[cgk]

Even taking account the limitations of this type of account, I found this interesting:

Steve Ballmer paced his corner office on a foggy January morning here, listening through loudspeakers to his directors' voices on a call that would set in motion the end of his 13-year reign as Microsoft Corp.'s chief executive.


In important consumer markets, despite its formidable software revenue. Mr. Ballmer tried to spell out his plan to remake Microsoft, but a director cut him off, telling him he was moving too slowly.

"Hey, dude, let's get on with it," lead director John Thompson says he told him. "We're in suspended animation." Mr. Ballmer says he replied that he could move faster.

But the contentious call put him on a difficult journey toward his August decision to retire, sending Microsoft into further tumult as it began seeking a successor to a man who has been at its heart for 33 years. "Maybe I'm an emblem of an old era, and I have to move on," the 57-year-old Mr. Ballmer says, pausing as his eyes well up. "As much as I love everything about what I'm doing," he says, "the best way for Microsoft to enter a new era is a new leader who will accelerate change."

Mr. Ballmer, in a series of exclusive interviews tinged with his characteristic bluster and wistfulness, tells of how he came to believe that he couldn't lead Microsoft forward—that, in fact, Microsoft would not be led by him because of the very corporate culture he had helped instill.

Mr. Ballmer and his board have been in agreement: Microsoft, while maintaining its strong software business, must shake up its management structure and refocus on mobile devices and online services if it is to find future profit growth and reduce its dependence on the fading PC market.

The board's beef was speed. The directors "didn't push Steve to step down," says Mr. Thompson, a longtime technology executive who heads the board's CEO-search committee, "but we were pushing him damn hard to go faster."

Exclusive Interview: Steve Ballmer on His Retirement as Microsoft CEO - WSJ.com

[cgk]

While I find Mikey Collins a bit.. em.. interesting... he seems to be right in his new thread that Phones4u who is the 2nd biggest mobile retailer in the UK no longer carries bb10 devices of any sort - not a good sign.

[anon(4086547)]

While I find Mikey Collins a bit.. em.. interesting... he seems to be right in his new thread that Phones4u who is the 2nd biggest mobile retailer in the UK no longer carries bb10 devices of any sort - not a good sign.

That's obvious that BB10 devices don't sell, and BBM has lost momentum and now is behind Snapchat on 7th place, even on the Canadian Google store. Now the only hope is if they can slowly pick up in corporate and government sales, but I think latest PW/BoD clowns actions completely ruined the little hope we had for a recovery.

[fedakd]

I don't see how things can get better. Next ER is going to be a bloodbath. The company should have been scrapped for parts IMHO. When no one will even look at the device because they think the company is dying, Houston, we have a problem! How about those tens of millions of Q10s now Thorsten? I have never, ever, seen such irresponsible management of a public company since reading about Enron and Worldcomm in Business Ethics courses during my undergrad.

And lastly, PW is a scheister.

That's obvious that BB10 devices don't sell, and BBM has lost momentum and now is behind Snapchat on 7th place, even on the Canadian Google store. Now the only hope is if they can slowly pick up in corporate and government sales, but I think latest PW/BoD clowns actions completely ruined the little hope we had for a recovery.

[kfh227]

If premium buys more shares he will be over 10% and be required to report immediately. I think it's a 3 day rule.

Posted via CB10

[bungaboy]

. . . . . . And lastly, PW is a scheister.

Don't forget Karlheinz Schreiber? LoL

[Shanerredflag]

Not to discount anyone's work and insight but...when I was looking at BlackBerry last April/May the investment threads (elsewhere...not here so much) resemble today's majority opinion... "This pigs done", "Exit the fallen King" , Turn out the lights".

That research garnered a tidy sum....CHEN may flop, might hit a home run...
Buggy OS????? Maybe official releases in the states...which are way behind us here in Canada...I have a buisness, employ people, and have had all the other devices...love my BB10 OS

Seems to me "the buggy OS" is the new bash campaign...I'll put my BlackBerry device up against anything...there is nothing "lame" about it...oh...and it's cell radios make ALL other devices look bad...real bad.

