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Ballmer Scorns Apple As a $500 Logo

Posted by timothy on from the upholding-shareholder-value dept.

theodp writes "Speaking at a conference in NYC, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer did his best to refan the flames of the Mac vs. PC rivalry: 'Now I think the tide has really turned back the other direction [against Apple],' Ballmer said. 'The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment — same piece of hardware — paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be.'"

16 of 1,147 comments (clear)

  1. Not that he's far off the mark, but... by cizoozic · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jealousy is a stinky cologne, Stevie. ;)

  2. Additional Ballmer comments... by Brett+Buck · · Score: 5, Funny

    "And, they keep changing the OS and user interface faster than we can copy it! Bastards"

              Brett

  3. Misdirection by schmidt349 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I pay the extra $500 not so much to get the Apple logo on my computer as to keep the Microsoft logo (and hence the Blue Screen of Death) off of it.

    1. Re:Misdirection by fastest+fascist · · Score: 5, Funny

      Rumour has it there's a non-Microsoft OS available for PCs, as well. In fact, I heard something about them having some kind of "year of the desktop" promotion and giving it out for free. I can't remember what it's called, maybe someone here can help...

    2. Re:Misdirection by leomekenkamp · · Score: 5, Funny

      You mean this one?

      --
      Wenn ist das Nunstueck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
    3. Re:Misdirection by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 4, Funny

      STOP!

      Kernel Time!

      --
    4. Re:Misdirection by Draek · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's called FreeDOS, but it's a product made by some commie bastards copying the work of honest American workers, the popular and much loved MS-DOS. It's also "Open Source" which is commie talk for "hacking tools", so don't allow your child to use it or he'll become a dirty, smelly commie hacker.

      Just stay with the products of honest American companies like Windows Vista, you support our economy, you spit on the face of those commie bastards, and you get a solid, reliable product as only good ol' American craftmanship can produce.

      I've also heard some rumors of a "Lenix" OS or something, made by some finnish commie but trust me, son, you don't wanna piss off the boys at the NSA by using that. I've even heard it includes some sort of "manifesto" with it, fucking commies, always trying to brainwash you with their commie crap.

      --
      No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.
  4. Re:He's not totally wrong by bennomatic · · Score: 5, Funny
    Games are fun and all, but if we're talking about waste in our economy, there's three things wrong with your argument:
    • Most games have no productive output or result.
    • Most games sap significant time, which could have been used to earn money or add something productive to the world.
    • I'm guessing the games you're talking about cost you money.

    Please note: the following comments are not about you personally; I do not know you. The comments are a broad-strokes response to anyone who makes this argument.

    So, congratulations. You saved $100 for the privilege of spending $600 on games in the life of the OS installation, wasting 1000 hours in the interim, severely limiting your social life and development of your social skills, increasing your later-life health-care costs due to lack of exercise and poor nutrition, adding another $75 to your electric bill and 600 pounds of carbon emissions to the environment due to the energy usage while you're playing those games on your high-powered gaming system.

    If you love games, great. But from a more holistic perspective, it's a dubious argument.

    --
    The CB App. What's your 20?
  5. Actually more like $650... by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 4, Funny

    OS X: $500
    dark turtleneck + horn-rimmed glasses: $150

    1. Re:Actually more like $650... by isBandGeek() · · Score: 4, Funny

      Watching the man in Redmond throw a chair across the office: priceless

  6. Re:Many differences but... by nEoN+nOoDlE · · Score: 5, Funny

    How much is it really worth to have a white laptop for instance?

    According to Apple, about 50 bucks less than having a matte black one.

    --
    Don't trust a bull's horn, a doberman's tooth, a runaway horse or me.
  7. Re:It seems ironic... by jcr · · Score: 5, Funny

    Except we know the value of the software, Apple sells it seperately for $130, or about what an OEM edition of Vista Business adds to a typical Dell.

    We can therefore conclude that installing Windows on a PC degrades its value by $370. Good to know.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  8. you forgot by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Funny

    to whine about the mouse.

  9. Re:It seems ironic... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    I agree. It's offensive of Ballmer to say that that Apple sells a $500 logo.

    It's worth at least $750-800.

    My loaded MacBook Pro was $4200. That's at least 3 grand in status that I can lord over the sad sacks in my Caribou Coffee Shop.

    And worth every penny in my improved self-image and ability to strike up conversations with cute girls with eyebrow piercings. I didn't get that kind of play with my Lenovo, I'll tell you that.

    It doesn't go anywhere past "Aren't Apples great? They have an almost "holistic" approach to computer design, don't you think?" but still...

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  10. Re:It seems ironic... by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

    I find it rather incredible that supposedly computer-literate people in the year 2009 still think Macs only have one-buttoned mice. Physically, yes. Functionally, no.

    I'm thinking of inventing a one pedal car. Physically, not functionally; I mean that would just be silly.

    To disengage the clutch, you press the pedal three times in quick succession. The engage the clutch, four times in quick succession. To increase the engine speed, two groups of three taps, and to decrease it, three groups of two taps.

    The brake? That's important - you wouldn't want to run into anybody's arse, at least figuratively, and so it's configurable. Either you you type out "stop" in morse code or tap long-short-long-long-long-short while selecting any tune that has "Stop" in the title on the onboard mp3 player, provided you downloaded it legally from iTunes. Death to pirates, mwahahahaaha.

    One other thing you might like to consider: The last time France lost a war was before macs had two button mice. That last time Germany started one was before macs had two button mice. And yet, still people mention those things. Go figure.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  11. Re:Linux, Macs, and Windows PCs by maxume · · Score: 4, Funny

    A couple of weeks ago, I had to replace the battery in my timex watch.

    --
    Nerd rage is the funniest rage.