Michael
May 3rd, 2007, 02:52 AM
In an article by <a href="http://daringfireball.net/2007/05/iphones_funny_price">Daring Fireball's John Gruber</a> on <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2007-04-29-ballmer-ceo-forum-usat_N.htm?csp=34">Steve Ballmer's interview at the CEO Forum with USA Today's David Leiberman</a>, John Gruber explains that, after Ballmer's initial negative reaction to the iPhone, he stated that Microsoft and other companies competing with Apple would go to lengths to mock everything about the iPhone. It turns out he was right.
On the subject of Ballmer's comment about the high price of the iPhone durring the interview, Gruber points out the fact that the iPod started at a high price as well. Also, in reference to his comment about preferring to have software in 60 or 70 or 80 percent of all phones instead of the 2 or 3 percent he speculates Apple will take with the iPhone, Gruber responded by pointing out the fact that:
"According to Wikipedia (citing Canalys), Windows Mobile currently only has 6 percent market share of the smartphone market, far behind Linux’s 17 percent and way behind Symbian’s 72 percent. Again, that’s just for smart phones, not mobile phones in general."
Whether this was carelessness on the part of Microsoft's CEO or just a big misunderstanding, Steve Ballmer's argument now appears to have some well-defined holes.
It would seem as of yet that Gruber was correct in his prediction that Apple compeditors would be among the iPhone's first and worst of critics.
Props to you, John Gruber. You totally called that one.
On the subject of Ballmer's comment about the high price of the iPhone durring the interview, Gruber points out the fact that the iPod started at a high price as well. Also, in reference to his comment about preferring to have software in 60 or 70 or 80 percent of all phones instead of the 2 or 3 percent he speculates Apple will take with the iPhone, Gruber responded by pointing out the fact that:
"According to Wikipedia (citing Canalys), Windows Mobile currently only has 6 percent market share of the smartphone market, far behind Linux’s 17 percent and way behind Symbian’s 72 percent. Again, that’s just for smart phones, not mobile phones in general."
Whether this was carelessness on the part of Microsoft's CEO or just a big misunderstanding, Steve Ballmer's argument now appears to have some well-defined holes.
It would seem as of yet that Gruber was correct in his prediction that Apple compeditors would be among the iPhone's first and worst of critics.
Props to you, John Gruber. You totally called that one.