Gutless Microsoft: Set to Sell Out to Apple

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Steve Ballmer and Microsoft (MSFT) illustrate everything that is wrong with an Apple (AAPL)-dominated tech space.

Using politics as an excuse, most companies refuse to spend. And, when they do, they often take half-chances.

Think about it. If you were conceiving truly great innovation (e.g., Starbucks (SBUX)) or had a clear sight on massive opportunity (e.g., Amazon.com (AMZN)), wouldn't you spend your cash to capitalize while others stagnate?

There's always a political crisis. Today's is fear over an allegedly anti-business President and the fiscal cliff. We've all been around long enough to see noise and hysteria repackaged time and again.

Don't let the spectacle weaken your investing focus.

Just as political and market chaos should not throw off your long-term investment plans, it should not stop tech from being tech. Innovating. Taking chances. Being bold.

Do you think Steve Jobs gave even one short hair off a rat's behind about all of the noise when he was set to introduce iPod, iPhone or iPad? We could have been in the middle of a world war and these products would have cut through.

That's confidence. That's a reason to get out of bed early and, as Dr. Laura loved to school us, Go take on the day!

And then there's Microsoft.

Word comes from Cult of Mac this morning that we can expect Microsoft Office for iOS in early 2013. They even have screenshots. It looks all too real.

By handing over the one real thing that differentiates Microsoft's devices from Apple's, Steve Ballmer sends the message that he has no confidence in Microsoft and no confidence in himself.

He's like the school-yard bully, taking lame verbal shots at Apple but running away when it's time to fight.

If he had faith in himself and his company's ability to create an ecosystem that could even sniff Apple's, he would keep mobile versions of Microsoft Office in house. But he's not.

And I'm hardly surprised.

At the time of publication Rocco Pendola was long AAPL April 2013 $580 calls for a short-term swing trade. He is also long shares of Starbucks.

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Rocco Pendola is TheStreet's Director of Social Media. Pendola's daily contributions to TheStreet frequently appear on CNBC and at various top online properties, such as Forbes.