Video: Watch Steve Ballmer Intro Windows 7 on Today Show (No BSoD, Unfortunately)

Leander Kahney ()

The demo gods shone on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer this morning as he showed off Windows 7 to the Today Show’s Matt Lauer.  

The demo went with nary a hitch, even though he didn’t really “demo” any features — he just talked about how Windows 7 is “faster,” “cleaner” and “snappier.” The Sony touchscreen machine does look pretty cool though.  

He isn’t afraid that the iPhone will soon make PCs obsolete, he told Lauer, because people want different-sized screens for different tasks. And he’s not jealous of Apple’s cool image because nine out of 10 PCs sold in the U.S. run Windows.  

Windows 7 goes on sale today. Watch the video below.

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About the author

Leander Kahney

is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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Posted in Apple, News |

  • http://www.twitter.com/MaryCertad Mary Certad

    You dont really need a huge range of choices when all of them are “ok” but not enough. I go for Apple for tons of reasons and this guy is so “Im a pc” vid lol , he cant compete with macs speed, no-virus system and COOLNESS.

    i<3mac

  • Jacob3223

    Was that a demo of Windows 7, or other companies new computers?

  • Ben

    Take a look at the picture of the laptop in the background with the windows 7 logo. look familiar? its a last gen (non unibody) macbook pro. how fitting.

  • João Gomes

    I find the fact that the MSNBC guys chose to slap a Windows 7 logo on an aluminium MacBook Pro particularly funny… Quite the stealth advertisement to Apple, I wonder if Ballmer noticed it ;)

  • CaryMG

    What a fucking embarrassment ….

    “Most people don’t know the difference between an operating room & a operating system ….”

    Oh really, Matt?
    Are those the kind of people that’d be interested in this story in the 1st place ?!?

    No wonder the world despises us ….

  • Brendon

    Has no one noticed that the computer on the screen behind him is actually a MacBook Pro with the Windows 7 logo on the screen?

  • TheBrew

    Props to Balmer – He handled those Apple comments very nicely. Not putting anyone down. No trash-talk.

    Nice going!

  • http://www.realestatecareerhub.com brookshanes

    Hey Ballmer since when is hardware the boon for Microsoft? (“you’re not going to find these hardware partners”) You’re launching an OS today not partnerships with hardware mfrs.

  • icecastles

    Not a fan of Ballmer at the best of times, but nice to see that he stepped back from his usual derisive laughter when asked about competing with the iPhone and simply said that people are always going to want different sized screens. It’s a salient point and he’s a lot easier to listen to when he’s not being foolishly over-the-top with his statements and deriding the competition. Wonder if his handlers have finally convinced him that the smug superiority approach hasn’t been helping.

  • Kev

    That is just embarrassing. Ballmer’s ‘personality’ is so obviously forced it is cringrworthy, and the whole presentation is like an 8 year old kid showing all the work he has done over a year at school.

    “Look at this over here, no this over here, no this over here, no this, no this”

  • Chris

    I am definitely not a Steve Ballmer fan, but I must agree with ‘TheBrew’ and ‘icecastles’ about his performance and attitude. I think this was a very good advertisement for Windows 7, and he handled all of it with aplomb. I believe the majority of people watching this would get a very good vibe and possibly an interest in Win7.

  • Rodrigo

    “Advertising, advertsing, advertising.” – That’s what Microsoft is all about… They don’t give a crap about consumers satisfaction. They only “control” people’s mind with the sentence “9 out of 10 PCs uses Windows”… If one doesn’t know much about computers, it’s obvious people are gonna buy Windows PCs! Wouldn’t you take your car on a mechanic that fixes 90 out of 100 cars in your neighborhood? But sometimes, the ones that are little, are the best of all.
    I guess the 2nd place’s never been so good in the history of computers. I’m really proud of being able to say: “I go with the 2nd, not the first!”.

  • king

    while I am not a windows fan, and prefer Macintosh
    I still respect Microsoft as a huge company, but what I do not understand how come they chose such a weird guy to lead this giant business?
    To be honest, if I was having a startup business I wouldn’t let this guy manage it

  • http://www.toxicspark.com Andrew Macdonald

    @Mary Certad

    Totally agree with everything you said.

    And yes, i noticed the MacBook Pro with the windows logo too.

  • http://MSNBC Steven(UK)

    Or should be MSN-B-S – MSN-Bull-Shit

    Funny how the most telling line of the whole bollocks was the very last one… “I should tell you Microsoft is part owner of MSNBC”. How apt. How transparent. How Microshite.

  • Fuzzypig

    Why are they shouting? Stand next to Ballmer and go deaf!

    “We wanted to make ‘em faster, simpler, less expensive…”

    OK, well sell your kit and go buy a decent machine with a decent O/S that won’t screw up after 5 mins on the internet, forcing you to rebuild/find a friend to rebuild it/visit local PC store to have it rebuilt! Plus it will last you a good few years before you are able to sell it and still get a reasonable some of money for it when you do finally have to upgrade!

    I hate Ballmer. He’s arrogant, has an inflated opinion of himself and his worth…ah I see where this s leading…he’s perfect for the company he fronts!

  • http://pinoytutorial.com pinoytutorial

    It really doesn’t matter if this is a MacBook or not. If you believe somehow that MS used an Apple notebook for promoting Windows 7 – - means you already ate their bait.

    we made a review about this hilarious video: http://pinoytutorial.com/techtorial/nbcs-today-show-windows-7-featured-on-a-macbook-pro/

    with a bonus video update from MSNBC

    We think on an Apple Fan’s Point of view (the vid doesn’t look really quite hilarious)

  • Arunghs

    have you ever listen this one about steven ballmer
    Steve Ballmer
    http://techror.com/2011/05/04/developer-developer-developer-developer-by-steve-ballmer/