Your Name

From today's MacWorld.co.uk junk email newsletter ...

Ballmer slates Android, commends iPhone
---------------------------------------
Microsoft boss has tough words for Google's mobile
operating system.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had some nasty things to
say about Google's Android operating system. But the
iPhone? Not so much.

At the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Ballmer trotted
out a common attack on Android, suggesting that the
mobile operating system is too complicated for ordinary
users. "You don't need to be a computer scientist to
use a Windows phone and you do to use an Android phone,"
he said, according to the Telegraph. "...It is hard for
me to be excited about the Android phones."

Ballmer conceded that "the cheapest phones will be
Android, and we are going to have to look at bringing
the cost of our handsets down."

But Ballmer wasn't as quick to dismiss Apple's iPhone.
He commended Siri, the virtual assistant featured in the
iPhone 4S, and said that Apple is "a good competitor,
but a different one." He then touted Windows Phones'
ability to display information on live tiles so users
don't have to scroll through a sea of icons.

"A Windows phone gets things done," Ballmer said.

Mincing words on the iPhone was probably a wise move for
Ballmer, who in 2007 famously said there was "no chance
that the iPhone is going to get any significant market
share." Today, the iPhone is the best-selling smartphone
in the world, and the iPhone 4S sold 4 million units in
its opening weekend.

It makes sense for Ballmer to wage a war of words on
Android instead. Surveys have shown that iPhone users
are more satisfied with their devices than Android users,
and that nearly all iPhone users intend to be repeat
customers. Windows Phone has a better chance to steal
market share away from Android. Microsoft is competing
with Google for the attention of smartphone makers as
well, whereas Apple designs its own hardware.

Still, Ballmer's been wrong about Android in the past.
Here's what he said in 2008: "Google doesn't exactly
bubble to the top of the list of the top competitors
we've got going in mobile. They might someday. But right
now..." Today, Android has more consumer market share
than any other smartphone platform. Tough talk makes
headlines, but underestimating any competitor is rarely
a good idea.

<http://www.macworld.co.uk/iPad-iPhone/news/index.cfm?newsid=3312184>

Alan Browne

On 2011-10-21 19:10 , Your Name wrote:

> Still, Ballmer's been wrong about Android in the past.
> Here's what he said in 2008: "Google doesn't exactly
> bubble to the top of the list of the top competitors
> we've got going in mobile. They might someday. But right
> now..." Today, Android has more consumer market share
> than any other smartphone platform. Tough talk makes
> headlines, but underestimating any competitor is rarely
> a good idea.
>
> <http://www.macworld.co.uk/iPad-iPhone/news/index.cfm?newsid=3312184>

I really think Ballmer is an insane idiot. I'm not being bombastic. He
really is an idiot to say the things he says. His presentations are
pathetic as well - like preaching the unbelievable with conviction that
it will ring true because he's putting on the passion pitch. Horrible.
You squirm in your seat when he's pitching trying to out-Steve Steve.

The only smart thing he's done is walk on Yahoo! and then pick up the
search end from them.

I have yet to see a Windows 7 smart phone in the wild. Last night I
went downtown and took the metro. At least one iphone per 2 people on
the metro that I could see.

--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

JF Mezei

Alan Browne wrote:

> I really think Ballmer is an insane idiot.

He's richer than you and me combined. He can't be that much of an idiot.

He may have horrible public speaking skills, but he wouldn't be where he
is today if he were totally stupid.

And consider that his speech may appear to be stupid, but might in fact
have been carefully crafted as a strategic move to give Microsoft a
piece of the market.

And while internaly, MS may know exactly how thair market share is
growing or not growing, when making public speeches, everything will be
very pink.

Note that Apple does the same. On some metrics, the iPhone is losing
market share because of arrival of Android and (to a lesser extent
Windows). Yet, at keynotes, it manages to find ways to spin the numbers
to make Apple look #1. Microsoft does the same.


> You squirm in your seat when he's pitching trying to out-Steve Steve.

I have news for you. many have the exact same reaction when they see
steve jobs speak.

