Russell Beattie Thinks Bill Gates Doesn't "Get" the Phone Market

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1008447.html' target='_blank'>http://www.russellbeattie.com/noteb...ok/1008447.html</a><br /><br /></div>"Peter Rojas from Engadget just gave Bill Gates the third degree about the next version of the XBox and more importantly, about Windows Mobile. The results were astoundingly clear. Where Bill was able to articulate the vision for the next version of XBox and give straight answers to what it does and doesn't do (it's not going to be a media center, for example), he was clearly befuddled at the mobile market and tried to spin and create FUD, but not really doing either very well. <br />I think Peter did a great job of not just nodding along to Bill's first opaque answers to his Windows Mobile questions. He kept trying to get Bill to explain his vision and clarify Microsoft Mobile strategy in a competitive market and to me, it just came across as Bill just not getting it. At all. I mean, hey, Bill's the richest guy on the planet, not me... so you can be the judge who really gets it. But in this case, I think he's being as short sighted as the original version of The Road Ahead which if you remember, forgot to mention the Internet... in 1995."<br /><br />Russell Beattie, Nokia fan and avowed Microsoft "disliker" ;-), has written a response to the engadget Gates interview. What do you think? Is Russell on the money, and is Gates missing the big picture? Or he is more clued in than he lets on?

[MS Mobiles]

It is Russ, not Bill Gates, who doesn't get it: Bill properly and explicitly identifies in this interview Nokia, not Symbian Ltd, as main enemy of Microsoft in mobile phones. Also: Russ doesn't get it, that Microsoft makes only softeare for mobile phones, not hardware, therefore Microsoft can't impose some design decisions as Nokia can - for example in Nokia's Series 60 phones.

Besides this: Windows Mobile is less than 1% of revenues of Microsoft but mobile phones are 76% of revenues of Nokia (Nokia makes also mobile networks and satellite receivers) so Bill Gates doesn't have to 'get it' - he has people in Windows Mobile division for it...

[surur]

Bill Gates doesn't have to 'get it' - he has people in Windows Mobile division for it...

I think this is the main reason. Bill does not have a PDA, he has a PA (personal Assistant). I wonder if he even carries a mobile phone. Quite possibly not. He may even carry a blackberry.

I however think its very significant that he even knows the name, and I expect the profile of WM to continue increasing over the next few years.

Surur

[MS Mobiles]

Bill does not have a PDA, he has a PA (personal Assistant). I wonder if he even carries a mobile phone. Quite possibly not.

That's correct - the only mobile device, that he carries regularly is his SPOT watch. Bill is not interested in PDAs ( 8) ) and mobile phones ( :cry: ).

He doesn't want to waste his time on simple little things (remember: Windows Mobile is little - just less than 1% of Microsoft's revenues) of no interest (Tablet PC and Longhorn are his passions) to him.

I wonder how could we convince Bill to carry Windows Mobile PDA or phone with him? I have no idea how, sincerely speaking,... any ideas?

[IcemanMN]

No, Russell doesn't get it when he says that mail is the only app that people are interested in. When I found out what games are available on a PPC phone, I lost interest in the alternatives. The PPC platform is Gates' vision of smartphones as tiny laptops/media centers/phones that are connected wirelessly to the internet. It's here, it works OK, it's wonderful. When Magneto is released, and the hardware guys get bluetooth and wifi out of each other's way, it will work great. Give the guy another billion or three, he earned it.

[alabij]

I heard Bill uses an iBook and loves the iPod :wink:

[Pony99CA]

It is Russ, not Bill Gates, who doesn't get it: Bill properly and explicitly identifies in this interview Nokia, not Symbian Ltd, as main enemy of Microsoft in mobile phones. Also: Russ doesn't get it, that Microsoft makes only softeare for mobile phones, not hardware, therefore Microsoft can't impose some design decisions as Nokia can - for example in Nokia's Series 60 phones.
I don't know if Bill doesn't get it, but, as I mentioned in the original thread (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=53723) about the Engadget interview, I did think he missed the boat on one issue.

Specifically, he seemed to dismiss Symbian and focus on Nokia, even though Windows CE is exactly analogous to Symbian (an operating system that gets modified by the device manufacturer). Yes, Nokia may be the real "enemy", but he seemed to be a bit confused about why.

Steve

[surur]

Its because Nokia is such a dominant force in Symbian, beating Nokia would be the same as beating Symbian.

Lastly, the nice thing about Windows Mobile at least is how little modification the OEM's do, meaning things are consistent over many platforms.

Surur

[Pony99CA]

Lastly, the nice thing about Windows Mobile at least is how little modification the OEM's do, meaning things are consistent over many platforms.
I haven't used any Symbian phones. Are things really different between the various models?

Steve