8:02 a.m. As I wrote yesterday, Strategic Decision #1: Steve Ballmer's decision to speak today, "directly to investors." He'll be answering questions from the little guy and the question on everyone's lips: will he be defensive?

8:04 a.m. Ballmer wants to speak about the business from both the perspective of an investor and a manager, and he promises not to yell at the audience. Heh. He starts out by saying that the next 10 years has as much potential for world-changing strides in computers and software as the last 10 years, and he's excited to be part of a company which "invests, profits from, and takes advantage of the incredible opportunity there is to innovate."

8:06 a.m. The thing that will change in the next 10 years? Digital writing. "Pencil and paper will be replaced by superior technology that is digital. And somebody will have the ability to benefit from that technology." He already sounds both (a) angry and (b) frantic. Maybe it's just his thang.

Continue reading Liveblogging Microsoft's Steve Ballmer at Strategic Decisions Conference

Liveblogging Microsoft's Steve Ballmer at Strategic Decisions Conference originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 31 May 2006 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft does not equal altruism. No, let's be clear here: no U.S. for-profit corporation equals altruism. But even the awesomest of do-goody moves on the part of Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer & team could ever be considered as entirely selfless.

Take the company's plans (in conjunction with hardware manufacturers) to test a pay-as-you-go scheme for computers called Microsoft FlexGo. You pay somewhere around $300 (about half of what the computer would cost at full retail value) and then buy prepaid cards for minutes, a la prepaid mobile phones. Over time, the consumer would own the computer outright (but it wouldn't be repossessed if users failed to purchase all their minutes, just like phones), paying a little more than the retail cost.

The initial markets will be places like Brazil, India, Mexico, China and Russia, where consumer credit rates are high and the average person doesn't carry plastic. Best of all, some estimates have put the untapped market at 1 billion consumers -- those who can't afford the $500-$1000 all at once, but who could afford one were the cost to be spread out.

In one fell swoop, Microsoft could reduce the desirability of pirated software, double its potential consumer base, open up hundreds of billions of room for revenue growth, and oh yes: help people. I'm going to forgive the lack of total altruism. Just this once.

Microsoft seeking to tap a billion new consumers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 May 2006 19:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.