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Ballmer & Microsoft: “Does everything move to the cloud? I think that is wrong-minded.”

From the NYT:

He rejected the notion that in the future all software would be based in what computer industry executives refer to as “the cloud” — computer hardware and software reachable over the Internet. “People tend to get weird and extreme about this,” Mr. Ballmer said. “Does everything move to the cloud? I think that is wrong-minded.” [Steve Ballmer in the NYT]

Microsoft seems firmly married to the software model, committing only to “the addition of a Web-services component within 3 to 10 years” to core software products.

Now, compare and contrast to Jeremy Zawodny’s experiences last week:

It was at that point that a shift took place in my thinking. I’m simply not going to bother with the hassle, trouble, expense, and complexity of desktop applications when an online substitute will do the job anymore. Life’s too short already. [Jeremy Zawodny]

Zawodny’s laptop died. Getting his apps back up and running in his preferred state and documents restored from back-up was a complicated, time consuming, and bug ridden PITA. In frustration, he turned to the cloud - and was rewarded with always consistent settings, no need to back-up, no multiple-pc configuration inconsistencies, etc. etc.

In the age of near-ubiquitous broadband, the cloud is making more sense all the time. 10 years from now, I firmly believe cloud applications will be taken for granted as desktop apps are today. Microsoft appears to have lost its risk taking edge in its addiction to gluttonous desktop application profits; Ballmer & Ozzie are consigning Microsoft to a slow death.

ballmer, cloud, google, microsoft, webos zawodny

One Response to “Ballmer & Microsoft: “Does everything move to the cloud? I think that is wrong-minded.””

Mikael Bergkvist | August 1st, 2007 at 2:42 am

I have commented on this subject here, http://www.xindesk.com/blog.asp?fetchblog(’mikael.bergkvist@xinteleport.com’);fetchdateblog(’2007.6.30.9.50′);010, in relation to the project I’m lead developer for, http://www.xindesk.com