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It's gotta just kill him to always get asked the Apple question in interviews...love it.

I don't personally see the demand either. I am very curious to see what Apple has up its sleeve but not sure how practical it is for most users especially considering how little notebooks and netbooks cost these days. I really want one but that is strictly because I love Apple products

Yes, Well Balmer has about as much vision as a blind man. Thats why he has been running his company into the ground for the last 10 years! hope he stays on until M$ is completely in ruins.

Jan 07, 10 - 07:26 pm Comment from: jjjj

Then why did he show one? Why does he want to play in such a tiny universe. Ballmer is a Luddite!

So how saturated work and free bandwidths will be hit on 1/26 at 10:05 AM when the world tunes in to check out the Apple announcement? I bet this site will crash.

Jan 07, 10 - 07:27 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

Not yet there isn't.

I like his strategy. I like it a lot.

Jan 07, 10 - 07:29 pm Comment from: MDmac

And another perspective here: http://uber.la/archives/6264

Suggest viewing Part 2 http://uber.la/archives/6264 as well.

Some good points. Or bad. Depending on your point of view. Not totally comfortable with number 3. "The Nexus One is really a hoax."

Hate to kick a good man while he is down. But this was real bad and well, there is little evidence, if ever, that he was ever any good.

well, I think he is right. but the problem is that MS doesn't have vision to develop some WOW tech or capability. I think that windows 7 is just enough for it. I think that tablet market is opportunity. but unlikely what we have thought, it would be little different way. so I just wait what Apple will be bringing out this month.

Jan 07, 10 - 07:46 pm Comment from: Mac-nugget

Let see what Apple announces. One thing we can all be sure of, it will not be the the HP/Microsoft tablet thing. It will be augmented with proprietary innovative technology and services that the other guys simply can't touch.
I think Apple is going to drop a bomb, because it will not be the tablet alone, but all the services augmenting it that will make it a coveted product.

I don't see a major market for one (even an apple one) right now, maybe in a couple of years apple will have created a market for one but not right now.

""Google is a nice little company."

"Little company?" I quickly shot back.

Ballmer went on to explain that Microsoft used to be a "nice little company." Then, as they grew everyone turned on them and the anti-trust suits began. He suggested that would happen to Google as well.
------

Brilliant. The logic and maturity of a 9 year old.

Oh ... so just because you're big, you got sued. People hate you for your success and therefore all big companies MUST be sued.

Tell that to Warren Buffett and Richard Branson. You know it is possible to make a ton of money without breaking the law fiendishly, Ballmer. People hate you because from the beginning, MS was understood to be the evil dweeb who stole from Apple (who bought from Xerox).. and that still haunts them to this day.

Jan 07, 10 - 07:51 pm Comment from: m159

People previously did not know they couldn't live without a device like the iPhone. Jobs' and Ive's aren't creating a tablet, they're creating something most people won't know they have to have until they see one. So Apple doesn't ask its customers what they want in a new product; the customers don't know yet.

I have already said today, but here it is again. Apple is going to crush it on the 26th or 27th or 28th or whatever day this month. There isn't a tablet industry and yet Apple already owns the market.

He doesn't get it. It's not just the hardware. HP's tablet looks nice enough, but look at the software! Ballmer swipes the screen right to left, turning a virtual page, and the page scrolls down.

Jan 07, 10 - 08:01 pm Comment from: Gregg Thurman

There really wasn't a market for digital music players: until Apple created iTunes Music Store.

There really wasn't a market for smart phones: until Apple introduced the iPhone

There really wasn't a market for mobile apps: until Apple announced the App Store

Am I concerned that "there isn't a sizeable market for the tablet"? Not in the least, because I have come to believe that Apple doesn't just develop hardware products, but that they develop a need for that product as well.

Ballmer needs to chat with Jeremy Clarkson on selling Zonda's and driving high tech stuff...

Of course there is no market for tablets: until now every tablet we've seen was made by M$ or its partners and was a fail.

Do you remember smartphones before iPhone? I barely can.

Obviously...Apple haven't created one yet. There's truth in his claim.