Cheers.

Posted via CB10

[sidhuk]

Looking forward to GSP and JH fight tonight. Priming up with captain morgan.

[Shanerredflag]

Lol...Crown Royal here...is this a record or a disappointment (for us pro CANADIAN guys). lol

The more I sip, the more GSP wins...again.

Posted via CB10

[plasmid_boy]

Lol...Crown Royal here...is this a record or a disappointment (for us pro CANADIAN guys). lol

The more I sip, the more GSP wins...again.

Posted via CB10

Crown here too.

Sent from my Z10 using CB Forums mobile app

[sidhuk]

Lol...Crown Royal here...is this a record or a disappointment (for us pro CANADIAN guys). lol

The more I sip, the more GSP wins...again.

Posted via CB10

Must be canadian thing, even cheered for him when he lost, long long times ago. Cheers guys.

[Shanerredflag]

So, um...if GSP was a convertible debenture and his "strike" price was 1130 seconds into the fight...would he lose if he knocked this guy out in 150 seconds?

Posted via CB10

[sidhuk]

So, um...if GSP was a convertible debenture and his "strike" price was 1130 seconds into the fight...would he lose if he knocked this guy out in 150 seconds?

Posted via CB10

LoL, there are reasons that i dont drink Rye whisky.

[Kris Erickson]

I was updating my i5 and I looked at Free Apps and BBM was 4th. So for all the ppl that said BBM is done etc I read an article that said many big name Apps start in the top 5 and by 1week end drop down into the 20's.

I think that BBM holding 4th after almost a month is a good sign

[_dimi_]

I was updating my i5 and I looked at Free Apps and BBM was 4th. So for all the ppl that said BBM is done etc I read an article that said many big name Apps start in the top 5 and by 1week end drop down into the 20's.

I think that BBM holding 4th after almost a month is a good sign

What's your location?

Posted via CB10

[W Hoa]

What's your location?

BBM for iOS is at #1 in Nigeria, Indonesia, South Africa etc and #2 UK, #4 Canada, # 7 India and #79 in the US. BBM is, although at the very low end, now ranking in Japan and South Korea for the first time.

Rankings below are as of yesterday.



For comparison here are the stats for the iOS versions of Whatsapp and Kik:

WhatsApp:



Kik:

[cgk]

What the figures for Snapchat?

[W Hoa]

You lose some you win some.

BlackBerry is losing out on phone sales in Indonesia to cheaper Android phones which make up over 80% of the market. However, 90% of Android purchasers are asking to have BBM pre-loaded.

Ailing BlackBerry rides the Android wave in Indonesia - FT.com

[W Hoa]

What the figures for Snapchat?

[notafanboy]

One has to wonder if a garbage app like snapchat was offered $3-4 billion dollars how much would bbm be worth?

Posted via CB10

[peter9477]

One has to wonder if a garbage app like snapchat was offered $3-4 billion dollars how much would bbm be worth?

Does Snapchat do anything more than basically show someone a picture you took and then try to delete it from their device a few seconds later? Like, *anything at all*? (I've never seen the app... just read a few short articles about it.)

[app_Developer]

One has to wonder if a garbage app like snapchat was offered $3-4 billion dollars how much would bbm be worth?

Posted via CB10

BBM is likely worth more than any other asset BlackBerry has. I think xBBM was a good move.




Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk

[plasmid_boy]

BBM is likely worth more than any other asset BlackBerry has. I think xBBM was a good move.




Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk

I hope they make voice and video available on xBBM soon. I have never used Kik so can't say about it, but WhatsApp, LINE, and iMessage are not in the same league as BBM.

Posted via CB10

[kfh227]

Npr was talk information about these buyouts and IPOs in technology. They said that the guy that created chat roulette was offered a ton of cash for it and turned it down. Funny how fast things can turn. And they even said Facebook is loosing interest among the younger demographics.

Posted via CB10

[Im Mo Green]

you want to add millions of new users to BBM in a couple of days, get it out to windows phone immediately. A good percentage of windows users are very recent BBusers who have left in the past 6 months or so. Guaranteed pop in users immediately. Get on it BB