“Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has never been shy about voicing his opinions on any given issue. At an interview conducted during a recent Churchill Club event in California, Ballmer chose to weigh in on Apple and the iPhone, and even gave the company some friendly advice. According to CNet, Ballmer’s specific ‘advice’ to Apple was to make the company more like Microsoft, a move that would apparently give Apple a fighting chance in the smartphone market,” Justin Berka reports for Ars Technica.
“He’s expecting Apple to do poorly in both the smartphone and notebook markets over the next five years, mostly because the company continues to stand by its rather un-Microsoft-like integration of both proprietary software and proprietary hardware. Ballmer seems to think that the future of the smartphone lies in providing a phone OS to a wide variety of hardware manufacturer,” Berka reports.
Full article here.
Video of Ballmer’s statements via ZDNet here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “HMCIV” for the heads up.]
The day Steve Jobs starts taking advice from Ballmer is the day Jobs opens a clown school.
What’s sad is that no matter how much egg ends up on this guy’s face, he’s still a billionaire thanks to little more than a dorm assignment.
This guys is about the best thing that has ever happened to Apple. My he reign supreme within the halls of Microsoft, for as long as it takes.
1. Ballmer will be out as CEO of MicroSoft (sad as that may be…)
2. Apple will be dominating in the handheld business
3. Apple will command 20% of the overall US and Europe market share.
4. Apple will control 8% of the world-wide PC market share.
5. AppleTV will have moved into being: An AT&T;receiver for Network TV stations purchased al-a-carte (putting comcast and dish into a tizzy), a DVR, movie download system, and integrate a traditional DVD player for legacy content. Suffice to say, it’ll be THE home entertainment system product.
6. Apple will be eating away at the integrated car industry with a total solution.
Did I mention Ballmer will be out as CEO of MicroSoft?
I once thought that Apple would never bring out a phone because I believed they would never tollerate the horrible service their customers would inevitably get from telco companies. I was wrong. Apple got into bed with AT&T;and no matter how much people despise AT&T;, they still love their iPhones.
Perhaps Apple could separate the hardware and software providing stringent specifications and requirements for people building iPhone OS based devices. It would sure make the market bigger.
There would have to be some pretty amazing devices out there to make me buy an iPhone OS based device from anyone but Apple though so it’s probably pointless. Apple is comfortable where they are.
Then again, I was wrong before.
Ballmer has a bright future ahead of him as a light-bulb salesman.
Or Apple could buy HTC, kill Microsoft’s biggest WinMo hardware partner and have them churn out OS X Mobile devices of various shapes and flavors.
Apple would take control of the smartphone market overnight.
Browsers are the OSs of the future. In a near future, all applications will run in-browser, like google docs. By having Safari built-in, the iPhone will share common applications with other phone models. The same will happen with Desktop computers.
Bwahahahaha
I’m sorry.
Bwahahahahaha (pissing in my pants) Bwahahahahaha
“[…] the company continues to stand by its rather un-Microsoft-like integration of both proprietary software and proprietary hardware.”
Versus Microsoft, which just does the proprietary software part.
I’d be more concerned about Microsoft’s strategy in the smartphone market.
What is really Microsoft advantage? And I’m not a Microsoft basher at all…
By crackie, it’ll be the best damn clown school you ever saw!
The tragedy is that no reporters have the guts to call Balmer on his hypocrasy: if Micro$oft is so into separating the hardware from the software, how come they haven’t licensed the Zune or Xbox software to other hardware manufacturers? Huh? Answer that one Uncle Fester!
MW: Hypocrite
Whatever Ballmer says, the opposite is best. So this is wonderful, wonderful confirmation that Apple is on the right track.
Yes, follow Balmy’s advice; do exactly what M$ did in the consumer market — separate the hardware and software:
Build an integrated gaming system with download infrastructure
Build a portable music player with download infrastructure
Oh, wait… M$ supplies hardware and software integrated for the consumer device market. Damn, he can’t even follow his own crappy advice.
Never mind…
A mind is a terrible thing in Redmond’s CEO suite.
Clowns Freak me out!
That’s way Ballmer gives me the willies!
Look at the Pic Ballmer really loves his iPhone!
I advise Steve Ballmer to separate his head from his anus. I also recommend he change his name to Richard Noggin to more accurately reflect his character (also acceptable would be Rooster Lollipop).
I think Ballmer, more than Steve Jobs, is inmerse in a RDF.
