Ballmer: Red Alert! Reality Distortion Field to Maximum!

[Rocco Augusto]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,24611100-5014239,00.html' target='_blank'>http://www.news.com.au/technology/s...5014239,00.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"When asked how he viewed Google as a competitor in the mobile market, Mr Ballmer - the chief executive officer of the world's biggest software company &ndash; initially responded with a conciliatory tone. 'This is their first phone, they're not easy,' he said. 'Let's see how they do.' But the niceties, which he had earlier shown for other competitors including Apple, were shortly dropped as Mr Ballmer expressed disbelief at Google's business practices. 'They (Google) can hire smart guys, hire smart people, blah-de-blah-de-blah,' Mr Ballmer said. 'I don't really understand their strategy, maybe somebody else does.' 'Turning up to an investor meeting saying, 'we've just launched a mobile operating system with no revenue model, yay!' &ndash; I wouldn't do that,' he said.'I don't get the business model.'"</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1225994470.usr8.jpg" /></p><p>Steve Ballmer is a hoot! Who goes on the record and says "<em>blah-de-blah-de-blah</em>" in regards to a competitor? I really hope Steve is just trying to downplay Google Android's significant in the mobile playing field because I feel it is plain to see what Google is trying to accomplish. You give the operating system away for free, it will eventually end up in the hands of millions of users... all of them forced to use your services to use the device. When people use Google's services, Google in turn makes a ton of money off of advertising deals they have in place. That sounds like a very solid revenue model to me. Once again I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that the forehead-smacking-comments that come out of Microsoft's Powers That Be mouths as of late are nothing more than schoolyard trash talking in an attempt to throw their competitors off guard.</p>

[badersk]

I truely hope that with the advent of the iphone and now android, that MS steps up its game with windows mobile. While I like WM very much, it is getting old and tired. The phone manufacturers are actually working harder to keep it interesting than I believe MS is, (it's my opinion as a user) with new touch interfaces and such.

[ScottC]

Ballmer better be scared of Android, because it is miles ahead of WinMo at the moment. Even the developer scene is doing quite nicely, with at least 10 new apps a day appearing. I have a G1, and a Touch Pro, but I'm using Android 100% of the time now. The era of WinMo is going to come to an end if Microsoft does not get their act together very soon.

If his reaction to Android is nothing more than blah de blah, then I'm guessing he hasn't actually SEEN Android, or used one of his own phones recently.

[Rocco Augusto]

Even the developer scene is doing quite nicely, with at least 10 new apps a day appearing.

Windows Mobile has bucket-fulls of of applications released for it on a daily basis. The only difference is Microsoft hasn't released their application market so there is not an easy to use central repository for users to find these applications easily. To my knowledge though, this is something that should be fixed soonish. :)

[adamz]

Ballmer better be scared of Android, because it is miles ahead of WinMo at the moment. Even the developer scene is doing quite nicely, with at least 10 new apps a day appearing. I have a G1, and a Touch Pro, but I'm using Android 100% of the time now. The era of WinMo is going to come to an end if Microsoft does not get their act together very soon.

If his reaction to Android is nothing more than blah de blah, then I'm guessing he hasn't actually SEEN Android, or used one of his own phones recently.

Actually, I have a G1 too, and "blah" is a pretty good description of it. It's about 5 years behind what Windows Mobile can do. There are plenty of limitations (http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=6069), and I'm finding more to add to that list every day.

Most of those new Android apps are tip calculators and weather programs. I'm seeing plenty of application crashes, data disconnects, and slow downs too.

[possmann]

Hey! Where is the flag waving smile?

Doesn't this sound eerily similar to PALM back in the very early 2000's?

"Oh, MS doesn't know how to do phones, plus our OS is proven, millions of people love us, thousands of free and very modestly priced 3rd party apps - yada yada - look at me, big 800 pound gorilla sitting on the hill..."

I seem to recall posting something very similar years ago to Palm at that time - Where has the competitive edge gone? Who is leading with bringing out new iniatives?

It sure ain't you MS...

UGH!

So anyone want to guess how long it will be before HTC puts out an HTC Touch Diamond & Diamons Pro on the Android OS? 2 years?

