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Microsoft CEO’s Battle Cry Whimper to Catch Google

posted on March 7, 2008


Sure, when you read that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pledged his “last breath” in the company’s attempt to catch Google, it sounds like a battle cry.

But, when you realize that he’s only promising that MSFT will be “working away, building share,” his battle cry sounds more like whimper.

Where’s the desire to overtake Google? Where’s the passion to kick it’s butt back to Mountain View?

“In online, yeah, it’s Google, Google, Google, and we’re in the game. We’re just the little engine that could,” joked Ballmer, whose company is the world’s largest software maker.

Sounds like the same kind of half-hearted, self-defeating, attitude that Yahoo and Ask ultimately resigned themselves to–and look where they are now.


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  • http://www.thevanblog.com Steven Bradley

    I’ve stopped listening to most of the things Steve Ballmer says. Too many statements that come across as completely clueless.

    You’re right, though. This statement is a lot less battle cry than most of the things he says. Maybe he’s trying to reign in some of the cluelessness.

  • http://www.capatrex.com Alex Isaacs

    Even catching Google takes a lot of everyone on the team saying “I think I can, I think I can.” Realistically it’s a daunting task that I’m sure even they know is next to impossible. Even the best cheerleader knows when their team isn’t going to win.

  • http://www.goodnightmoonfuton.com Futon-Matt

    More bark than bite there. Good lick though, I guess.

  • http://www.capeplates.co.uk Bob O’Donnell

    I think it is virtually impossible for Microsoft to catch Google – they know it and this type of half hearted rally call just proves it.

  • http://www.herbalexcel.com Steve Rosenbaum

    More like the little engine that couldn’t. Keep dreaming Ballmer.

  • http://richardmclaughlin.biz Richard Mclaughlin

    I worked at MS until last August, and spent a total of 9 years there. The word around the office had been Google for years and I actually had my manager call me (we were based in different countries) to complain about to me about my using Google. I asked if he anted me productive, he said yes, and dropped it.
    Even today, I go to search and am horribly limited by the search engine. I have all my settings just right, but the SE knows that my IP address is in France and gives me topics related to France. I was going a search for a company that comes up first on Google and Yahoo! for any close search, but not on the first 3 pages (stopped looking at 3) of live search.
    Google may lose their position if one of 4 things happen:
    * people become stoopid
    * Micro$oft does buy Y! and sticks a MS logo on the top of the page
    * Google makes horrid mistake and the business closes
    * people become stupid

  • http://www.cmsunion.org cmsunion

    More like the little engine that couldn’t. Keep dreaming Ballmer.
    I guess.

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