Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher spoke with Microsoft’s Disinterested Figurehead Chairman Bill Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer at this year’s D conference last evening:
AllThingsD’s John Paczkowski provides notes. Here are a few excerpts:
Mossberg: What about Vista and the lousy reception it’s been given. Is Vista a failure?
Ballmer: Vista is not a failure. Is it something we’d like to improve? Of course. Is it something that with 20/20 hindsight we’d do differently? Sure, he confesses. But Vista has sold a lot of copies, he adds.
MacDailyNews Take: To clueless Best Buy shoppers guided by ignorant USA Today articles. They did not choose Vista, they don’t know any better. Most Windows users don’t even know what an OS is, much less choose one. Most Mac users, on the other hand, have tried to use Windows (at work and/or school) and have chosen Macintosh for a reason.
Walt jumps in and asks about the percentage of Vista sales that result in downgrades to XP. Ballmer dodges. Gates looking a little depressed.
Walt asks if Vista has damaged with Windows brand.
Gates says Microsoft’s philosophy is to “do things better.” And Vista has given us lots of opportunity to do that, he notes. (Audience laughter.) There are plenty of lessons out of Vista–compatibility and other issues vendors are concerned about.
Ballmer says that according to consumer research, the No. 1 complaint about Vista was the change to the Windows user interface.
MacDailyNews Take: And so, in their finite wisdom, they’re about to change the upside-down and backwards Mac WIndows user interface again with Windows 7. Read on:
Paczkowski notes, “We’re about to get a Windows 7 demo (Oh, one more thing …. Here’s hoping Microsoft shares only those aspects of the new OS that it doesn’t end up de-featuring at a later date.) Ballmer says what we’re about to see is ‘just a snippet’ of Windows 7.”
Paczkowski writes, “Windows 7, like other Microsoft OS’s before it, seems to have borrowed a thing or two from Mac OS X. This time it’s Apple’s Dock, which Microsoft appears to have borrowed. Multi-touch and a Dock. In Windows. Steve Jobs must be so proud.”
MacDailyNews Take: Some things never change. Unless Apple does. Then everything changes. Microsoft’s OS, the music business, the smartphone and wireless industries…
Microsoft’s Julie Larson-Green conducts the WIndows 7 demo. Paczkowski notes, “Larson-Green pulls up a brand new app, “Touchable Paint.” She uses all 10 fingers to draw a tree. Then, she brings up a photo gallery. Noting that multi-touch makes it faster and easier to manipulate photos, she demonstrates … well, she demonstrates a lot of features that anyone who’s ever used an iPhone will already be familiar with: two-finger zoom, flicking through a slideshow, single finger panning through thumbnails… Walt asks if multi-touch is built throughout the OS. Larson-Green says it is.”
Walt asks Ballmer if he’s worried about the next iteration of Mac OS X, which will likely be released before Windows 7. Is there a risk that the work you’re doing now with multi-touch will look dated when Apple (AAPL) releases its next OS?
Ballmer says he’s confident Microsoft will have fantastic Windows 7 PCs, regardless of what Apple’s got on the market.
Walt presses him, noting Apple’s recent growth in the PC market.
Ballmer notes the difference in scale between the two companies: “We sell 270 millions PCs a year, and Apple sells 10 million. They’re fantastically successful, and so are we.”
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft sells zero (0) PCs a year. Apple sells 10 million more personal computers per year than Microsoft. Apple created the personal computer as we know it today. Microsoft copied/stole it. If you want to count faulty, Red Ring of Death, sound-like-a-hurricane-in-your-living-room Xboxes as “Microsoft PCs,” you’re desperately grasping at straws. Please stop reading now and head on over to Dell.com to begin configuring your next POS.
Walt hits on Windows quality issue, noting that he’s seen old Macs running significantly faster than new Vista machines.
Ballmer admits there’s room for improvement: Steve Jobs has a great business, he says. His model works well. But so does ours. 10 million people like his model. 290 million like ours.
