14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer made an on stage appearance together at the D6 - All things Digital Conference in their 28th year together at Microsoft. The interview touched a variety of subjects from the early days of the company, to Google, Yahoo, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and even Apple, but without focusing on anything in particular. This although the first public showcasing of the Windows 7 user interface and new natural input capabilities managed to steal the show at least a little bit away from Gates and Ballmer.
Otherwise, the duo addressed various issues revealing that Microsoft has indeed walked away from a full acquisition of Yahoo, but that it reserved the right to make another bid if that is the case. Still, Ballmer emphasized that the takeover of the Sunnyvale-based Internet giant, which is currently runner up on the search engine and online advertising markets, was only meant to accelerate Microsoft's own growth and not a strategy onto itself. Gates reiterated the Redmond giant's commitment to compete against the no. 1 in order to avoid a Google monopoly.
Both Gates and Ballmer rejected scenarios in which Windows Vista is viewed as a failure and as a mistake indicating that the operating system has sold in excess of 140 million copies since its introduction. Gates, however, admitted that Vista offers Microsoft a great chance to exercise its philosophy of continually improving its products. In this respect, Vista is considered merely a foundation for Windows 7.
At the same time, Ballmer rejected claims that Apple is really increasing its hold of the operating system market in the detriment of Windows. The Cupertino-based hardware company sells approximately 10 million Apple computers per year, a figure that is minuscule in comparison with Microsoft's 290 million, according to Ballmer.
Bill Gates is scheduled to leave his day to day role with Microsoft starting with the summer of 2008, a move announced as early as 2006. In July, Gates's focus will shift to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and he will no longer have a say in the direction Microsoft is heading, although he will not leave the company completely and will continue to act as Chairman.