ballmer

Windows 8 sales 'well below' projections, report claims

Windows 8 may not be selling nearly as well as Microsoft projected, according to a report.

"Sales of Windows 8 PCs are well below Microsoft's internal projections and have been described inside the company as disappointing," Paul Thurrott wrote on his Supersite For Windows today, citing a source inside Microsoft.

The culprit? "Lackluster PC maker designs and availability," according to Thurrott.

But he lists plenty of other reasons too, including Windows 8 itself as "confusing" because of its mix of touch and a standard Windows 7 desktop.

And he cites the simultaneous release … Read more

Ballmer praises Sinofsky, promises aggressive innovation

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- It's been a busy couple of months for Microsoft, what with two of the company's more important product launches, not to mention the surprise resignation of its Windows chief just this week. But for CEO Steve Ballmer, it's pretty much business as usual.

In his first public appearance since the resignation of Steven Sinofsky, Ballmer did "the vision thing" for a Silicon Valley audience as he fielded questions from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman during a discussion about the state of the technology industry at the Churchill Club.

Ballmer got the Sinofsky … Read more

Ballmer: Android is too wild, and Apple too highly controlled

In conversation with LinkedIn co-founder and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman at a Churchill Club event, Steve Ballmer gave his assessment on Microsoft's competitors in the mobile space. "The ecosystem of Android is a little wild," he said, noting compatibility and malware issues due to the fragmentation that comes from having multiple variations of Android, on devices from Amazon, Samsung, Google and other hardware makers.

Read: Ballmer praises Sinofsky's "amazing contributions," sheds no light on exit

"Conversely, Apple's system looks highly controlled and quite high prices," the Microsoft CEO … Read more

Ballmer praises Sinofsky's 'amazing contributions,' sheds no light on exit

From various reports, it appeared that Steve Ballmer had reached his limit with Windows chief Steven Sinofsky. He had rolled out Windows 8 and the Surface with some success, but it was time in the organization for a different leadership style. After 23 years, Sinofsky was sent packing, or decided make his own exit. The company said the decision was mutually agreed upon by the two longtime colleagues.

In a conversation with Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and venture capitalist, at a Churchill Clubevent, Ballmer was asked about future directions with the management change but didn't shed much light … Read more

Ballmer decided Windows chief Sinofsky was too divisive

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer decided he had had enough of Windows Division President Steven Sinofsky.

Sinofsky had developed a stellar reputation for shipping quality products on time. And he streamlined the management structure in the gigantic Windows division so that it hummed and produced the latest version of the company's flagship product on a tight deadline to solid, if not spectacular, reviews.

But a day after Sinofsky's sudden departure from Microsoft, it's also clear that Ballmer recognized that the Windows leader was too divisive of a figure to continue on at the software giant, where … Read more

Ballmer's memo announcing Steven Sinofsky's departure

Microsoft announced the immediate departure of Windows President Steven Sinofsky this evening. The following is the internal e-mail Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent to employees regarding Sinofsky's departure:

From: Steve Ballmer Sent: Monday, November 12, 2012 5:16 PM To: Microsoft - All Employees (QBDG) Subject: Windows Leadership Changes

Over the past few months we have delivered the foundation for a new era for Microsoft. From Office to Bing to Windows Phone and Windows Azure, to Xbox and of course Windows and Surface and everything in between, we've unleashed a huge wave of devices and services that people … Read more

Ballmer says Microsoft Surface sales off to 'modest' start

Sales of Microsoft's new tablet are modest despite the fact that one model was sold out online for more than a week.

Speaking to French daily Le Parisien, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said sales "are starting modestly."

Ballmer claimed that sales were constrained by the limits of the sales channel, according to the report. The Surface tablet is only available at the Microsoft Store online and, in the U.S., at a few dozen brick-and-mortar stores.

But demand for the tablet through Microsoft's sales channels was apparently high enough to trigger a shortage of the $499 … Read more

Microsoft takes on smartphone icons with Live Tiles

SAN FRANCISCO -- Windows Phone 8, the second pillar in Microsoft's rebirthing of Windows, finally reached escape velocity. A wide variety of Windows smartphones will be shipping soon, entering a market totally dominated by Apple (iOS) and Google (Android).

Steve Ballmer gave assurances at the launch event at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium, named after rock music impresario Bill Graham, that after four years the company finally got Windows Phone right. "People all over the world are about to fall in love with Windows Phone," the Microsoft CEO said. "If you're … Read more

After 1.2 billion hours of user testing, Windows 8 is good to go

After several years of development, now it's your turn to vote for or against Windows 8 with your wallet. Windows 8 goes on sale around the world at 12:01 a.m. local time, with an upgrade price as low as $39.95.

"This is the best release of Windows ever," Microsoft Windows chief Steven Sinofsky said at the Windows 8 launch event in New York today. He noted that Windows 8 has been heavily road-tested, with 1.24 billion hours of pre-release testing across 190 countries.

Read: Full coverage of Windows 8

Previous … Read more

Join CNET's Windows 8 launch coverage on Thursday (live blog)

Live coverage of Microsoft's Windows 8 event

After months of anticipation, preview builds, and hype, Microsoft will formally launch its next-generation operating system, Windows 8, at an event in New York on Thursday.

Windows 8 represents a wholesale change in the user experience, relying on live tiles and a more touch-friendly interface than previous iterations. It's unclear whether consumers will embrace the dramatic changes or shun the software, relying instead on Apple's OS X or the older Windows 7.

What's more clear is that Microsoft has a lot riding on the success of this operating system, … Read more