Click here for the best deals, brought to you by HP and PhoneArena

Questionable rumor: Ballmer pushed out because of $900M Surface RT debacle

posted by Michael H. / Aug 25, 2013, 3:55 PM

Questionable rumor: Ballmer pushed out because of $900M Surface RT debacle

A few days ago, the vaguely shocking news came out that Steve Ballmer is planning to retire as CEO of Microsoft in one year. The news was mostly a surprise because it seems as though Microsoft had no strategy for this eventuality. That alone makes this new rumor a little less believable, but we still wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be true that Ballmer was pushed out because of the massive Surface RT failure.

The rumor sounds reasonable enough when you first hear it, because Microsoft infamously had to write off $900 million in unsold Surface RT devices recently, and if anyone is going to take the fall on that, it would be the head dog of the whole company, Steve Ballmer. The trouble is that the way this is all going down makes that seem far less likely.

Microsoft knew that it had a big restructuring plan on the horizon when the news of the Surface RT failure was first known. If the board was going to push Ballmer out over the Surface RT, it seems like it would have been a good idea to tweak the restructuring in such a way that there would be a clear number two under Ballmer, in order to give that person a better chance to prove themselves in the time before Ballmer steps down. As is, there is no one inside Microsoft who could easily take over, and Microsoft has had to also look outside the company for a new CEO.

source: WMPU

FEATURED VIDEO

Options

41 Comments

1. phonepro

Posts: 22; Member since: Mar 31, 2012

I really hope after he leaves the company can become better. Android has done what Microsoft was suppose to do in the past decade. Come on Microsoft we all expect better from you.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 4:04 PM 15

18. Long1

Posts: 399; Member since: May 18, 2013

Actually we gonna miss him. Don't forget than at his time was made Windows 8. And W8 concept is the future. Agree that RT was mistake Actually Windows 8 killed the RT. Why should MS build RT(agree it's much better than iOS, though) , when they build W8, just to take over the toys, and kill them?

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 8:04 PM 2

23. Commentator

Posts: 3723; Member since: Aug 16, 2011

We'll miss him simply because he didn't lay back and take it [more than he already did] from Apple and Google? As CEO of Microsoft he's personally responsible for overseeing a time that saw Microsoft neither innovate in the tablet market nor the smartphone market, but rather need to react to outside changes. I'd commend him for other things, such as his success with the Xbox 360, but how he's dealt with competition in the consumer tablet and smartphone market has been nothing short of slow and confusing.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 9:04 PM 1

35. PAPINYC

Posts: 2315; Member since: Jul 30, 2011

Speaketh for yourself, I'm not going to miss "IT"!! And, if this rumour is true, instead of letting him exit "stage right", Microsoft should put him in a cage and hang him [in Iraq] for his stint as a "do nothing and ruin everything"!!

posted on Aug 26, 2013, 8:57 AM 0

40. pookiewood

Posts: 631; Member since: Mar 05, 2012

If you compare Windows RT to Windows 8 you are doing it wrong. I know you mean well but what's killing RT is people that refuse to take RT what it for a front against iOS and Android. Look at it in that light. Compare it that way!

posted on Aug 28, 2013, 10:51 AM 0

31. CX3NT3_713

Posts: 2363; Member since: Apr 18, 2011

How do you compare, android to microsoft?

posted on Aug 26, 2013, 3:17 AM 1

2. tadaa

Posts: 267; Member since: Apr 18, 2013

Why not promote elop to ceo? He practically gave them nokia

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 4:09 PM 10

3. SmartPhoneStream

Posts: 162; Member since: Jun 21, 2012

How is getting $1 Billion dollars a year considered "practically giving away a company." Also if it weren't for WP, Nokia would not be one of the top phone manufacturers in the world again.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 4:18 PM 0

4. g2a5b0e unregistered

Nokia isn't one of the top phone manufacturers in the world. http://www.androidcentral.com/idc-samsung-still-largest-smartphone-manufacturer-lg-and-lenovo-see-huge-growth

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 4:30 PM 10

6. brrunopt

Posts: 742; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

what ? is the 2nd largest PHONE manufacturer.. http: //boygeniusreport.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/sa-mobile-phones-q2-2013.png?w=942 As for smartphones it's not on top 5 yet but is growing well

