Gallery: The many faces of Steve Ballmer

Steve Ballmer's keynote at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show was more notable for what he didn't say.

At Gartner in October 2010, Ballmer told the audience that Microsoft's riskiest product was the next version of Windows.

Steve Ballmer puts on his business face and uniform - and makes the trek to Wall Street to provide analysts with an annual “Strategic Update” overview. There he covers the areas where Microsoft plans to invest and why. Here are his seven big bets for 2009.

Steve Ballmer tries to hypnotize this Nasdaq audience about  the business availability of Vista, Office 2007, and Exchange Server 2007 at a press conference on November 30, 2006.

At CES 2010, Ballmer shows off what turned out to be the ill-fated HP Slate tablet [video]. One of Microsoft's biggest holes is the company's inability to partner a Windows tablet that can compete against Apple's iPad.

In 2007 Ballmer called out Red Hat, specifically, for allegedly infringing on Microsoft IP.

Ballmer made headlines and many enemies in 2001 when he described Linux as a cancer. But by 2006 he even made deals with Novell.

Shown here with Yahoo's Carol Bartz,  Ballmer said that no one quite gets the software giant’s search deal with Yahoo.

Ballmer never appeared to be completely in charge of Microsoft until 2008 when Bill Gates retired. Here's a look at what we thought of the first year of changes at Microsoft.

No, Steve isn't a car mechanic on the side. He's visiting Ford CEO Alan Mulally at CES 2010 who is introducing Ford's Touch and Sync.

Probably the most controversial product developed during Ballmer's time as Microsoft's chief is Windows Vista. in early 2008 Ballmer was defending the OS as a "work in progress" but had given up on it later in the year as Windows 7 neared.

One of Ballmer's current goals is to get Microsoft a head start in cloud computing.

Source: Seattle Times

Microsoft's most successful hardware device has been the Xbox 360. Here, Ballmer and Bill Gates duke it out on a huge screen.

The "usual suspects" at Microsoft in 2008. From left, Bill what's-his-name, Craig Mundie, Ray Ozzie, and Steve.

Let's hear it for Apple. In 2007 Steve was telling everyone that the iPhone was too expensive and never would make it in the enterprise.

High 5 at WPC in July 2010.

Ballmer struggles under the weight of Guy Kawasaki's MacBook Air at Mix in March 2008.

Ballmer dazzled CES 2010 with his red sweater.

And finally, one more "Monkey Boy." Here's the full gallery.