The one difference is that Steve Jobs makes excellent presentations, so
even if the content makes some stomachs turn (like Balmer does to you),
people learn from his presentation skills.

> I have yet to see a Windows 7 smart phone in the wild.

I have let to see the current iPod Nano's in the wild. But I am told
they are out there and that Apple has sold a few dozens of them.

Dont forget that the real unveiling of Windows phone stuff comes soon
when Nokia (the Microsoft arm that makes phones) will unveil its first
batch of Windows phones.

I don't think anyone can predict whether Nokia's wedding to Microsoft
will succeed or whether it will drive Nokia to bankrupcy. Nokia has
enough clout with mobile operators around the world to really push its
products. It has the potential to really make that Windows thing succeed.

What I don't know is how much time to give Nokia before concluding that
Windows (and Nokia) will flop on mobile phones. I feel sorry for Nokia
though, they used to be way ahead of everyone in mobile phones and lost
their edge in the first decade of 2000. No corporation is immune from
bad management. Now, in a desperate act, they chose to not only get in
bed with Microsoft, but et the company on the success of Windows on phones.


I is possible that this time around, Microsoft might have enough stamina
to continue to develop the mobile version of Windows until it takes off.
In the past, MS always gave up on the mobile market. Do the terms
WindowsCE and PocketPC right a bell ?

Alan Browne

On 2011-10-22 14:11 , JF Mezei wrote:
> Alan Browne wrote:

>> I have yet to see a Windows 7 smart phone in the wild.
>
> I have let to see the current iPod Nano's in the wild. But I am told
> they are out there and that Apple has sold a few dozens of them.

The important thing is the smart phone market. We see iPhones and
Androids all over - but I haven't seen a Windows 7 phone at all.

(and I have seen Nano's in the wild).

And Ballmer is still an idiot.

--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

Todd Allcock

At 22 Oct 2011 14:11:40 -0400 JF Mezei wrote:
> Alan Browne wrote:
>
> > I really think Ballmer is an insane idiot.
>
> He's richer than you and me combined. He can't be that much of an idiot.
>
> He may have horrible public speaking skills, but he wouldn't be where he
> is today if he were totally stupid.
>
> And consider that his speech may appear to be stupid, but might in fact
> have been carefully crafted as a strategic move to give Microsoft a
> piece of the market.
>
> And while internaly, MS may know exactly how thair market share is
> growing or not growing, when making public speeches, everything will be
> very pink.
>
> Note that Apple does the same. On some metrics, the iPhone is losing
> market share because of arrival of Android and (to a lesser extent
> Windows). Yet, at keynotes, it manages to find ways to spin the numbers
> to make Apple look #1. Microsoft does the same.
>
>
> > You squirm in your seat when he's pitching trying to out-Steve Steve.

>
> I have news for you. many have the exact same reaction when they see
> steve jobs speak.

I just found it amusing when he spun negatives into positives or non-
issues. (Try not to laugh when he excitedly explained in the original
iPhone keynote how turning songs you already owned into ringtones would
"only cost you $0.99!"


> The one difference is that Steve Jobs makes excellent presentations, so
> even if the content makes some stomachs turn (like Balmer does to you),
> people learn from his presentation skills.


Absolutely. Jobs was a master of his craft, and people will copy his
style for decades to come.


> > I have yet to see a Windows 7 smart phone in the wild.
>
> I have let to see the current iPod Nano's in the wild. But I am told
> they are out there and that Apple has sold a few dozens of them.
>
> Dont forget that the real unveiling of Windows phone stuff comes soon
> when Nokia (the Microsoft arm that makes phones) will unveil its first
> batch of Windows phones.
>
> I don't think anyone can predict whether Nokia's wedding to Microsoft
> will succeed or whether it will drive Nokia to bankrupcy. Nokia has
> enough clout with mobile operators around the world to really push its
> products. It has the potential to really make that Windows thing succeed.



MS stands to gain a lot from Nokia, particularly internationally, from in-
place agreements. MS will likely get the Zune music service in more
countries via the existing Ovi agreements, Ovi maps cover the world,
whereas Bing's just suck outside North America and the UK, etc.