Or maybe he is like those dictators with a circle of counselors that lie to him so he believes everything is ok.
Or maybe he is just a moron.
Shit Happens®
@ MacMan and the rest of you,
What do you guys want Ballmer to say? That a vertical approach is indeed better? That Apple is right.
He is never going to say that because it will be equivalent to admit that MS got it wrong this time!
For instance, Bill Gates only praised the vertical approach when he had the Zune ready. He did it only that day.
However, the Zune is like dead in the water… but even though, don’t count on Ballmer to praise Apple’s model.
And you should be happy about it. I think it means MS’ future is not that certain in the mobile space.
A proof: Did MS bother bashing about apple 8 years ago? No, Apple was no threat. It is now in that market!
@Mac+
He can choose to remain silence…
Or not?
Stupid is as stupid does®
“People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.”
~ Alan Kay
Why doesn’t Ballmer just shut the fsck up? He’s running Microsoft into the ground and would obviously like to see Apple suffer the same fate.
It’s like a blind man trying to help a sharpshooter cross the street.
Can’t sleep.
Clown will eat me.
On topic, though, it’s mind-boggling how everyone keeps telling Apple what to do. Apple is doing extremely well and there seems no reason why Jobs and co. should pay much attention to hit-whore pundits, intellectually lazy analysts, and bloated CEO’s of competing companies. Sometimes I long for the days before the ‘net when most of these people stammered on in isolation and couldn’t make money by simply having an opinion. Truthfully, some of you folks here at MDN have better and more insightful things to say. And then there’s Colonel Fury…
Perhaps he’s hoping Apple will follow his advice so Microsoft doesn’t have to work so hard at playing catchup?
This is an “Art of War” thing, where it’s best that you define the terms of conflict, not your enemy.
MS clearly knows that competing head to head with Apple doesn’t work (witness the Zune). The iPhone, as it currently being produced by Apple, is wiping the floor with WindowsME-based phones. It would be order’s of magnitude easier for MS to compete if Apple ditched their wildly successful business model (of creating the whole widget), to MS’s model of creating part of a widget, and hoping somebody else can create the whole widget out of parts.
Isn’t this the same mistake Palm made back when they dominated the smart phone market?
Insider info: Microsoft IS building the Zune phone.
That fact probably puts Balmer’s comments about Apple, and his vision of the WinMo software/hardware mix into some perspective.
Did I mention Ballmer will be out as CEO of MicroSoft?
Nah, won’t happen.
Ballmy is set for life. Nobody has the guts to stand up to him.
Even after he’s completely wrecked the place & turned MS’s clock back to 1976, Ballmer will still have a job. Mark these words.
why again would they do that?
Psst, monkey boy. Nobody cares what you think.
maybe they should give up their hardware patents, too? WTF?
The first gphone really sucks. By the time they catch up to 1G iPhone, Apple will be on 4G or 5G iPhone.
Wouldn’t Ballmer be pissed if Apple followed that strategy and it netted them billions!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> Jobs could start every Keynote with a big thanks to Ballmer.
Unfortunately he’d be in a padded cell and not allowed to watch the keynote.
No surprise that Ballmer is backing his own horse. What’s interesting is that he believes this is a zero-sum game.
Pickles?
Pickles!
Anus?
Anus!
Why, yes, please!
bugp[;
bugp[;
Hmm I smell fear from the monkey boy & co. Does anyone really believe MS has “advice” for it’s competitors, especially the one whom it fears most? Ironically it’s Microsoft who copies Apple strategy yet again, to desperately try to save its FailForSure craps & compete with the one and only brilliant iPod. MS just fell right into Steve Jobs’ trap by dutifully listening to his advice about “MS should do the whole thing both hardware & software bcause too many cooks in the kitchen…” when Jobs was asked about the failure of iPod competition, anyone recall that? Now Balmy tries to return the favor by luring Apple into MS’ strength of working with partners. Nice try Balmy but Steve Jobs is so much smarter than you & the whole Microsoft, remember?
I know that this is a a “get the hits’ article. Most especially since it really is old news…
BUT… I will weigh in. (75 kilos and counting)
Ballmer has been a phuquewad since the day he was born… ask his mother.
He will always be one.
He is the only human (?) being who has had a rectal transplant to replace his mouth and brain. He truly thinks that he has wisdom and that his blathering actually makes sense.
As has been said – lucky dorm room assignments a business man does not make.
