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Survey Results

What does Steve Ballmer retiring mean for Microsoft?

Survey period: 2 Sep 2013 to 9 Sep 2013

The obligatory armchair expert survey. Post your other answer options on the discussion board at the end of the survey.

1 = I strongly disagree, 3 = no opinion, 5 = I strongly agree
OptionVotes12345 
Innovation and product quality will improve1,1970%0%0%0%0%
The company will focus more on developers1,1970%0%0%0%0%
There will be tighter integration with hardware1,1970%0%0%0%0%
There will be better integration between the various Microsoft products1,1970%0%0%0%0%
Nothing will change1,1970%0%0%0%0%
It means nothing to me. I don't care or have no opinion.1,1970%0%0%0%0%



 
GeneralInnovation and product quality will improve Pin
SOHAM_GANDHI3-Feb-14 6:40
SOHAM_GANDHI3-Feb-14 6:40 
GeneralSo, after a week... Pin
OriginalGriff8-Sep-13 4:20
mveOriginalGriff8-Sep-13 4:20 
GeneralI'm All In Now Pin
Patrick Harris6-Sep-13 14:35
Patrick Harris6-Sep-13 14:35 
GeneralI couldn't care less... Pin
AlexCode5-Sep-13 3:42
professionalAlexCode5-Sep-13 3:42 
GeneralA question which is determined by variables which I have no freakin clue about. Pin
R. Erasmus4-Sep-13 1:45
R. Erasmus4-Sep-13 1:45 
GeneralRe: A question which is determined by variables which I have no freakin clue about. Pin
Saif Al Falah4-Sep-13 8:53
professionalSaif Al Falah4-Sep-13 8:53 
GeneralLooking at the results... Pin
Ingo3-Sep-13 22:42
Ingo3-Sep-13 22:42 
GeneralWhat should happen would be a better question Pin
Member 102507283-Sep-13 11:16
Member 102507283-Sep-13 11:16 
GeneralRe: What should happen would be a better question Pin
Clifford Nelson3-Sep-13 11:51
Clifford Nelson3-Sep-13 11:51 
GeneralRe: What should happen would be a better question Pin
OriginalGriff4-Sep-13 8:08
mveOriginalGriff4-Sep-13 8:08 
GeneralRe: What should happen would be a better question Pin
Pualee5-Sep-13 3:05
Pualee5-Sep-13 3:05 
GeneralI'll Forgo My Survey Vote Points Pin
W Balboos, GHB3-Sep-13 8:22
W Balboos, GHB3-Sep-13 8:22 
GeneralThe results are incorrectly displayed Pin
dbrenth3-Sep-13 7:07
dbrenth3-Sep-13 7:07 
GeneralRe: The results are incorrectly displayed Pin
H.Brydon8-Sep-13 11:36
professionalH.Brydon8-Sep-13 11:36 
GeneralTraining an Elephant to Dance the Ballet Pin
dpminusa3-Sep-13 7:04
dpminusa3-Sep-13 7:04 
Generalall depends Pin
Dennis E White3-Sep-13 4:35
professionalDennis E White3-Sep-13 4:35 
GeneralOffice chair futures are falling... Pin
Dan Neely3-Sep-13 3:00
Dan Neely3-Sep-13 3:00 
GeneralOn average "No opinion" Pin
Nicholas Marty3-Sep-13 1:31
professionalNicholas Marty3-Sep-13 1:31 
GeneralRe: On average "No opinion" Pin
Marius Bancila3-Sep-13 23:00
professionalMarius Bancila3-Sep-13 23:00 
Generalimho, re "no opinion" Pin
BillWoodruff3-Sep-13 0:36
professionalBillWoodruff3-Sep-13 0:36 
I would assume (from just eye-balling the results) that many people, like myself, chose #3 in response to many/most of the survey's hypotheticals.

But, imho, the survey is flawed by not giving respondents a chance to distinguish between "having no opinion," and other, quite possible, responses to the hypotheticals, such as:

1. "I cannot make a reasonable assumption, based on what I know now, about the net effect of Ballmer's departure on aspect 'X' of Microsoft's future." In simpler terms: "Cannot predict."

2. "I have a low estimate of the probability that the outcome I sense ... intuit ... estimate ... guess at, now: will become 'reality.' " A more subtle variation on "Cannot predict," but, possibly an important one ?

3. "I don't have enough information, yet, to begin to extrapolate what may happen in the future." In simpler terms "need more information," or, "too early to tell."

Where I think the survey design really comes up short, is the lack of more "total outcome" projective scenarios; such as:

1. Two years from now Microsoft total market share in hardware (including smart-phones, tablets, phablets, etc., as well as XBox, keyboards, mice, etc.) will be a larger part of MS's software revenues.

2. Two years from now Microsoft Windows #X.x will increase market share compared to IOS, and Android.

3. If I invest in Microsoft stock, now: in two years I believe my potential revenue (from dividends and/or selling stock) will be higher than if I invested in Apple, or Google.

4, Given the departure of Sinofsky, now Ballmer, and the acquisition of Nokia mobile hardware (after Nokia's "adventure" with Microsoft had pretty much dragged the company into the mud), the decline in sales of new PC's, the BYOD movement, the shift in market-share towards small-form-factor portable devices, the slow rate of Win 8.x adoption, etc.: it is quite possible that two years from now Microsoft will have failed as a company.

Just my opinions.

yours, Bill
Google CEO, Erich Schmidt: "I keep asking for a product called Serendipity. This product would have access to everything ever written or recorded, know everything the user ever worked on and saved to his or her personal hard drive, and know a whole lot about the user's tastes, friends and predilections." 2004, USA Today interview

GeneralPrediction Time Pin
Rob Grainger2-Sep-13 23:54
Rob Grainger2-Sep-13 23:54 
GeneralWhy do most voters who seem to have "no opinion", vote at all? Pin
Joezer BH2-Sep-13 21:17
professionalJoezer BH2-Sep-13 21:17 
AnswerRe: Why do most voters who seem to have "no opinion", vote at all? Pin
Herbisaurus2-Sep-13 21:18
Herbisaurus2-Sep-13 21:18 
QuestionRe: Why do most voters who seem to have "no opinion", vote at all? Pin
Joezer BH2-Sep-13 21:18
professionalJoezer BH2-Sep-13 21:18 
AnswerRe: Why do most voters who seem to have "no opinion", vote at all? Pin
Herbisaurus2-Sep-13 21:19
Herbisaurus2-Sep-13 21:19 

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