Would Microsoft Be Better to Send Ballmer Packing?

I say that, as someone who is familiar with the man in no sense other than his outward persona. In the past few years, when Bill Gates was stepping away from Microsoft, he allowed Ballmer to come to the fore, which I believe is the mistake of the decade (apologies to those who voted for George Bush, in both senses).

To illustrate, I read a small piece that quoted Bill Gates this morning, speaking about Google OS and how it definitely will be a flavor of Linux and why it is not that much to worry about, for them, or for Microsoft.

Yesterday, I read approximately the same thing, but it was a set of quotes from Ballmer, and my impression was that he was a blowhard, running scared, and felt that his audience would listen, simply because of his title as Head Bigshot at Microsoft.

I was thinking what a waste of space the Ballmer piece was, and that Gates, though obviously trying to state the same things, had done so in a manner that did not treat me as someone who must listen to the teacher, or other person of self-professed importance.

Maybe the problem is the Monkeyboy antics, which I find supremely distasteful, and always makes me think of Peter Boyle, in the character of the Monster, in Young Frankenstein. Instead of the suave dance routine of Boyle, to the music of ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’,  we instead have the Monkeyboy dance, which would certainly scare any little children, and makes me think that the man is truly about to become unhinged.

A company ‘face’ is very important. It is why Elizabeth Hurley was the face of Estee Lauder cosmetics, instead of Phyllis Diller. It is why Richard Petty was the face of STP lubrication products, instead of the greasemonkey who can’t stand up straight, from the garage on the corner. Gates, as a face for his company, gave us a thoughtful persona; it did not matter if we did not agree with all his thoughts. Ballmer, especially with the Monkeyboy routine, makes us (I checked with others before I wrote this) think that the time of thoughtful products at Microsoft is past, and greed is the prime mover now. (The other impression of Ballmer is that of a greedy banker, in my impromptu poll of five.)

Gates needs to bring another face to the fore; one that, like his did, brings the public back to the idea that serious business is what happens in Redmond these days, instead of everybody ‘workin’ for the weekend’ and counting the dollars.

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