“This morning, I interviewed Ballmer and asked him about the market for tablet/slate computers,” Sydell reports. “He made the excitement sound like empty chatter. He claimed to believe that there isn’t a sizeable market for the tablet. ‘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.'”
“As the world knows, everyone is anticipating a tablet computer from Apple later this winter. Based on the veracity of past rumors about Apple, I believe this to be true,” Sydell reports. “I asked Ballmer, ‘Why would Apple spend so much money and time on a tablet if there wasn’t a big market?’ He deftly deflected my question saying, ‘You’d have to ask Apple.'”
Full article, in which Sydell gives Ballmer far too much credit than he deserves using her “logic” that – get this – Ballmer knew Google would be huge therefore he has a tablet behind his back, here.
MacDailyNews Take: There isn’t a sizable market for tablets with a Microsoft OS, that much has been proven. And, there’s no deftness about Ballmer, Laura. As usual, he simply doesn’t know what to say until Steve Jobs shows him what Microsoft will be trying to copy for at least as long as until Ballmer’s “retirement” and probably much longer than that. May Steve Ballmer remain Microsoft’s CEO for as long as it takes!
Once he sees Apple’s “tablet,” we’ll get something like this from Mr. Deft Deflector:
Direct link via YouTube here.
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
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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.
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.
Not yet there isn’t.
I like his strategy. I like it a lot.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Here’s a YouTube link for M$ project natal
Judge for yourselves.
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!
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!
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.