OK, this is kinda sad. Sour grapes, anyone?

[volksdragon]

Steve Ballmer forbids his children to use Google, or to own an iPod.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/04/03/8373041/index.htm

Comments

[foldedfish.livejournal.com]

"Dad, can I have some cake?"

"Now, what do we say, kids?"

"Dad, can I have some cake? DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS."

[volare.livejournal.com]

wow, pettiness on a whooooole new level.

[halleyscomet.livejournal.com]

And short sighted Hubris.

Slashdot.org has a great thread on this. I haven't read too much of it, but it includes a choice quote:

Simple Example: Jobs and the iTunes intro
(Score:5, Insightful)
by ianscot (591483) Alter Relationship on Wednesday March 29, @11:19AM (#15018250)
When Steve Jobs introduced the iTunes store, and earlier when he was selling recording execs on it, he was able to describe to them exactly what consumers did and didn't like about peer-to-peer networks and monthly subscription models.

He could say "They want to be able to get individual songs on demand without a monthly fee, and P2P gives them that -- sort of -- but we can make the experience much better because look at all the frustrating hunting around and poor copies, and look at the lack of previews, and so on..." His experience with the actual user experience was obvious to anyone who saw the keynote thing.

By contrast, here we have Ballmer patting himself on the back over not letting his kids use the competition's dominant product. He's using the word "brainwashed" about his own kids. Visionary leadership, I'm sure.

[dollraves.livejournal.com]

Oh, they'll rebel eventually... they'll secretly join the Mac cult and perform ipod rituals under cloak of darkness.

Or worse, they could become *nix geeks and go full open source on daddy's ass...