MacDailyNews Take: 290? We thought it was 270? In less than 5 minutes, Balmy sold 20 million more nonexistent PCs in his mind. Anyway, most of those 290 million never made a choice because they have no idea there even is a choice. They were stuck with Windows at work or school and therefore consigned themselves to Windows PC purgatory because “that’s what they use at work/school.” Fortunately thousands of people awaken with each passing day. Of the now 300 million total, about 10 million people per year have used both; they choose Macs for a reason. And, by the way, the installed base for Mac OS X is approximately 25 million users, not the 10 million Ballmer is trying to insinuate (notice that he dropped the “per year?” We did.) 25 million users LOVE Steve Jobs’ model, the rest don’t know any better.
Kara asks Gates how it feels to have Microsoft defined by Apple via its “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” campaign.
Gates clearly isn’t happy with that question. Dodges. Ballmer jumps in. Hits that 290 million metric again. “Every share point Apple picks up is a share point we don’t like. But we like selling 290 million units.”
MacDailyNews Take: Ballmer’s delusional. Microsoft sells zero (0) PCs a year. Most Mac users have made conscious technology choice and are therefore better informed than the vast majority of Windows sufferers.
Much more in the full article, including a video of the Windows 7 demo and photos of Kermit and Monkey Boy on stage with Mossberg and Swisher here.
MacDailyNews Take: To find out which of the cool iPhone features has been patented by Apple and are now protected from replication and which ones you can expect to be copied soon by the likes of Nokia, Samsung or Motorola, we’ve combed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark database and checked all relevant Apple’s patents.
And we came to a conclusion that this time Steve Jobs did his homework and most of the key features that make iPhone an iPhone will not be easily copied by competitors. This applies to Multi touch display, the idea to use full screen of the device for User Interface, scrolling, zooming and other finger gestures, soft on screen controls, multifunctionality, proximity, ambient light sensors and many other functions.
When Steve Jobs exclaimed [in front of a slide displaying “200+ patents” during Macworld Expo 2007’s iPhone-dominated] keynote, “And boy have we patented it!” it was not an empty boast. The have indeed PATENTED it. And though not all of the claims have received patent protection yet and even less of them may withstand scrutiny in court if Apple decides to enforce them, many of the claims should should stick. – Unwired View, May 2007
The proof is made: you can be billionaire and still remain a foolish looser!
Monney makes you rich but not wise!
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That’s “serf” as in surf. While we’re at it, “god” is spelled with a big G. Go back to Linux, you do not belong here.
@M.X.N.T.4.1
I can see a 17″ touch screen tablet, accompanied with an optional stand to turn the tablet into an iMac like device, with bluetooth keyboard. Touch on-screen keyboard when used as a tablet.
@ Linux user
I’ll get out just as soon as I can find the right dependencies to run MP3’s in Totem media player properly after I recompile it. Should take a couple of hours, but I’ll have you know I’ve been struggling with it for days.
Anybody know how to get the sound card working on a 6 year old ThinkPad running Fedora? I also need help with editing samba.conf file. I can’t see my shared volume over the network.
Linux rules!
Your potential. Our passion.™
@MacNScott
M$ does come up with their own ideas…. they see what everyone else does… and then they instantly have ideas on taking that technology and putting it into their OS and saying ti’s better…
Innovative features in over 2 years from now that are currently available to purchase today from other vendors. IMPRESSIVE!!!!
“Why is it that the “more is better” approach dominates American culture?”
Have you ever talked to people here in the US? Ignorance, in a word.
wow, they even copied the map search for starbucks.
why not just CGI bills head on Steves keynote from the last year and release that twice a year. god what a pathetic company……
@bimmerguy
actually an apple computer is like a lexus but at the cost of a scion TC. (the sporty car one not that ugly ass box with wheels)
“Hmmmm, I believe you really want the http://www.Zune.net site. Its just around the corner.”
Actually, he’s better off with the rocket scientists at iwantapinkzune.com. And look! Hummer went poof! Good riddance to the little drool monkey.