Jan 07, 10 - 08:12 pm Comment from: silverhawk

Here's a YouTube link for M$ project natal
Judge for yourselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_txF7iETX0

Jan 07, 10 - 08:13 pm Comment from: Wings2Sky

He's right, just not complete. There isn't much of a market for a Windows (or strictly MacOS for that matter) tablet.
But I don't think that's what Apple's cooking up!

Jan 07, 10 - 08:14 pm Comment from: Not Bill

Fester! You say the darndest things.

Ya' know there wasn't really a market demand for smart phones........UNTIL THE iPHONE HIT THE MARKET!!!!

With that...there may not be a market for tablets now, but if Apple unveils a tablet you know it's not going to be just a run of the mill tablet. It will be very unique, intuitive and will demonstrate usability and a "must have" lust that will generate a market for it. Amen!

Jan 07, 10 - 08:32 pm Comment from: NCMacMan

This really has nothing to do with hardware but the expansion of the ever popular and quickly growing iTunes model. Apple ownesthe portal that everyone is jelous about. Microsoft can't even get it together enough to develop anything remotely close instead relying on "partners" to develop the hardware an software for emerging markets. By the time someone can get something together to compete with iTunes they will be at least a decade behind. The hardware is just an extension of the content -- all available in one store, iTunes. And people wonder why Apple dropped "computer" from it's name.

If Ballmer would look at Natal and apply this thinking to PCs:

There isn't yet a sizable market for game controllers that require nothing than body gestures BUT WE'RE INNOVATING OUR WAY INTO NEW TERRITORY THAT WILL BLOW PEOPLE AWAY BECAUSE IT'S SO COOL!!

Do something innovative in the portable/mobility space and then I'll consider you.

Watch Uncle Fester showing off a sad little product at CES:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J05Q-Hyr1v8

I say the iPhone is a little tablet computer. Sure does look like the HP tablet, just smaller, and better looking.

But regardless, Ballmer did say the iPhone was not going to do well. Then a short time later it passed all of windows mobile!

He should be a government employee for his slow action.

What strategy?

What innovation?

A pity really.

"A very capable machine...." Hahahahahahaha.

A tablet would allow Protools and final cut users a mixer surface that will revolutionize the mixing board and jog wheel, respectively! That's only 2 applications...

Jan 07, 10 - 08:51 pm Comment from: Mac User since 1984

@ silverhawk

Nice concept video. But you can do concept videos with a shred of real technology to back it up. That's why we call it Hollywood.

When I see Steve Balmer, in person, doing the exact same demonstration, live on stage, with all those capabilities, then we will talk.

Anyone notice that Apple doesn't do concept videos, they do live demonstrations.

The slate demo at CES was one app, already booted up. (And with awkward page transitions for an ebook reader.)

Jan 07, 10 - 08:53 pm Comment from: Mac User since 1984

Errata: "without a shred of real technology to back it up"

Oh, to be able to edit posts.

Jan 07, 10 - 09:02 pm Comment from: Swing Geezer

The tablet will be a big move I to business.
Point of sale
inventory management
shipping receiving
sales and management
not to mention hospital records keeping
school text books
when the world starts to get used to the OS they won't turn back

Jan 07, 10 - 09:13 pm Comment from: January 24, 1984

Sat around over beers this evening talking to a group of writers. Everyone was gaga over the potential. A device you carry (somehow) that will be your ready blank sheet.

Gonna be exciting!

Ballmer says "'They're interesting,' he said. 'But it's not like they're big numbers compared to the total number of smart devices in the world.'"

So, clearly they are really going to be a huge hit, since he hasn't been right on a single thing in recent years.

Could it be that there was a typo in Ms. Sydell's article?

I wonder if where she said

"He deftly deflected my question saying, 'You'd have to ask Apple.'"

possibly it should have read "He DAFTLY deflected my question...."

Jan 07, 10 - 09:25 pm Comment from: MizuInOz

Let's see...
Prior to the iPod how many MP3 players was EVERYONE buying?
Mmmmm... And laptops - those were only for business -er people who needed to give lousy ppt presentations.
Oh and smart phones - prior to the iPhone - were not trying to become ubiquitous in their use of touch screens.
Oh and touch screens - that was for those geeks with projectors or IR pickups on the bezel of the screen or kiosks at malls that never really worked.

