Ballmer Eats Words About iPhone

[AppleChic]

Microsoft chief executive, Steve Ballmer, who once laughed off the iPhone has now changed his tune about Apple's smart phone and about the future of the Zune.

Ballmer admitted to the Financial Times that the iPhone and the Blackberry have "clear market momentum."

This is kind of funny because if you take a look back at Ballmer's comments in the past you'll remember that:

- At the MacWorld 2007 Expo Ballmer smeared the iPhone saying that it's the "most expensive phone in the world" and that Microsoft sells "millions and millions and millions of phones a year" while "Apple sells zero."

-Ballmer also said, "I'd prefer to have our software in 60 percent or 70 percent or 80 percent of [mobile phones], than I would to have 2 percent or 3 percent, which is what Apple might get."

- Just this past year Ballmer even predicted that Apple's tight integration of everything would cause the iPhone to "lose out."

Ballmer now says that consumers should not anticipate a Zune Phone.

If there is ever a time to eat one's words, it's now for Ballmer. Jobs must be giddy.

Source: AppleInsider | Ballmer changes tune on iPhone, says no Zune phone

[fletch33]

NEVER let'em see you sweat!!!

[alucardunit1]

he makes such a strong emphases on how expensive the phone is i dont think he cares that its a better phone he just cares about the price

[tattoojack]

Lmao @ fletch33

[thetoothfairy]

Boy I feel like a complete A** Please forgive me! Please let me correct myself... Apple's software and phones are way cooler than Microsoft's.

[MetallicaFan1991]

^
Technically Microsoft don't make any phones, they just license their software to other mobile companies. Microsoft does outsell Apple right now.

[dale1v]

Jobs must be giddy.

No pun intended(?)

seeing as he's sick n' all.

[fletch33]

^
Technically Microsoft don't make any phones, they just license their software to other mobile companies. Microsoft does outsell Apple right now.

i was going to make this comment as well and Apple would have to sell a LOT more iPhones to outsell M$ phones. in fact they would most likely have to open up their OS to other manufactures to surpass M$. which isnt going to happen

[Happy Noodle Boy]

Ballmer can do no wrong and he gets a free pass from me on anything he does.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvHNNOLnCk]YouTube - Ballmer sells windows1.0[/ame]

[SmoothiPhone]

Honestly, I don't believe the iPhone didn't become a big hit due to Apple's side of things. If it weren't for the developers and hackers that unlocked the 2G and 3G phones then a great percentage of users would be lost. Thats how I honestly feel.

[sikdaz]

i strongly agree with you.. that's the reason i got an iPhone..

[crewxp]

...how the hell is this front page material?

.. I support Apple, but I'ld never stoop down to a low level and boast that Apple is better than Microsoft, or flame a Microsoft rep (who's in charge of promoting their products... its his job).

C'mon guys you're better than that.

It is what it is, it's never cool to flame... especially when its a person with a family, who's just doing his job. Some people like us like Apple, and other like Microsoft. It's their own choice.

[fletch33]

Honestly, I don't believe the iPhone didn't become a big hit due to Apple's side of things. If it weren't for the developers and hackers that unlocked the 2G and 3G phones then a great percentage of users would be lost. Thats how I honestly feel.

i agree with you when it comes to those of us hanging around here but a "great percentage" of iPhone users don't hack their phones at all. the iPhone really came into its own when the app store hit. i know a LOT of people with iPhones and the iPhone has been a blessing to me. i am the techy guy that generally has someone call me almost daily to fix their pc, mac, smart/pda phone, etc... and the iPhone has eliminated the confusion of not only activesync but trying to figure out what WM software runs on what phone etc.. the iPhone has made it look, like, click, use it, and no questions it just is there and works.

thanks app store you have freed up a lot of my time

...how the hell is this front page material?

.. I support Apple, but I'ld never stoop down to a low level and boast that Apple is better than Microsoft, or flame a Microsoft rep (who's in charge of promoting their products... its his job).

C'mon guys you're better than that.