“and then they instantly have ideas on taking that technology and putting it into their OS and saying ti’s better…”
You forgot the most important part of all. The last step is claiming it was their innovation.
Did anyone notice the picture of Ballmer’s son in the Windows 7 demo?
And MDN you typo’d your own take: “Apple created the personal computer as we know it today. Microsoft copied/stole it’s OS.” Microsoft couldn’t have stolen the personal computer because, as you pointed out, it doesn’t make any.
Linux user: “Wake up people!!!!!! You don’t need a degree in rocket science to serf the internet with Linuix. Get out a little for gods sake.”
Apparently Linux doesn’t include modern computer features like spell check.
Nor do you need to understand the difference between surf and serf, or God’s and gods.
Kinda sad, really.
“You don’t need a degree in rocket science to serf the internet with Linuix”
Not to feud with you, but I’d rather lord the ‘net with nobility than serf it. Yeah, pawns like us could argue all knight and deus, so it’s a moat point.
Micro$oft and fingerpainting…should anything be said more??
MikeR: “That’s “serf” as in surf. While we’re at it, “god” is spelled with a big G. Go back to Linux, you do not belong here.”
Apparently I was too slow.
Still the big question that I wish Walt would ask Steve Jobs…why does Apple refuse to show their OS on TV commercials? This would be a good time to do it.
I have to say, I am a bit concerned. We all know Walt Mossberg is a respected journalist, but he is also known to be on the Apple’s side often. We don’t want too many guys like him to keep prodding Ballmer. He has been certified mentally unstable; we can’t possibly predict what kind of reaction he could have if he is pushed too much. In his colossal arrogance and sense of infallibility and impunity, he could be pushed into doing something truly horrendous, like doing physical harm to Steve Jobs (I’m sure he has contacts who know people who know people…), just to stop this incessant harassment regarding the superiority of Apple’s OS to his Windows baby.
Ballmer has a strong evil side to him. He is fully capable of orchestrating something sinister. We don’t really want to push him all the way. Let’s just allow him to continue to believe he is the best thing since sliced bread, slowly carving out slice after slice of the big pie.
Blue Dream: “Micro$oft and fingerpainting…should anything be said more??”
More interesting would be its applications for new forms of porn.
Zune Tang, Gates and Ballmer drag the concept of free speech to new lows. I’m constantly amazed at how their rehearsed talking points all sound alike — and very similar to a Bush administration press conference.
Unfortunately, many people don’t always see through sleight-of-hand excuses that are long on double talk and short on facts. That’s why we recently ended up with an embarrassing dufus for president and a poor computer operating system dominating the planet. In the end, neither was really chosen by the people — both were thrust upon us by power brokers behind-the-scenes.
“We don’t want too many guys like him to keep prodding Ballmer.”
Like poking a bear with a stick, Ballmer snaps and leaps onto Walt tearing flesh with his fangs while blood drips from his round, grinning face. Gates croaks, “Oh no, not again.” A black cloaked Ninja security force drops from the ceiling with nets and powerful horse tranquilizers. Ballmer is subdued and lured into his reinforced steel carrying cage with chocolate pudding cups laced with his anti-psychotic medication. Walt is carried away on a stretcher muttering, “See you next year. Thanks for coming.”
HD Boy: “I’m constantly amazed at how their rehearsed talking points all sound alike — and very similar to a Bush administration press conference.”
…and I’m tired of people trying to link Apple and Microsoft to politics.
The Key word for both Gates and Ballmer is delusional. I love the fact that they dodged key questions which they should have answered. Walt definitely hit them where it hurts and they proved that by not answering his questions. Then going into a delusional rant afterwords.
@ampar
for some reason i see a ralph stedman illustration…
LOL
From C|Net:
“Windows 7 demo at D6: Really? That’s it?”
“I was really hoping for Ballmer and Gates to address the changing nature of computing, and not fight Apple for the design award; I really don’t think the Microsoft UI juggernaut committee is going to be able to outflank the Apple design team’s Zodiac runabout.”