And as Ballmer said - there is no need for a MP3 player -that is why his ilk have a pile of zune in their pants.

And obviously there is no need to a "tablet" type device because the POS that M$ intro'd flopped.

I have been hoping Ballmer would be sacked but reality is that he is one of the best representations of the village idiot I have seen in modern times.

Keep at it Clueless - you'll be like a broken clock - at least you are right twice a day.

Ballmer is such a toad. He's a sales guy that's all. He could be selling cars or pipe fittings or plastic jugs. There's not an inventive or visionary bone in his body.

Trogodolyte.

How can one human open his mouth so many times and nothing but dumb comes out. I can't wait to see this in two years when we can look back and say, "WRONG AGAIN Dillweed".

Jan 07, 10 - 10:13 pm Comment from: zmarc

What's that Mortola Q phone he's talking about? Are those still made?

Jan 07, 10 - 10:28 pm Comment from: Roberto

@ MizuInOz, You're on it:

"Ballmer: Wrong more often than a broken clock!"

Well, If Balmer doesn't think there is a big market for tablets/slates, it means there is.........done deal

You know something? Watch the video from CES that Ballmer took part in. He selectively reached for one particular model and size of Tablet. Don't believe that he did that as a coincidence.

I think you may be looking at the Apple Tablet coming in that size. He was quite firm about choosing that particular one. Which leads me to believe that he's had some inside information about the device before he went on stage last night. Whether the information fed to him was good or bad, I think that he tried to go for it yesterday, based upon that information.

It will be up to Apple and Steve Jobs to deflect the "misinformation" and wow the crowd in two weeks. I really hope that the Apple Tablet will be better than what we saw yesterday. Because that device looked pretty cool.

One thing that Ballmer got right was this: There is no sizable market for a Windows Tablet. Totally correct, since 2002! Damn right on that one Brother Ballmer.

I've been poo-pooing the perceived market for tablets as well. Now that Ballmer's done the same, I see the error of my ways, that I'm completely wrong and the tablet will be the next cell phone.

If one has attempted to read Stephen King's "Under The Dome" while resting it on his chest in bed--or even holding it up without the support of a table elsewhere--the value of a compact, light Apple tablet quickly becomes inestimable. I would GLADLY pay both prices, for the e-book and the iSlate, to alleviate the wrist strain I've developed from this two-ton tome.

Hurry, Steve! Let's get all our textbooks and recreational reading on your new device ASAP, OK?

Jan 07, 10 - 11:27 pm Comment from: alansky

Balmer also confidently pronounced that the iPhone would never be more than a niche product. Some niche! It's really a sad commentary on the world when a moron/blowhard like Balmer is the head of a major corporaton. What's next? Captain Kangaroo in charge of the U.S. military?

Jan 07, 10 - 11:35 pm Comment from: The Other Steve

I love iCal fodder, thanks Balmer!

Jan 08, 10 - 12:51 am Comment from: Ampar

On January 27th, I think it would be extremely funny if it turns out to be a four hour demo by Bertrand Serlet of the next amazing version of Xsan.

Shock and maybe a smidgen of awe. Or a few hundred juiced up hit whorers trash and burn the Yerba Buena Center.

Jan 08, 10 - 12:56 am Comment from: Gregg Thurman

"What's next? Captain Kangaroo in charge of the U.S. military?"

Captain Kangaroo won the Silver Star on Iwo Jima. He was a man of integrity.

Ballmer isn't qualified to hold Kangaroo's jacket.

I (still) like our strategy. I really do.

Someone please pass me a ROOM FULL of chairs.

It's the kindle killer. They are going to do to books, magazines and newspapers what they did to music and to lesser extent movies. It is going to save publishing in my opinion....and it's going to save a hell of a lot of trees. The added bonus is that you will be able to listen to music, watch movies on it, and run extended iPhone apps including games.

Jan 08, 10 - 01:33 am Comment from: ken1w

Once Apple takes if over, Ballmer will call it a "rounding error."