Seems to me that would be a very logical business move for HTC; they already had a great deal invested in to "fixing" the User Experience on WinMo so why not take that experience, port it over to a FREE OS and build in a little bit of a killer set of applications to really knock MS off the block: Sync to Outlook, Lotus, MS Office readers and BOOM... Why stay with MS again?

Steve ought to be VERY afraid... or maybe MS just doesn't care to loose the mobile space...

[Hooch Tan]

One thing I've learned is that you can nevere rest an your laurels too long. Like Balmer had said, there's a lot of smart people at Google, so I wouldn't assume that they're being stupid about their entry into the mobile space.

If I couldn't understand how their business model worked, I'd be working very hard to figure out how they think their model does work, and then come up with plans to compete against it.

The mobile space is increasingly becoming more important, and as phones get more powerful, there's a chance that it'll become the dominant market over computers, like the shift from desktops to laptops. I wouldn't be surprised if in 10 years time, a phone (with a docking station for keyboard/mouse/monitor) sold more than the other computer segments. With most consumers only needing basic functionality, such as web surfing, office applications, communication, why spend $500 on a computer when your phone will eventually be able to accomplish all the same thing?

[Pony99CA]

Steve Ballmer is a hoot! Who goes on the record and says "<em>blah-de-blah-de-blah</em>" in regards to a competitor?
The same guy who jumped around like a crack monkey yelling, "Developers! Deveopers! Developers!" and somebody trying to diminish that competitor.

I really hope Steve is just trying to downplay Google Android's significant in the mobile playing field because I feel it is plain to see what Google is trying to accomplish. You give the operating system away for free, it will eventually end up in the hands of millions of users... all of them forced to use your services to use the device. When people use Google's services, Google in turn makes a ton of money off of advertising deals they have in place.
Only if people actually see those ads. You aren't forced to use Google services on the G1, right? I could access a Yahoo or Hotmail account and use other services, I assume.

Also, I know that I very rarely click on ads. Maybe once in a while as I'm browsing, but if I were using Google docs or something, I'd probably be trying to accomplish a task and not be distracted by an ad.

If they get paid per impression, it won't matter, but if they get paid per click, it most certainly will.

That sounds like a very solid revenue model to me. Once again I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that the forehead-smacking-comments that come out of Microsoft's Powers That Be mouths as of late are nothing more than schoolyard trash talking in an attempt to throw their competitors off guard.
It's called FUD. :)

Steve

[Pony99CA]

Ballmer better be scared of Android, because it is miles ahead of WinMo at the moment.
Really? I was going to ask how the PIM applicatons were, how good syncing to Exchange or your desktop was, etc., but it appears that Adam linked to a good list of deficits.

People say Android and the iPhone will catch up to those misisng features, and I'm sure they will on many, but look at the iPhone 2 software as an example. As far as I know, it still doesn't have Bluetooth A2DP, video recording or cut/copy/paste. Those are pretty fundamental, especially for a media-centric device like the iPhone.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

Windows Mobile has bucket-fulls of of applications released for it on a daily basis. The only difference is Microsoft hasn't released their application market so there is not an easy to use central repository for users to find these applications easily.
Yes there is (http://www.handango.com/). :)

It may not have every application, but I doubt Microsoft's SkyMarket will, either.

Steve

[ScottC]

Really? I was going to ask how the PIM applicatons were, how good syncing to Exchange or your desktop was, etc., but it appears that Adam linked to a good list of deficits.

People say Android and the iPhone will catch up to those misisng features, and I'm sure they will on many, but look at the iPhone 2 software as an example. As far as I know, it still doesn't have Bluetooth A2DP, video recording or cut/copy/paste. Those are pretty fundamental, especially for a media-centric device like the iPhone.

Steve

See, and that is the same attitude Microsoft has. No, it does not have Exchange sync, or desktop syncing. Nor does it have security policies, VPN or a host of other things WinMo offers.

But at the end of the day, the vast majority of consumers doesn't even know what those things are.

They see a phone with a very usable interface, a brilliant browser, an OS that doesn't crash, doesn't involve manually copying cab files through explorer and offers everything they need.

No, Android will most certainly not replace WinMo or the Blackberry in the corporate world, but in the consumer market it's a better choice (at the moment).

I just picked up a new Touch Pro on Sprint, and even now, in the most up to date version of the OS, it's clunky and sluggish. Consumers don't like that.

