The Engadget Show - 002: Steve Ballmer, Droid, Nook, and new Macs
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted October 23rd 2009 4:47PM
posted October 23rd 2009 4:47PM
Do we really need to tell you what this is all about? Steve Ballmer. Windows 7 launch day. Pure magic. Sit back and enjoy a spirited conversation with the CEO of Microsoft -- then stick around to watch Josh, Paul, and Nilay get into it over the week's news!
Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel
Special guest: Steve Ballmer
Produced by: Chad Mumm
Directed by: Michael Slavens
Music by: Bit Shifter
Visuals by: Paris and outpt
Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec
Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 002 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 002 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted)
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Pretty good start. I think towards the end Josh, NIlay & Paul were all talking together ...It was hard to hear them all speak at once... Kinda like The View. Josh really needs to let ppl finish their sentences...He kept cutting the guys off quite a bit.
Great show, nice to see some of Steve's personal insights.
Loved it.
I just don't like Ballmer. Something about him just reminds me of those villains in Ayn Rand novels.
Horrible lighting, bad microphones (pops in Ballmer's voices), and a terrible host (painfully obvious he is an Apple fanboy) -- but I enjoyed Ballmer at least.
Cool visuals, and Joshua can sure pul off a sexy cameltoe :)
Way too many unnecessary mentions of Apple. It was just like 'Apple this' 'Apple that' 'Apple aren't in the search business, why are Microsoft?' It got unbearable when they were discussing about Project Pink, instead of the host saying something like 'Are you guys going to produce a handset (or phone)' he substitutes 'handset' or 'phone' with 'iPhone' like its the Coke of the soda market. That was completely unneeded. Tone down on the Apple please.
So let me get this straight. Wireless Networking? That's his best feature? Surfing the net and doing email wirelessly in a hotel?
Wow.
Ok, I'm teasing, the truth is, Windows 7 is not about features, its all about improved UI and User Experience. Which is a shitty answer because... that's what a Mac is for. And if he said that, he'd be saying, we're copying Apple. Again.
Cool show but, you may want to pay the gaffer next time.
My daughter, Kylie has something to say about those Windows ads. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62BW2FJ6RIc
Stop talking over each other, its very annoying....
get audience join the show and talking would be a better approach than talking to your own guy, boring...
ps, pretty tight pants on joshua
awww!! Please let audience ask questions as well....
Enjoyed Ballmer's comments but Joshua Topolsky shouldn't bother to have Miller or Patel on the panel because he constantly talked over them and never let then finish a sentence. Very irritating when an interviewer just likes to hear himself talk and the only opinions you hear are the interviewer's. Also, when interviewing Ballmer, Topolsky always sounded like he was trying to attack Ballmer who is the CEO of one of the biggest and most successful companies in the history of the world. I thought Ballmer was a good sport.
There are much better ways to interview people on touchy subjects by phrasing your questions in such a way that you are just asking the subject to enlighten the audience on the issues rather than defend themselves, they are guests not defendants accused of a crime. You can still get the same info and put the subject on the hot seat without it sounding like a petty attack, watch 60 minutes or interviews on Bloomberg TV.
A half day course on how to conduct an interview would benefit Topolsky greatly!
By the way, I really enjoy Engadget as a consolidator of tech news and especially for the clever and irreverent humor. Congratulations to all the principals on your impressive website and your success.
So good of an opening, it should have a music video!! That is addictive to listen to.
WOW the guy who hosted the show SUCKED. He had trouble getting questions across to Balmer, Was condescending in his questions, and talked over everyone who wasn't Steve Balmer.
Not knowing this man or knowing anything about him I can tell that he is an Apple fanboy... and that's an incredible problem because someone who hosts any show like this is supposed to be unbiased like an NFL or MLB analyst.
Get a new host with actual skills at hosting.
Dear Josh
Watch or listen to Dan Patrick and take notes.
Does anyone know when the next show is going to happen??????????????
just make sure you get someone who knows how to interview and would not step on the interviewee please.
also, audience participation is most important in this kind of tech shows, I was like WTF, SB is here, but not a single audience had a chance to ask questions... ...
also, need better lighting on the subjects.
just my 0.0001 cent
Out of touch OLD MAN!!!
I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned this, but could you guys bring back the "extra small" format (approx 300 MB) m4v file, too? It was a nice quick download, and worked flawlessly on my PSP! Anywho, loved the show! :D
I hope those pants castrated you
Wow Josh, what a horrible interviewer. This was like a "Here's my opinion on you and Microsoft, Mr Steve Ballmer, let me argue with you about it and backpedal when it's obvious I have no idea what the fuk I'm talking about"
Dont talk over yourselves, please. It's annoying. You're like The View + Robin Quivers.
Also, who's the guy spearheading with the glasses? He needs speech therapy. Steps all over himself.
love all the MS fanboy posts and people dissing the engadget crew
if you don't like engadget why are you here?
we like Engadget, but not the way that josh was presenting himself.
Glad that you guys are doing a show now, but couple things:
1. Let people talk. The most annoying aspect of the show is that all of you talk on top of each other. Its like watching a tech version of The View. It puts a frown on my face.
2. Lighting is creepy. There are too many shadows that fall on people's faces. Yeah, there are cool glowing pieces of furniture, but you shouldn't sacrifice proper lighting to show that the tables glow.
3. Never ever ever wear those pants again.
Good luck with the show!
download link problem?!
Josh, please don't do any more interviews. please. you will save yourself the embarrassment.
I thought Nokia was pronounced as No-Kia not Knock-ia
It was a good show. I feel that the lighting was not good and when I tried to download both the versions of the episode it has some errors and I could not play it.
He doesnt even know what kind of phone he has! (Steve BAllmer) He cant say NOKIA either. he said NAKIA