微软CEO成败系Win 8

    鲍尔默声称的根本性转变不是夸大其辞。我们在2012年的微软身上几乎已经看不到20世纪90年代末期时微软的影子。正如鲍尔默承认的那样，微软已经屈服于其最强大的竞争对手所建立的商业模式。如今的微软不再是行业的领头者，而成为了追随者。微软身上再也看不到当年垄断时的霸气。它经过37年的发展，现在开始学着向部分开发商开放了源代码，友好对待外界。

    既然鲍尔默已经彻底走出了比尔•盖茨的阴影，那么他能成功吗？这是一个大问题。作为CEO，鲍尔默当然得为过失承担主要责任。据说微软的公司文化已经支离破碎、毫无组织、有时甚至残酷无比。微软每一次小小的成功之后（微软的必应搜索在市场占有率达到了四分之一），都有一次令人失望的挫败（Windows Phone 7 在智能手机市场的占有率持续下滑）。每一台Kinect背后，都有一台Zune。

    然而，这些产品都没有Windows 8这么重要。目前为止，这款新产品的大体反响还算不错，尽管有些用户似乎被全新的界面搞得晕头转向。不过一切都还没有见分晓。Windows 8能否成功将在很大程度上决定史蒂夫•鲍尔默所领导的微软将走向何方：是成为云经济时代的领袖，还是成为比尔•盖茨创立的微软的一个谦和有礼、但是碌碌无为的不肖子。

    译者：严匡正

    The fundamental shift Ballmer speaks of isn't corporate hyperbole. The Microsoft of the late 1990s wouldn't recognize the Microsoft of 2012. Because, as Ballmer acknowledged, Microsoft has capitulated to a business model created by its greatest rival. It's not an industry leader, it's a follower now. It's not anything like the monopolistic bully it once was. It's as friendly to open standards as it's been in its 37-year history.

    Now that Ballmer has fully stepped out of the shadow of Bill Gates, will he succeed? That's the big question. As CEO, Ballmer has certainly made his own share of missteps. The corporate culture inside Microsoft is often said to be fragmented, disorganized and sometimes cutthroat. And for every modest success Microsoft has seen (Bing searches account for a quarter of the total market), there is a disappointing setback (Windows Phone 7 has seen its share of the smartphone market shrinking). For every Kinect, there is a Zune.

    None of those products, however, will matter as much as Windows 8 will. So far, the new software is winning mixed-to-positive reviews, although some users seem confused by the new interface. Much hangs in the balance: The success of Windows 8 will largely determine whether Steve Ballmer's Microsoft can become a leader in the cloud economy, or whether it's just a kinder, gentler -- but impotent -- successor to the company Bill Gates built.