Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ballmer, IBM Surprised By Oracle-Sun Deal

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-didn't-see-it-coming dept.

Geon Lasli writes "Reporters caught up with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in Moscow to get his take on Oracle's deal to buy Sun Microsystems for US$7.4 billion. Ballmer was at a loss for words: 'I need to think about it. I am very surprised.' According to a source, IBM hadn't given up on purchasing Sun and was blindsided by Oracle's move. I guess IBM must be regretting playing tough 2 weeks ago. Unknown to outsiders, Sun had probably found the Oracle lifeboat before they decided to pull the plug on the deal."

5 of 324 comments (clear)

  1. Stupid Last Minute Bidders by fm6 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    On a serious note, I hate last-minute eBay bidders. Since all auctions on eBay are proxy auctions, you're not really bidding when you enter a number, you're setting a maximum that your proxy can bid on your behalf. The people you're bidding against don't know what your maximum bid is, so it doesn't matter if you enter your maximum as soon as you decide on it or at the last minute.

    Except in the rare case where somebody else enters the same maximum as you do. In which case the person who entered the maximum first wins! So why wait for the last minute? Unless you're more concerned about winning than about getting a good deal, which I guess describes a lot of eBay bidders.

    Of course, this behavior is profitable for eBay, since overbidding inflates their commissions, so they make no attempt to educate folks, and even send you "Don't let it get away!" emails if you're outbid. But it gets really old. You seem to be winning, and then somebody willing to pay way too much jumps in at the last minute. Too frustrating and time consuming. I try to stick to Buy It Now purchases these days.

  2. Re:I hate to be the grammar Nazi here... by defaria · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    If I took the time to proofread, I'd spot the errors. But commenting on Slashdot, just isn't that important to me and I couldn't care less about the grammatical errors as long as the underlying message gets across.

    Great! So then you obviously have no qualms with us thinking you're a dumbass. I mean you said it right there - it's not important to you. Therefore it's clear you don't care enough what sort of impression you leave so we are free to make any impression we want. Therefore I declear you're a dumbass!

  3. Re:I hate to be the grammar Nazi here... by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I think it would be better to be a dumbass than to be a queef stain anal about grammar.

  4. Re:Is this good? by apoc.famine · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Wow. This thread is rushing to a singularity of suckage. I will now turn my back on this monster.

    --
    Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
  5. Re:I hate to be the grammar Nazi here... by DMUTPeregrine · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Why do you, and the gp, keep, putting in, so many unnecessary commas? Do you type a comma when you get back to /.?

    --
    Not a sentence!