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Ipod users are thieves?: Ballmer

Ted notes Ballmer's latest tirade. It's this kind of absolutely stupid comment that makes Microsoft a target.

I have to say - since Bill left the CEO role, I don't think Steve has done a great job of "rallying" the troops - crazy CEO antics aren't enough - they need to be backed up by serious empathy and I don't think he gets it. (which is why you've got bloggers like Scoble and others doing it)

1. DRM needs to get better if it's going to be useful. I still haven't listened to Let It Be...Naked since finding out it was protected against burning onto my computer where I can access it from my Audiotron. Saying they've had it for years is just plain silly. A friend had burned his entire music collection onto his computer using the default options, then his computer died but he wasn't able to replay it because the "copy-protect" option was the default. It's about making it EASIER to enjoy, but harder to steal. Solve that problem for everyone and even then, don't go around brushing broad strokes on other users.

2. I'm sure his 12 year old has PLENTY of music copied from, say, other sources. By the music industry's DRM standards, if I buy a CD and my daughter listens to it, she's stolen it. Hey - I wonder what happens if I start to whistle a tune I heard somewhere - I'm sure one day, someone will call me a thief for that as well.

Don't call people thieves or people will just flip the bozo bit on you, Steve (if they haven't already)

3. The fact is, that no one has made an iPod killer yet. Lots of competition out there but by aiming at the biggest player in one industry when MS is complaining about being targeted in other industries does EVERYONE a disservice.

Ballmer needs to grow up and come up with SOLUTIONS, not just idiotic comments.

Ted's Radio Weblog

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