Time for Gates to go, some top Microsoft investors tell board

Three of the top 20 investors in Microsoft Corp. are lobbying the board to press for Bill Gates to step down as chairman of the software company he co-founded 38 years ago, according to people familiar with the matter.

The three investors are concerned that Gates' presence on the board effectively blocks the adoption of new strategies and would limit the power of a new chief executive to make substantial changes. In particular, they point to Gates' role on the special committee searching for Ballmer's successor.

Time for Gates to go, some top Microsoft investors tell board

Bill Gates owned 49 percent of Microsoft before being made public in 1986, he sells about 80 million Microsoft shares a year under a preset plan, that, if conned would lead him with no financial stake in the company by the year 2018

Microsoft is now looking for a new CEO

One of the sources said Gates was one of the technology industry's greatest pioneers, but the investors felt he was more effective as chief executive than as chairman.

Telling gates to go?

That is like the deciples saying God has got to go.

I always think it's funny when people who buy into a company thinks they should be able to tell the person who started it they should go. Gates should tell them if you don't like how I do things then sell your shares and get out.

reply to post by buster2010


had he not taken their money in exchange for a stake in the company, he could.

As it stands, they are right. MS can't seem to do anything coherent outside of Windows and MS Office. As an Office user I am finally adapting to the change from a menu system to a tab system. As a Windows user, I am scared sh#less over the prospects of eventually having to come to terms with Windows 8, or anything that builds on it.


The XBox issues of late, and the massive gamer backlash.....that has to sting. At least a little.

In short, you're only as good as your last sale. Thats business

Given that his sell off leaves him no shares after 2018 he has to "go" sooner or later - why is this a surprise?

bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by buster2010

 

had he not taken their money in exchange for a stake in the company, he could.

As it stands, they are right. MS can't seem to do anything coherent outside of Windows and MS Office. As an Office user I am finally adapting to the change from a menu system to a tab system. As a Windows user, I am scared sh#less over the prospects of eventually having to come to terms with Windows 8, or anything that builds on it.


The XBox issues of late, and the massive gamer backlash.....that has to sting. At least a little.

In short, you're only as good as your last sale. Thats business

edit on 1-10-2013 by bigfatfurrytexan because: (no reason given)

Seeing how much money MS is making they really have nothing to complain about.

Well making a windows designed for touch screens and FORCING every damn new computer, regardless of having a touch screen or not (more often not), to use their stupid windows 8 that almost no one likes unless they never used a computer before.

Why Microsoft? Barely no one's got touch screen pc's yet and tablets have their own OS's. (Operation system)

If the trend goes on, Linux is looking more and more like the future alternative that surpasses the versatility of future Microsoft OS's.

i thought bill gates stepped down over a decade ago, dont know if im right tho

reply to post by buster2010


Either you just want to employ some hyperbole to blow of steam, or you don't understand the pyramid scheme of modern economics. Profits always have to increase, or everyone loses money. The new guys who bought in, and those who are buying Gates out, likely want to continue to see the pyramid grow. Because without growth, they are upside down on their investment.

bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by buster2010

 

As an Office user I am finally adapting to the change from a menu system to a tab system. As a Windows user, I am scared sh#less over the prospects of eventually having to come to terms with Windows 8, or anything that builds on it.

edit on 1-10-2013 by bigfatfurrytexan because: (no reason given)

That's odd, most people really like the tab system, I do. I also liked the menu system, but I like the tab system better now. Anything is better than Lotus 1 2 3 (excel much better).

Windows 8 will be remembered like Vista, unless you have touchscreen.

dalairama
i thought bill gates stepped down over a decade ago, dont know if im right tho

He stepped down from daily operations, but I guess he still contributes.

reply to post by Merlynn


It has taken me a couple o years to feel comfortable with it. I still have trouble finding the Data Validation, the Conditional Formatting, and some of the pivot options (some pivot options I still can't find, like the new table formats....they suck, and I can't find anything similar to the old ones, so i have to manually do adjustments to formats).

I still love my OfficeXP. It and WinXP were perfect to me.

Gates left daily hands on management and we got Windows 8 along with a "Learn to live with it" mentality like never before.

They shouldn't be pushing him away, but trying to convince him how good for the company HIS vision was, so come back to daily leadership. Oh, I didn't care for it much, but it's kinda like Syria in a way. When I've had a chance to see the alternative? Hey, Bill, buddy, I'm sure they kept your office all hooked up and good to go!

Microsoft is officially dead. A Dinosaur behind the times

When tablets first came out, and I got one, it was exactly how I always thought computers should be. Fast load, user friendly, intuitive, sleek.

When I use my Microsoft based PC, I walk up to this huge towering box that takes up so much space, the aesthetics alone of the look make me want to puke each time I see it. So I turn on my PC, and then go about making some coffee, taking the dogs out, washing some dishes, balance my check book, then once that's all done I can finally feel good about Windows being officially loaded.

Don't get me started on drivers. Every time I hook something up to it, I need drivers?????


Let me put something in perspective. I have a real tech savvy buddy, who has his own start up with about 10 Employees. He's got one central server, and 10 raspberry Pi's all running free open source operating systems, free open source Software suits similar to Microsoft Office. Everything running smooth and no licensing required

dominicus
Microsoft is officially dead. A Dinosaur behind the times

When tablets first came out, and I got one, it was exactly how I always thought computers should be. Fast load, user friendly, intuitive, sleek.

