Asher Moses reports for The Sydney Morning Herald, “As virtually the entire consumer electronics industry throws its weight behind tablet computers, Microsoft’s global chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie said today that he did not know whether the booming new category was here to stay.”
MacDailyNews Take: The perfect man for the job.
Moses continues, “Speaking at a lunch held in Sydney by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), Mundie, who reports directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, said he did not know whether tablets like the iPad would ‘remain with us or not.'”
MacDailyNews Take: That’s okay, neither does Ballmer.
Moses continues, “Mundie’s views diverge from that of Apple founder Steve Jobs, who believes tablets form an integral part of the ‘post-PC’ era… Microsoft has consistently criticised tablets for lacking traditional PC features like keyboards. Ballmer has previously said the iPad was just a new type of PC form factor.”
MacDailyNews Take: Let’s see, should we listen to the guy who “doesn’t know” who’s with a company that, after a decade of trying, has sold fewer tablets than Apple lost in shipping during the last year, or should we listen to the guy who showed the world how to correctly do the personal computer, the modern OS, CG feature films, the personal media player, the smartphone, and the tablet, among other things? Tough choice.
Moses continues, “Microsoft founder Bill Gates attempted to kick-start the tablet revolution over a decade ago when the company supported a range of laptop-like devices with screens that could swivel to become tablets, operated by a stylus. However, these types of tablets never took off and it took Apple’s iPad to bring the technology to the masses. Now, tablets are the fastest-growing category of computers but it is largely a two-horse race between Apple and Google’s Android.”
MacDailyNews Take: Mundie’s brand of stupidity must be contagious. Asher, if tablets are largely “a two-horse race between Apple and Google’s Android,” then Apple is a Triple Crown winner and Google’s Android just dropped to the ground, a newly-born illegal clone created from Apple’s DNA, struggling to stand up on wobbly legs. Some “two-horse race.”
Moses continues, “Several Windows 7-based tablets have been announced – Acer launched two in Australia today – but these have been heavily criticised because they do not offer a more modern touch-friendly interface, instead attempting to shoe-horn the regular desktop version of Windows into a tablet form factor.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Matt C.,” “Jason N.,” “Tim H.,” “CJ,” and “mastcell” for the heads up.]
What is with all these people today?
Parade of idiots or something?
You bet Microsoft . . . you just keep throwing more time, money, bad code and bailing wire into that aberration you call “Windows”.
I like our strategy of not knowing. I like it a lot!
This doesn’t build my confidence in Windows 8 on ARM if the research and strategy officer doesn’t believe in it!
LOL wow. just wow.
One of two things is going on here , and both do not sound good.
First either he is unsure of tablets in general, which I think would be foolish at this point.
OR… second… He is unsure if the iPad is going to stay with us because he is *hoping* Windows 8 on a tablet will be just good enough to stop the bleeding that MS will be experiencing as PC sales really start to slip. *cough* I DOUBT WIN8 WILL BEAT THE IPAD
Either way… not a good sign to me when it comes to MS.
No doubt not the only thing MS is unsure of these days…
Typical microstupid. Clueless and braindead as usual.
I guess they weren’t sure the iPod was here to stay either. And of course, they weren’t sure Mac OS X was here to stay.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder how these people advance to become tech executives in any company. Forecasting is central to executive management. They seem to be totally lacking in their capacity to do it.
“that is why you fail”
This is truly ludicrous. Unprecedented demand for the iPad proves how totally in sync with the times the iPad obviously is. Those who can’t see this are hopeless idiots. As if we didn’t already know that Microsoft’s chief strategy officer had to be an idiot.
I actually feel sorry for Mundie–he was obviously forced by the MS executive team to say this moronic statement in public as part of a concerted marketing putsch with Dell.
The theory is time-honored and proven: the same lie said in mass media by several different credible sources will change the minds of some portion of the populace.
This desperate ploy is literally all that MS and Dell have to work with.
Maybe those guys are right …..
I mean we had lines for the Cabbage Patch Doll and I don’t see that around anymore so it only makes sense the iPad will disappear just like Cabbage Patch did, RIGHT?
I’ve been corrected by wife …. Cabbage Patch is still around just not selling well!
This is just the naked, raw smell of fear!
I am amazed how stupid these guys are… How can they be so many retard execs without even a PR person shutting them up. How can someone sleep at night when they own some msft stock!?
C’mon guys. Give Mundie a break. He was misquoted to make him look stupid when, in fact, what he said was 100% correct.
The actual quote:
“There’s no future for tablet computers [if Microsoft builds them].”
WTF? Then WHY is Microsoft spending MILLIONS to get their “New & Improved” Windows 8 OS out of the gate which will include NEW GUI for “mobile devices” INCLUDING TABLETS?
Oh I see… Since the “Gates TAB” ( Laptop with rotating screen that you could use a stylus on…i.e. giant PALM Pilot…i. e. giant Apple NEWTON PDA from decades ago) BOMBED because it did not work well, was WAY EXPENSIVE CEO TOY!
NOOOO….d on’t use the iPad & iPad wannabes clones because WE (Microsoft ) do not exist on them yet….But when WE put out Win8 & spend MILLIONS on advertisem ents about how we invented the Tablet Platform ( Slate ), then a REVOLUTION will happen and everyone will discover how “innovativ e” we are. THEN TABLETS will not be a fad.
LAME EPIC FAIL again by Microsoft. Too little, too late, green with jealousy & red with rage that they missed the boat & are now playing hurry up, catch up with Apple, Android, etc…TABS .
Microsoft : Always late to the party & then all they become is a big party pooper!