FWIW; cut and paste is present in many apps, it does not have A2DP (annoyingly enough) but last week when I got a firmware update, I only had to press "update" instead of downloading a 90MB file from HTC, wiping everything off my phone, and reinstalling all my apps like on WinMo (yes, I know there are backup apps that can do rom upgrade backups, but consumers won't spend another $30 on that stuff).

[kanzlr]

You aren't forced to use Google services on the G1, right? I could access a Yahoo or Hotmail account and use other services, I assume.


no, you can't. you have to use googles services. a google account is mandatory to use the G1.

[Rocco Augusto]

Only if people actually see those ads. You aren't forced to use Google services on the G1, right? I could access a Yahoo or Hotmail account and use other services, I assume.

Also, I know that I very rarely click on ads. Maybe once in a while as I'm browsing, but if I were using Google docs or something, I'd probably be trying to accomplish a task and not be distracted by an ad.

If they get paid per impression, it won't matter, but if they get paid per click, it most certainly will.

I don't click on Google Ads either, but they're still making billions of dollars a year from people doing it. ;)

[Rocco Augusto]

Really? I was going to ask how the PIM applicatons were, how good syncing to Exchange or your desktop was, etc., but it appears that Adam linked to a good list of deficits.

PIM applications are actually more than efficient. And as you can have Gmail check your POP3 email accounts and send emails from that email address it is bringing in, there really is no need for Exchange email.

Calendar is fantastic and more than enough for the average consumers need and automatically syncs with the cloud on change and their contact application, like the calendar application, is more than enough for the average consumer and allows you to use larger thumbnails than Windows Mobile.

At this moment in time, minus some small features, Google's Android is ready for the big time. I have already canceled my hosted Exchange account as Google handles all of my PIM needs flawlessly. The experience is different, and not as polished, but in a lot of ways it is way easier to use my G1 then it has been for any Windows Mobile phone.

And sure desktop syncing isn't there, but I gave up on that years ago when I started using Exchange. Why sync to the desktop and the cloud? That just seems tedious and to much of a hassle. I dislike using Outlook and prefer to use a more lightweight and open source solution (Thunderbird) which has no problem syncing with the cloud and pulling in my PIM information. Also, as everyone else on the planet, I really try to avoid using ActiveSync or WMDC at all cost.

Lately for the past few months before my Blackjack died. WMDC would crash every time I opened it and the effects of the crashing would either cause my computer to reboot (no BSOD either, which was weird,) or it would cause me to drop out of Aero and I would have to reboot to get it back. Syncing to your computer is overrated, I prefer to sync to the cloud and then if I need that informatio non my desktop, sync from the cloud.

However, I really miss Smart Dialing. :(

[whydidnt]

The sad reality is that when people don't have any reasonable points left in an argument, they typically turn to name calling and bashing of their opponent. It appears Microsoft has reached that point. They seem unable or unwilling to compete in the mobile space, so spend their time poking holes in the competition.

It's pretty obvious they know they won't be able to compete, at least in the short term, for the hearts and minds of consumers. So they do the next best thing, spend their time questioning their competitors products and pointing out supposed flaws.

A somewhat non-technical friend of mine visited this weekend, very proud of his shiny new G1. His kids said that all he does is play with his new phone. He owns a small business, doesn't use Exchange, and the G1, with push GMail, a decent browser and easy YouTube is a huge upgrade over the RAZR he used to carry. I played around with it for a while and am impressed by what is there. The UI is easy to use and decent looking. I know there are signficant features missing today, but for consumers looking to move up from a non-smart phone the G1 is a nice step up.

It will be interesting to see how Android evolves. Once we start to see more features and devices emerge, we'll better be able to judge if Google got it right or not. But for their first step it looks pretty good. Let's see if they follow through, or if it will be perpetually in beta, ala almost every other Google offering.:D

[Stinger]

Balmer is the George W. Bush of the tech world. You just wonder how the hell he's risen to the top.

Microsoft really need to get rid of him if they want any kind of credibility going forwards.

[Ed Hansberry]

Who goes on the record and says "blah-de-blah-de-blah" in regards to a competitor?

Yada yada yada.

[nmcclana]

I think most consumers don't miss any of the features that WM has over android (except exchange).

