The great IPOD/MSFT debate

Steve Ballmer’s pronouncement in an recent interview has started the great debate.

The Quote:

“Do you have an iPod?
No, I do not. Nor do my children. My children -- in many dimensions they're as poorly behaved as many other children, but at least on this dimension I've got my kids brainwashed: You don't use Google, and you don't use an iPod.”

One of the comments out there comes from the good doctor, Paul Kedrosky:

“…it is typical of Microsoft that it would find no embarrassment in using edicts to dictate product use. It is, of course, reminiscent of certain declining North American auto makers that demand employees only drive their cars to work.”

Let’s take this apart in two pieces.

Ever since day one, Microsoft has been into “eat your own dog food” as a core business practice. People in the company live on crappy Windows CE,  Embedded Windows, and Windows Mobile products until they get it right.   Software or Hardware, it is a smart practice to have the people building it, eat it. 

With specific reference to the Ipod, it is the same as search or any other place where MS is seriously behind. Dr K. makes the (wrong) assumption that people are being told, you have to or else.  Should people working for Microsoft be supportive of companies that make products that use MS software? Absolutely.  But people getting fired or being told you must buy this or that, while a nice myth, is not happening. The auto makers analogy is also wrong.  The company isn’t demanding anything

There are some common sense “demands” tho, if you want to get technical.  For example, the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WINHEC) that is put on by Microsoft and, surprise, Microsoft employees are told no Ipods and no other non-windows based devices. That makes good sense when trying to get hardware guys to support Windows products.  The arguably silly stuff is trying to encourage people to purge the word Google and say MSN Search while walking around campus. But again, nobody is being told not to use something. In the case of Google/MSN Search, I’d hope that MS employees are using both and pounding on the internal search guys to get it right.

If I remember correctly, Robert Scoble’s kid owns lots of Non-Microsoft stuff as do a number of kids that work for MS employees. 

Being rabidly supportive of your start up’s product and services is a good thing. 

In general, comments like those of Prof. K. are better tossed into the pile of snarks vs. actual realities associated with competition. If you get super lucky, the mighty K here will send a little snark love your way.

And, to give all y’all a little fodder to shoot at; I faked my children into thinking Microsoft BOB was the next thing in computer science trying to be all supportive. They promptly moved out at ages 8 and 5, filed child abuse charges and I haven’t heard from them since.  Now, that’s dedication!

[Disclosure: I used to work for Microsoft and Steve Ballmer, at one point, was my second line supervisor]

P.S. Alec Saunders basically said the same thing as me here.

Comments

[alan herrell - the head lemur]

BOB? next week you can put it up on eBay, and Retire on the proceeds.

[howard Lindzon]

That said - why can't they beat apple at this after so much time? Apple has never invented anything here in music and seem to be getting hammered on their own DRM issues

[Rick Segal]

Alan - Spooky but you might be right!

Howard - Personally, I think it is a culture thing. Back in the days when IBM tried to 'reinvent' itself as a cool hip company, didn't much work. Took years to get into the groove of being a consulting company, open source friend, etc. Lots of time.

I think at Microsoft, you do not have a culture that is in step with what's happening. There are, for sure, pockets of amazing people doing great things but, unfortunately, that's the exeception and not the rule. Apple also controls everything, hardware/software, all of it. The larger bet is that it really isn't Microsoft that goes after Apple but the army of others out there with products they innovate.

We live in interesting times. Thank you for stopping by.

[Robert Scoble]

Yeah, my son uses Apple stuff. I wrote about this issue on my blog here:

http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/03/30/studying-the-competitorsvia-my-son/