Ballmer Tips His Hand

... and he's got a pair of fours.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer continued to peddle hot air with gems like this one.

MR. MOSSBERG: There is this feeling that you've kind of missed a beat here in the last couple years on mobile.

MR. BALLMER: On the phone side of the business, we learned the value of excellent execution. We were ahead of this game in terms of software for phones. Now we find ourselves No. 5 in the market.

We missed a whole cycle. I've been quite public about the fact that I chose to make a set of leadership changes in the team of people building and executing on our Windows phone software.

Any time a technology company's CEO starts talking about excellence in execution, you know they've got nothing. If you had something to rival the iPad or Android, you wouldn't be talking about personnel moves or corporate efficiency and you wouldn't be spouting cliched bromides like this.

MR. BALLMER: You could say, "Is it a time in which we need to work smarter, work harder, be more vigilant?" Absolutely.

That's the ticket, Mr. Ballmer. That's what's going to make me want to buy a Windows Mobile device - the fact that you guys at Microsoft are working smarter and harder and being more vigilant.

What a load of tripe. It's like listening to CoachSpeak.

Future interviews with Steve Ballmer will look like this.