2011/05/24

Microsoft Troubles XII: IBM market cap re-overtakes MSFT

Update 1. Influential hedge-fund manager, David Einhorn president of Greenlight Capital, calls for Ballmer to stand aside.

Update 2. The MSFT board stands behind Ballmer, rejects David Einhorn's call to stand aside.

Einhorn has 9M MSFT shares (0.011%). He's bought because he thinks they're undervalued.
This could just be a media beat-up by him to make some money - the share price has increased.

Whatever the cause, this is a significant milestone.
The MSFT board has had to consciously and publicly defend their continued choice of Ballmer as CEO.

2011/05/11

Microsoft Troubles XI: APPL more profitable than MSFT

Adam Harthung at Forbes wrote Why Not All Earnings Are Equal; Microsoft Has the Wal-Mart Disease, byline is May3, 2011.

 Read the article, says more than I can, with more (economic) facts and more eloquently.

It's only ever been about the company's economic performance.
Poor products and ignoring your customers only ever have one outcome.
Sad for the employees and shareholders, though.

Please note, I am specifically saying that Microsoft products are NOT doomed, just the company.

Winders on the Corporate Desktop isn't going away anytime soon (2-3 decades to run at least).
Too much invested, too many careers tied to it and the Lemmings Rush hasn't turned elsewhere yet...

The next two Big Questions for Microsoft, the company:
  • How soon before the Board notices and removes Ballmer?
  • Who will be the eventual purchaser of the profitable lines-of-business - Windows and Corporate solutions?