When I use my Microsoft based PC, I walk up to this huge towering box that takes up so much space, the aesthetics alone of the look make me want to puke each time I see it. So I turn on my PC, and then go about making some coffee, taking the dogs out, washing some dishes, balance my check book, then once that's all done I can finally feel good about Windows being officially loaded.

Don't get me started on drivers. Every time I hook something up to it, I need drivers?????


Let me put something in perspective. I have a real tech savvy buddy, who has his own start up with about 10 Employees. He's got one central server, and 10 raspberry Pi's all running free open source operating systems, free open source Software suits similar to Microsoft Office. Everything running smooth and no licensing required

edit on 2-10-2013 by dominicus because: (no reason given)

MS will only be dead when the linux DEV's can actually create a stable product that is usable at home. I am a "network admin", as an additional hat I wear. I really don't know anything about that other than the basic power user features....but i know more than the old farts I work with. So I was volunteered.

With that said, every product I buy for my business runs flawlessly on Windows. To get them to work in Linux would require some kind of WINE app to emulate the Windows environment.

Thats the real difference: do you want to use your computer, or tinker with it? If you have a full time IT support, you might find that tinkering is the way to go to make the most money. In most places smaller than 2000 employees, the "it admin" is just someone on the team doing double duty.

Microsoft just needs to skip out on tablets and cellphones, maybe turn the Xbox Live arcade into a game service that includes mobile apps and interactive stuff for Xbox games but thats about it. I have never found Gates to be all that creative, he lacks that artistic touch Jobs had and his products always feel a little clunkier then they need to.

If anything Microsoft should slim down and refocus on developing the next generation of....whatever.
What would you like to see Gates and company do with emerging technologies? What would you like to see him put all his resources into creating for tomorrow instead of focusing on today's market.

Thorneblood
Microsoft just needs to skip out on tablets and cellphones, maybe turn the Xbox Live arcade into a game service that includes mobile apps and interactive stuff for Xbox games but thats about it. I have never found Gates to be all that creative, he lacks that artistic touch Jobs had and his products always feel a little clunkier then they need to.

If anything Microsoft should slim down and refocus on developing the next generation of....whatever.
What would you like to see Gates and company do with emerging technologies? What would you like to see him put all his resources into creating for tomorrow instead of focusing on today's market.

Its all about the OS and business apps.

XBox Live can be an extension of that OS, with the marketplace being a logical extension of that type of business model.

Bing? Sucks. Horribly bad.
IE? Worst browser ever.

They just don't make end user software very well.

But consider how they cornered the market with their office suite: they provided a hacked version of WinXP to the public, thus creating the standard that businesses will more comfortably operate in. That WINXp hack has shown up everywhere. It is THE MS Office version that solidified their supremacy in that venue.

They only approached the private consumer as a way "in" to the business consumer. They are a business applications company....and need to remember that.

bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by buster2010

 

had he not taken their money in exchange for a stake in the company, he could.

As it stands, they are right. MS can't seem to do anything coherent outside of Windows and MS Office. As an Office user I am finally adapting to the change from a menu system to a tab system. As a Windows user, I am scared sh#less over the prospects of eventually having to come to terms with Windows 8, or anything that builds on it.


The XBox issues of late, and the massive gamer backlash.....that has to sting. At least a little.

In short, you're only as good as your last sale. Thats business

edit on 1-10-2013 by bigfatfurrytexan because: (no reason given)

Agree one hundred per cent and am forced into using the clustermug Windows has become on a daily basis. Intuitive software design has left the Microsoft building.

dominicus
Microsoft is officially dead. A Dinosaur behind the times

it is? here it is trying a new gui style and someone calls it a "dinosaur", i guess the operating system that most of the world uses on their pcs is dead _javascript:icon('')

When tablets first came out, and I got one, it was exactly how I always thought computers should be. Fast load, user friendly, intuitive, sleek.

When I use my Microsoft based PC, I walk up to this huge towering box that takes up so much space, the aesthetics alone of the look make me want to puke each time I see it. So I turn on my PC, and then go about making some coffee, taking the dogs out, washing some dishes, balance my check book, then once that's all done I can finally feel good about Windows being officially loaded.

Don't get me started on drivers. Every time I hook something up to it, I need drivers?????

you need a new computer if you have to wait that long, try reinstalling windows. what are you installing that you need drivers?

Let me put something in perspective. I have a real tech savvy buddy, who has his own start up with about 10 Employees. He's got one central server, and 10 raspberry Pi's all running free open source operating systems, free open source Software suits similar to Microsoft Office. Everything running smooth and no licensing required

edit on 2-10-2013 by dominicus because: (no reason given)

good for him, OSS is still broken in comparison and i find it funny you'd complain about windows. ever used linux? most of the window managers are broken imitations of windows lol!

reply to post by hknudzkknexnt


Microsoft doesn't listen to it's customers.

That alone leaves a company up for attack from outside competition.

Right now most businesses still use Microsoft office and Microsoft products. However, there's no reason why that wouldn't change in the future.