Business | Technology
Channel Sponsor
Microsoft CEO Ballmer talks up Windows 7
AdmitS the company shot too far with its predecessor Vista
- By Richard Waters, Financial Times
- Published: 00:00 October 24, 2009
What went wrong with Windows Vista?
We made a set of decisions to improve security: those improvements came at the price of a level of compatibility with [Windows] XP. I'm not sure customers ever appreciated the security improvements as much as they had some challenges with the compatibility issues. Its reputation was established early in that process. We probably shot too far in terms of the innovation perspective.
We wrote a spec that might not have been achievable in the time. It's the best of times — that doesn't mean it's the highest volume of times — the PC market is certainly smaller today than it was 12 months ago. But is there a better time to launch a product that the market really wants, that brings innovation? Might it help galvanise the whole [PC] ecosystem? Probably not. We're in a tough economic environment, it's hard to say what will cause PCs to surge, but certainly an innovative PC operating system, a product that many people want, can be nothing but a help for that.
What will Windows 7 do for the average PC user?
The number-one way people will get Windows 7 is on a new class of PCs: people will find them simpler, more responsive than ever before; easier to interact with in a number of settings, whether that's the classic user interface or the [new] touch interface. Probably the things that people will notice the most will be new touch-style applications, including applications [for machines] like these all-in-one PCs that people are increasingly putting into kitchens. The diversity of hardware is impressive: over time you'll see people bring tablet-like devices to market.
At the end of this year you'll have been chief executive for 10 years: what have you achieved?
There's always opportunity for improvement. [But] if you look at what the world looked like 10 years ago, most people would have said we would have a hard time growing and now we have $20 billion in operating income, which I think is second on the planet to ExxonMobil and one or two other oil companies.
Ten years ago people would tell you we would never be in the enterprise business, we're a clear player today in the enterprise business. People would have said the threat of free software would eviscerate our existing asset — it hasn't.
Microsoft's share price is still less than half the level it was when you took over. Have you failed to change the company fast enough?
The only way to calm the doubters is by delivering — delivering a great product, taking market share. Whether it's search or anything else, the proof's in the pudding. We've said this is going to be a long journey.
Share this article
More from Technology
More from Business
Popular in Business
-
Budget travel
Airlines in the region
Take a pictorial look at some of the budget airlines in GCC
Business Editor's choice
-
Experts seek solutions to global gloom
Suggestions formulated in Dubai will feature in next year's WEF
-
Qatar benefits from diversification
Doha's readiness to look beyond hydrocarbons as a growth engine bodes well
-
When the Web lives worldwide
Cutting-edge firms are building massive data facilities all over the globe
