15.6” Windows 7 laptop for 350-500$

And contrary to the Apple propaganda, that “lesser” Window laptop is just ducky for 85-90% of computer users

If you want an adult size 15” Mac laptop, that will be $1599

[ChessExpert]

Mac OS 9 runs on Mac OS X up to Panther, Mac OS 10.3. New Macs have newer versions of OS X that do not run Mac OS 9. I have gigabites of BookUp files that run under Mac Classic (OS 9) only. I also have lots of games and some outstanding work applications for OS 9. I would have to spend a lot of money trying to reproduce this capability, in those cases when it is possible to do so.

There are third parties that try to provide OS emulators. Apple is no help. They are a considerable hindrance.

Does Microsoft do better? Having been a long time Mac users, I don't know.

[steveo]

Care to elaborate on your experience with Macs that provides you with the knowledge to make such a determination?

Well I will. My daughter has a mac pro laptop we bought about a year ago. She 'wants' to use it for mixing music. Problem is her new software is not compatible with the newest OS... her choice is to downgrade to a previous version of the os or just "Learn to live with the panic notices" (quote today from on of their geniuses. Also had another swollen battery issue. Fourth time in a year-1/2 she's had to take it to the "genius bar" because something's wrong.

We have five other machines in the house... all Windows and one that is a six year old Dell. They all run 24/7 and we've never had an issue with any of them, never.

[Swordmaker]

This petty back and forth, playground crap from Apple is turning people off.

You don't see the irony? It's amusing... and there are other examples of this irony. For instance last spring Ballmer was making a presentation before a large group... and the computer that was driving the background big screen presentation was obviously a Mac.

I’ll never buy a Mac, and the primary reason is the elitist, hoiler-than-thou garbage that emanates from its stupid commercials and users with art or woman’s studies degrees still living with their parents.

And it never ceases to amaze me that Windows users cannot make a comment in a thread where Macs are discussed without devolving to ad hominem insults about Mac users. A recent survey found that 85% of Mac owners ALSO own a Windows PC (probably in the garage or closet) because they have switched. Conversely, 92% of Windows PC owners do NOT have a Mac.

Perhaps those Mac users know more than do you, with your uninformed negative opinions, about the relative merits of the two platforms because of a wider experience with both.

[WashStateGirl]

macs extremely suck. I personally don’t know anyone who owns one.

[gore_sux]

I thought you could get Windows for Macs? So what’s the problem?

[ChessExpert]

“A recent survey found that 85% of Mac owners ALSO own a Windows PC (probably in the garage or closet) because they have switched.”

That’s me, sort of. I switched to a Dell. My Mac is in the shop, for the third time this year.

[altair]

I’m beginning to think that these threads should be posted in the Religion forum.

Please, no. I was a frequent poster on alt.religion.emacs and there were too many people who did not get it. It was fun in that context - having people tell us we were going to hell if we did not accept Jesus Christ as our savior, but it's just not worth it here.

[Woebama]

Apple is doing well financially, beating earning estimates by big margins.

[tubebender]

If you know anyone in College you can get a deal on MS Word for mac. I think I paid $5.00 for mine...

[tubebender]

Whenever I see Ballmer I think of the CarFacts.com commercials...

[ChessExpert]

“There’s a new version of Sheepshaver out - will run classic.”

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried to run Sheepshaver earlier this year on my Dell running Vista, but without success. The experts at E-Maculation say they can do it, and I must not be following directions. I’ve tried several times. They just rolled out a new version of Sheepshaver this month. I don’t know if it will change anything for me.

Another emulation approach would be to emulate Mac Classic on the newer versions of OS X.

Thanks for the suggestion.