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.