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 4:45 PM 3

13. g2a5b0e unregistered

I realize that, but he said WP made Nokia one of the top phone manufacturers. WP. Clearly, he was referring to smartphones & because of that, he is clearly wrong. Nokia is one of the top phone manufacturers because of their feature phones, not because of WP.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 6:29 PM 9

14. papss unregistered

And you said they weren't one of the top phone manufactures which you are also incorrect because they are one of the top phone manufactures just not smart phones. Look at your number 4 post again.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 7:07 PM 0

26. g2a5b0e unregistered

Whatever, guy. Cry about it. I was referring to smartphones. Get over the fact that your company blows.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 10:47 PM 3

33. papss unregistered

Say what you mean then. I'm not crying but if you are going to get on him for wording then you need to do the same. Again say what you mean. Also nice resorting to the last line. Its not my company but its the one I prefer.

posted on Aug 26, 2013, 6:48 AM 0

41. pookiewood

Posts: 631; Member since: Mar 05, 2012

WOE! WOE! WOE! No need to say Nokia blows. Why did you have to take it there? It was a great discussion until that.

posted on Aug 28, 2013, 10:55 AM 0

7. papss unregistered

Wow way to pull from a credible source...

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 6:08 PM 0

11. g2a5b0e unregistered

Whether or not you believe it's a credible source, those are the same numbers you'd find anywhere else, so your comment is pointless.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 6:27 PM 5

15. sats.mine2k4

Posts: 208; Member since: Aug 10, 2012

If it weren't WP Nokia would have been one in the top 3 smartphone manufacturers... Just release the 41mp phone loaded with Android and see what happens... Elop surrendered Nokia to MS coz he is taking a large chunk of that 1bill

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 7:22 PM 3

20. Long1

Posts: 399; Member since: May 18, 2013

Nokian sealed , handicap apple-ish bricks would never do better , even with Android.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 8:10 PM 0

34. picka_vi_materina

Posts: 174; Member since: Nov 21, 2011

Wrong!!! If Nokia just released the N9 in every possible market, it would have gotten them back at number 1. All the devices that came after the N9 were potential MeeGo devices.

posted on Aug 26, 2013, 7:14 AM 0

36. XperiaFanZone

Posts: 2280; Member since: Sep 21, 2012

Dude, are you living in 2010? Nokia would be doomed if they went for Android!

posted on Aug 26, 2013, 9:23 AM 0

24. Dr.Phil

Posts: 2488; Member since: Feb 14, 2011

Actually, it COULD be argued that Nokia is taking a hit because of Windows Phone. Their global market share went from a 22.5% in Q2 of 2012 to 15.8% in Q2 of 2013. In that same time frame, Nokia has made less and less new feature phones or new phones based on the Symbian OS while simultaneously making more and more Windows Phones.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 9:37 PM 4

27. g2a5b0e unregistered

That's a bit of stretch, Dr. Phil simply because less folks are buying feature phones nowadays, but I like where your head is.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 10:49 PM 2

28. Dr.Phil

Posts: 2488; Member since: Feb 14, 2011

It's a good thing I didn't actually make the argument but instead just showed what someone with a differing viewpoint could see when looking at the data.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 11:53 PM 2

29. g2a5b0e unregistered

Right. I hear ya.

posted on Aug 26, 2013, 12:01 AM 0

5. bohdan4ik13 unregistered

No, Balber pushed out because bureaucrats from Microsoft finally made a decision after Vista Fail. *Hermes Conrad: Yes, but you only stamped it four times. :)

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 4:33 PM 0

8. papss unregistered

Vista was a failure but what came after was a master piece and it was called windows 7, maybe one of the best OS ever to come out. Every OS has had failures on every format.. I'd say if it were anything it would be the rt failure. Pro is wonderful though.

posted on Aug 25, 2013, 6:10 PM 1

32. juandante

Posts: 679; Member since: Apr 23, 2013

I think XP is better than 7. If you are a power user you easily see that 7 is missing a lot of deep configuration that XP had. Nevertheless, I will skip 7 to move directly to 8.1 because XP retires in few months.