But, at least as Balmer is saying; If he doesn't understand the business model, I'll explain it to him in about 30 seconds. Maybe he can explain how the iPhone gets regular firmware upgrades & I'm usually stuck buying a new phone to upgrade my software.

For whatever reason, it seems that consumers are a lot more excited by Android & iPhone than Winmo.

[Phoenix]

Yes, Ballmer's right: He doesn't understand. Nor does he have to.

Let's see... Google makes billions of dollars every year and their people at the top are worth billions a piece. Seems their business model is just fine. Seems Google knows exactly what they're doing. Does he think they're in it simply for fun in the sun?

[kerrins]

MS seems a little like the big three American auto makers that scoffed at all the Japanese imports years ago. I can still hear them saying, those little cars will never catch on...funny how the big 3 earnings announcements are now often in how many Billions of dollars they lost last quarter. I hope MS can see that they can't keep doing things the same was as they always have. The Gphone and Iphone may have problems now...but I think they are more willing to listen to the customer (well Google is at least )

[Pony99CA]

See, and that is the same attitude Microsoft has.
It's not the same at all. I was merely debunking your claim that Android is "miles ahead of WinMo at the moment". However, I do believe that Android is a serious competitor to Windows Mobile, regardless of the business model.

Ballmer, if he wasn't just trying to create FUD, sounded like he didn't think Android wasn't a serious competitor. So we don't have the same attitude at all. Had you just said that Android is a serious competitor, we'd be in complete agreement.

No, it does not have Exchange sync, or desktop syncing. Nor does it have security policies, VPN or a host of other things WinMo offers.

But at the end of the day, the vast majority of consumers doesn't even know what those things are.
Probably not, but I bet they can understand things like voice dialing over a Bluetooth headset, something Android doesn't seem to allow. That would be a deal breaker for me on most phones as I always drive with a Bluetooth headset.

They see a phone with a very usable interface, a brilliant browser, an OS that doesn't crash, doesn't involve manually copying cab files through explorer and offers everything they need.
Personally, I think the Windows Mobile user interface is quite usable. That may just be because I'm so used to it, but I think there's more to it. As it works a lot like Windows itself, Windows users (the majority of computer users) have a reduced learning curve because of that.

I haven't seen the Android browser, but if it's similar to the iPhone's mobile Safari, I'll accept that it's currently better. However, Microsoft is improving IE Mobile, too -- with zooming in WM 6.1 and IE 6 support coming later this year supposedly.

Also, you can certainly get other browsers, like Opera Mobile, Opera Mini or Skyfire. Yes, people may not want to pay for Opera Mobile (if it doesn't come pre-installed on their device), screw around with Java to get Opera Mini working or worry about Skyfire selling their browsing history, but there are other choices.

Finally, who copies CAB files using Exporer unless they want them backed up on their PCs? Most software is either installed by downloading a CAB directly from the developer (or store) or running an installer on your PC that handles the copying and installation for you.

FWIW; cut and paste is present in many apps, it does not have A2DP (annoyingly enough) but last week when I got a firmware update, I only had to press "update" instead of downloading a 90MB file from HTC, wiping everything off my phone, and reinstalling all my apps like on WinMo (yes, I know there are backup apps that can do rom upgrade backups, but consumers won't spend another $30 on that stuff).
Yes, the poor experience upgrading your device is one of Windows Mobile's shortfalls. WM 6 added Windows Update, but until somebody actually releases an update that takes advantage of it, who knows how well that works. Unless there's a serious security problem with the OS, though, I'm not sure the ability to easily update is that important to a buyer. I think most people look at what the phone can do when they're buying it, not what it might be able to do in the future. And, given how often people seem to get new phones (every year or two), feature updates can become a minor issue (still nice to have, of course).

Anyway, to summarize, I don't think Android (or the iPhone) is "miles ahead" yet. They're both serious competitors, though, and Microsoft should take them seriously. I think that all three platforms have strengths and weaknesses, and personal preferences will obviously dictate which is the right choice for you, but I don't think any platform has a clear advantage now.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

Yada yada yada.
But are you sponge-worthy? :D

Steve

[Ed Hansberry]

But are you sponge-worthy? :D

Steve

Not sure, but I am the king of my castle. Master of my domain.

[Rocco Augusto]

Not sure, but I am the king of my castle. Master of my domain.

I hate anybody who had a pony growing up.