But what does Ballmer know about product? He's a sales guy through and through. He'll never take his game face off publicly, but I'm sure he realizes privatel

But what does Ballmer know about product? He's a sales guy through and through. He'll never take his game face off publicly, but I'm sure he realizes privately that it needs to be better. The problem is he has neither Jobs' taste nor Gates' technical instinct. Obviously it's the people in the respective companies that actually do the work, but the CEO sets the culture. If you wonder Microsoft has become infamous for nasty infighting and a disastrous brain drain, look no further than Ballmer's personality and credentials.