10/07/2008, 4:45pm, EDT
Tuesday, October 7thInvestor: MS has "Google-envy," distracted
Microsoft has distracted itself to where it's no longer a viable investment, Greenlight Capital investor David Einhorn says in a comment on the results of his company's summer quarter. He accuses the Windows developer of an "overaggressive and almost panicky" approach to competing with Google, at first launching an attempt to buy Yahoo only to overcompensate for its unsuccessful deal by spending large amounts of money on its own efforts to compete with Google in search and web ads.
Einhorn and Greenlight Capital have as a result "given up" on investing in Microsoft and see the latter's chief Steve Ballmer as preoccupied with Google to a point where Windows, Office and other established products are suffering and affecting the company's overall business.
"We doubt the opportunity is what they say it is and wish [Microsoft] focused on its core strength," Einhorn says. "We feel better investing in companies where management at least appears to be trying to work for shareholders."
The software firm in recent months has lately taken to trying to correct its perceived neglect of Windows by launching a $300 million ad to restore the operating system's image, which it believes has been turned into a stereotype by Apple and cost the company sales as customers become hesitant to upgrade from Windows XP.
Filed under: industry
Other story tags: Microsoft, Google, Vista, Yahoo
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oh my....
How funny!!
Noooo,
People are hesitant to upgrade because Vista is not so much an improvement for the everyday users as it is an improvement for Microsoft and the lame-tards of the recording industry executive level.
That and the fantabulous user experience with Genuine Advantage under XP locking some legitimate users out of their productivity... Who couldn't see this coming? Oh, that's right. Microsoft couldn't.
Distraction may well be a good excuse, but really now.
and Apple-envy
I don't blame Einhorn & Greenlight for pulling their money out. It seems Microsoft is so preoccupied with trying to copy or take away busines from Google and Apple, that they're forgetting who they are. It seems to me they should just look at improving their core-business first and start from there, instead of doing everything at once. Just put out a proper version of the next Windows OS, which will make people feel like it's a breath of fresh air, upgrade the Windows Mobile platform with it, and get software like IE and Office back in the field... start from there.
But what do I know... Personally, I think Ballmer is a moron and I really don't see why such an oaf is CEO of Microsoft. He's destroying the company.