> What I don't know is how much time to give Nokia before concluding that
> Windows (and Nokia) will flop on mobile phones. I feel sorry for Nokia
> though, they used to be way ahead of everyone in mobile phones and lost
> their edge in the first decade of 2000. No corporation is immune from
> bad management. Now, in a desperate act, they chose to not only get in
> bed with Microsoft, but et the company on the success of Windows on
phones.

Nokia was left with few options. Symbian/Meego were dying, and becoming
Yet Another Android vendor wasn't going to save them. For good or bad,
Windows Phone represents a differentiation that will make Nokia standout.
MS' other WP OEMs are mostly half-assing it by recycling older hardware
designs (either WinMo or Android) and shoveling the WP7 OS on it.
(Though on fairness, Nokia is probably doing the same short term to rush
out their first WP phones. The excellent Meego-based N9 is likely to
resource with a new name and WP installed.)


> I is possible that this time around, Microsoft might have enough stamina
> to continue to develop the mobile version of Windows until it takes off.
> In the past, MS always gave up on the mobile market. Do the terms
> WindowsCE and PocketPC right a bell ?

Windows CE, now called Windows Embedded, is still in use, probably
powering the last gas pump you filled up at!

Your Name

In article <4ea3075b$0$31127$c3e8da3$b280bf18@news.astraweb.c om>, JF Mezei
<jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:
> Alan Browne wrote:
>
> > I really think Ballmer is an insane idiot.
>
> He's richer than you and me combined. He can't be that much of an idiot.

Wealth has little to do with intelligence. There a LOTS of complete morons
who are rich, just look at 90% of the celebrities in Hollyweird for a
start.

In fact, there's usually an inverse law that relates wages to
intelligence. Most people in management ARE idiots - the higher up the
management ladder you go, the less brains you should to use, the less
actual work you should do, and the more over-bloated your wages should
be. :-\

Jolly Roger

In article <4ea3075b$0$31127$c3e8da3$b280bf18@news.astraweb.c om>,
JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:

> Alan Browne wrote:
>
> > I really think Ballmer is an insane idiot.
>
> He's richer than you and me combined. He can't be that much of an idiot.

Sorry, but LOL... Paris Hilton and Snooky are living proof that one has
very little to do with the other.

--
Send responses to the relevant news group rather than email to me.
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JR

Your Name

In article <jollyroger-DD0DDD.18021322102011@news.individual.net>, Jolly
Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:

> In article <4ea3075b$0$31127$c3e8da3$b280bf18@news.astraweb.c om>,
> JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:
>
> > Alan Browne wrote:
> >
> > > I really think Ballmer is an insane idiot.
> >
> > He's richer than you and me combined. He can't be that much of an idiot.
>
> Sorry, but LOL... Paris Hilton and Snooky are living proof that one has
> very little to do with the other.

Thanks a lot ... I'd managed to forget those two bimbos until you
mentioned them. ;-)

salgud

On Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:35:59 -0600, Todd Allcock wrote:
>
> Windows CE, now called Windows Embedded, is still in use, probably
> powering the last gas pump you filled up at!

Alive in gas pumps is not the same as alive with consumers, thought there
certainly are a great many gas pumps around, but not nearly as many as
there are people.

As an aside, a good friend of mine writes the code for those gas pumps. I
had no idea how complex a modern gas pump is!

salgud

On Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:11:40 -0400, JF Mezei wrote:

> He's richer than you and me combined. He can't be that much of an idiot.

Name one intelligent thing he's done since he took over at M$. Basically,
he's tried to copy Apple with the Zune and with retail stores, etc. Retail
stores when M$ has no products to retail!

He got rich by sticking his tongue up Bill's ass. Putting Steve in charge
when he left was probably the stupidest business decision Bill ever made.
Bill was never in the same class as the iSteve, but Ballmer isn't even in
Bill's class. At least Bill had great business sense. Ballmer couldn't sell
beer at a baseball game!