It is what it is, it's never cool to flame... especially when its a person with a family, who's just doing his job. Some people like us like Apple, and other like Microsoft. It's their own choice.

not sure it's a flame but just calling him out on it. a lot of people had the impression it wouldn't take off much outside the Apple crowd.

i think that it is fair to say that there are many threads that also take a stand against Steve Jobs or Apple on here.

i see it as just a fun poke and im sure he can take the stab if he were ever to even hear about this thread

[matiofatio]

apple does have the advantage though that it sells the hardware as well which allow for higher price margins per phone

[HondaCop]

All I know is that Ballmer is no Bill Gates.

[alias_neo]

I'v not really been following this whole thing because frankly I don't care. I own an iPhone cause it seemed like a god idea, and so far it's certainly kept me entertained although not as practical as i'd have liked. The point I want to make here is that having never previously bought an apple product, infact i have actively avoided it, I got an iphone. Now I know that MS makes WinMo for many devices, but they dont make a device as such.

Where I think Apple wins here is that they have experience in developing hardware, and the software to work perfectly with it. Microsoft have shown with the Xbox for example that hardware isnt their thing. The zoon didnt so much as get a look in from me, I can't see a Zoon phone getting it either. MS doesnt have the "cult following" that Apple does except when it comes to the Xbox360, its only thaose sort of people that are going to go buy one on hype as happens with Apple products, which is a small number in comparison.

Unless this Zoon phone was to offer someting revolutionary, and lets be honest, the iphone has nothing technologically revolutionary about it except the touch screen interface and UI, then this Zoon phone wont win many people on specs either.

WinMo really isnt anything special, and a MS specific hardware running it will never be special.

Considering the technology that is coming, and with new kid on the block Android, i think its a waste of time for MS to try.

Don't get me wrong, I am as anti Apple as can be, but on this one I think that if you want a phone thats a phone, the iphone does it nicely. If you want a real powerhouse of a phone, as i said all along, go Nokia, or see what Android will offer.

Ultimately, my point here, that should please the Apple fans, is that from a Windows user, and non Apple fan, I would still call this 1-0 to Apple. It's not often you see a hater admit you're right.

[hoits2000]

wow, who cares?

[VBLUE42]

Honestly, I don't believe the iPhone didn't become a big hit due to Apple's side of things. If it weren't for the developers and hackers that unlocked the 2G and 3G phones then a great percentage of users would be lost. Thats how I honestly feel.

Bulls*it, people like us that hack our iphones are a very small percentage that do that. Most iphone owners are not even aware or are afraid of this process. Apple now has the number one smart phone in sales and I would say 90 percent are unhacked. And comments like this that Balmer made a year ago is exactly why they still produce piece of sh*t products, Because they dont get it and they never have. It is nice to hear though that he finally knows he cant compete with Apple on something. Also consider this, Apple surpasses the computer industry in growth every year with Macs sold. That means more and more people are getting sick and tired of Microsoft crap and just want a system that works like it should.

[confucious]

Having used WM phones for the past few years it took the 3G iPhone and App Store to persuade me to try an iPhone. Now I love it.

Hacking came later.

Apart from the minor niggles we all no about the only thing where WM devices beat the iPhone is the availability of SatNav - if CoPilot or TomTom (or any of the others) release their software for the iPhone I will be a very happy bunny.

[ultimatexpka]

Honestly, I don't believe the iPhone didn't become a big hit due to Apple's side of things. If it weren't for the developers and hackers that unlocked the 2G and 3G phones then a great percentage of users would be lost. Thats how I honestly feel.

This guy speaks the truth, The only reason i bought an iphone is because I wanted an ipod and an iphone and that I heard groups being created to hack the iphone like they hacked the ipod, and sticking in linux... Im glad i got this jailbroken, otherwise I would of been stuck with the blackberry storm.

I think the iphone is the only advanced phone that has been jailbroken (hacked)

so much homebrew, 3rd party apps and ect.

Edit: this video has been released a long time ago... -.-, just to show his embarassment, w0w lol