He needs to quit playing at being in business and go play pong… it is a game he can almost handle.
The look on his face in this shot is one of envy, repressed anger and fear!
As I said he is a total phuquewad!
Whew….
I feel so much better now.
Microsoft’s model (separate vendors for hardware and software) might actually work well, if Microsoft was doing a decent job of holding up its end of the partnership.
As it stands now, most PC hardware vendors’ reliance on Microsoft to provide software is their greatest liability, and Apple’s greatest advantage. Windows is now a hinderance to making the sale. Mac OS X and its tight integration with Mac hardware is a huge selling point. On the iPhone, software/hardware integration is even more important.
So Balmer is obviously delusional, unless he’s using the ol’ reverse logic. Apple licensing the iPhone OS would be a blow to Windows Mobile, so he really does not want Apple to do it. But I don’t think Steve Jobs cares what Balmer thinks…
He’s a deluded idiot! Calling him Monkey boy is an insult to Monkeys everywhere…my god is he stupid…To think that he is at the helm of microsh*t is a comforting thought. The more he speaks the more vibrant and innovative the software market seems to become as microsh*t slowly withers and dies with his every pronouncement. He denseness is a red-flag encouragement others to come and help kill the lumbering, one time invincible, behemoth that is microsh*t from a thousand small and not so small bites. His profound stupidity is like a sign that says ‘kick me’. And thus we do and that is right!
History repeats itself… Bill Gates has advised Apple the same thing back in the 80’s. To create a license program for the Mac. If you Google for it you can find the original email.
Typical basketball court trash-talking from Ballmer, since he knows that Jobs & Co. would never follow his advice anyway.
Besides, can you imagine the abject horror MS (and Google, for that matter) would experience if Apple actually DID license the iPhone OS to other manufacturers, like HTC? The market for Windows Mobile AND Android would literally dry up overnight.
That would just be too pleasant for M$!
Apple succeds where M$ is just about falling… and, of course, Balmer would love to see Apple be drawned at the same pace…
Balmer is THE real symbol of the “american dream”…
I just LOVE this guy – with every comment he makes, the lack of knowledge of what is happening shines through. Keep it up funny man – we love you!!!!
And, what JayZ said:
<i>What’s sad is that no matter how much egg ends up on this guy’s face, he’s still a billionaire thanks to little more than a dorm assignment.<i>
THIS!!!!
@ Frobots
How long till the EU make Apple allow another web Browser on the iPhone. When the iPhone takes off fully, Apple will be forced to allow other browsers onto the iPhone.
Firefox on the iPhone anyone?
Keep up the good advice Steve Ballme!
Apple will still keep raking in the profits.
What a buffoon. He forgot to mention copying the Zune and the recent oh so original commercials that MS is making.
Yup, Ballmer is Apple’s secret weapon.
Advice to Apple from Ballmer…….yeah,…… that’s valuable.
I wonder if Steve Jobs has stopped laughing yet.
The reason that Macs were so well is that Apple has integrated the hardware and system software. It’s the reason for their success.
Ballmer shouldn’t be giving any one advice, not even a Girl Scout troop selling cookies. If you put his brain inside a bird’s head, the bird would fly backwards!
This is a joke! Right?
My advice to Ballmer…Get busy making iPhone apps.
People often misinterpret the word ‘proprietary.’ It has been twisted around about as much as the ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’ labels.
proprietary:
• of or relating to an owner or ownership : the company has a proprietary right to the property.
• (of a product) marketed under and protected by a registered trade name
So Apple’s Macs are proprietary and so are Dells, etc. Look inside and there are a lot of standard parts in all of these devices – Intel processors, ATI and nVidia graphics cards, HDDs, memory, etc.
The key to maintaining the Mac’s hardware/software integrity is the MacOS X EULA prohibiting use of the software on non-Apple branded hardware coupled with some Apple-specific electronics.
Balmer keeps forgetting that Apple is a hardware manufacturer. It’s got the best OS in the world, but you still have to buy the hardware to use it. Because he will never understand that, he’ll never understand Apple. I’m not sure he understands Google either.
Ballmer couldn’t convince Steve Jobs to visit the john if he had a stomach flu.
Ballmer falls overboard and shout up to Steve on the deck that he should jump in – fat chance.
@TexasAg03
I don’t think that Ballmer will ever separate his head from his anus. It must be to him like a warm snuggly turban.
And they said comedy was dead.