That's quite a laundry list, but it's cherry picked. Microsoft has done some great work over the past decade despite the missteps. They've cleaned up their se

That's quite a laundry list, but it's cherry picked. Microsoft has done some great work over the past decade despite the missteps. They've cleaned up their security act (no small task) and Windows 8 and WP8 are solid efforts. Xbox is is a success, and Office is still essential business software for the foreseeable future. They're in much better shape than Apple was in the 90s. All that said, I think the conclusion is correct: Ballmer is an anchor on the organization. I'm not sure if he's as stupid as he sounds, or whether he just feels obligated to pander to Wall Street with misplaced sales-manager bravado, but when you put him up next to Jobs, Ellison, Page or even Zuckerberg he just comes off as a buffoon.