Comments on: Ballmer dismisses Google Android

At an event touting Telstra's "Next G" network in Australia, Microsoft's CEO says he doesn't understand Google's revenue-generating strategy regarding the mobile operating system.

[AppleSuxLeo]

"Google doesn't exactly bubble to the top of the list of the top competitors we've got going in mobile. They might someday. But right now..." he said.

Ballmer thought this of the iPhone also at one point. Prediction...Win Mo replaced by the fully scaleable and componetized Win 7 ;) Then MSFT can REALLY make some market-share gains on Symbian.
Prediction #2...MSFT picks up RIM.

[etandrib]

You sure can dream big. Good luck waiting for Windows Mobile. Why don't you wait for Palm to come around too!

[aMUSICsite]

Errr Google could always be more clever than MS and be trying to under-cut MS's OS with a free one. Therefore reducing MS income and making it harder fro them to compete.

If MS can't understand how free software helps get market share and can't see how to make money out of free software, then I would not be a happy shareholder either.

[goodspeed8701]

Well linux gave out their os for free and they are not even near OS X. I dont think you would forget about nokia n95 or xperia or HTC touch HD if TRIUM is giving its mobile phone for free. its not about free its about what people wants.

If you are giving coke for free and i dont drink coke i only drink beer, I can still pay millions for the Beer and forget the coke.

[etandrib]

While Android is Open Source, Google is basically going to clean up on the mobile search market. They are scoring with Apple's iPhone (Google is the default search engine) and they have built Android to be a mobile search and Google advertising machine.

If Balmer doesn't understand that then Microsoft is a lot worse off than I thought. If I had any stock in MSFT I'd get out sooner than later. If you don't understand why you are just like Balmer.

[thychamp]

Ballmer still can't seem to understand the open-source movement. All the free applications that google has developed over the years has caused Microsoft to rethink there business model and has given Google more marketshare.

[vini156]

Google is trying to kill Microsoft by actually hitting them in the areas where they have stromg revenues. Eg Microsoft offfice, Windows Mobile. I won't be surprised if they release their own operating system to kill Windows.

[etandrib]

Move beyond the desktop OS. Google has an OS - the web. They OWN it.

[rcrusoe]

Google already has their own operating system. Don't be surprised when Android starts showing up on other devices like netbooks and desktops.

[wolivere]

Sorry not going to us an OS where everything I do on it becomes the property of Google.

[Laserdisc]

This is why I want Ballmer out of Microsoft. If he can't conceive (he doesn't have to agree with it though) what Google is doing with Android than he has no business being the CEO of MSFT. Ballmer is energetic and is a nice guy and would be a GREAT spokesperson for MS but as a CEO he worries me.

[smilin:)]

Fair enough argument. Please explain what Google is doing with Android then.

[Laserdisc]

For Ballmer to not take Google Android seriously "right now" is a mistake. Google is vying for a niche in the mobile market which could become a dominant force in a few years. Google is spreading search to mobile devices with Android. Search = ads -- ads = revenue which is just the tip of the iceberg. And Microsoft could see itself playing catch up AGAIN with Google all because Ballmer couldn't be bothered.
On the other side of the coin if Ballmer could careless with the consumer side of things and his remark was made with the notion that the question referred to the enterprise space... then Ballmer's statement holds some water. But even that could be threatened if Android powered phones offered the same features but at a lower price and in this economic recession we're in that could make Windows Mobile less attractive.
I'm a Mac guy but I'm not a Microsoft hater. Microsoft has the talent to design innovative software and I hate to see such talent go to waste because of lack of vision and/or direction from the executive staff.
I don't pretend to know all the answers and this comment is strictly opinion (long winded as it is) however I believe it to be correct. For all we know Ballmer could be flapping his gums to the press while he's secretly ordering Ray Ozzie to take Android apart to make sure the next iteration of Windows Mobile doesn't suck. Which would explain it's delay. Hmm...

[psedog]

How can he not understand. This is what Micro$oft did in the 80's with the desktop.

[wolivere]

Huh?

[yacahuma]

Is there something this guy does not dismissed ???

This is the same guy that said Vista is so great, and now says that you can wait for windows 7(alas vista finally finished)

[alan_06]

I'm sure Google does have plans to make profit of it's free Mobile OS. Forcing google apps on mobile would itself suffice to make enough profit out of it.

Google is trying (partly acheived) to create it's own world of desktop/mobile apps,browser/wifi networks etc all free to the end users but making profits from business clients. This model has successfully worked and I think they'll stick to this model for all their future projects.

If Google can convince/encourage the developers to build apps for their OS, they can easily surpass Apple and Windows mobile applications.

[Mystigo]

Balmer is like the Limbaugh of the software world. Constantly trashing the competition, never explaining why their product is better (because it lines our pockets is not the most compelling reason), constantly rationalizing the failures of their products, and always promising it will be better next time around.

[Everlovin G]

Ballmer is to contemporary s/ware-h/ware development as The Dave Clark Five is to Radiohead.

When one actually starts to believe that one's previous successes indicate that one will be right about EVERYTHING else going forward, well, one's hubris, Ballmer, begins to become less appealing and less perceived as bravado and more as "shut up and quit embarrassing yourself."

You haven't been *right* about ANYTHING since you said, "Yes, Bill, let's buy shares of Apple."

[tundraboy]

Excuse me, Dave Clark Five were far better as musicians than Ballmer is as a tech CEO.

Ballmer's constant dismissive attitude to competitors that then eat Microsoft's lunch was comical but is now just tiresome.

But he is very qualified to be Microsoft's CEO because, you know, he was Bill Gates' college buddy.

[iBuzz]

"If I went to my shareholder meeting, my analyst meeting, and said, 'hey, we've just launched a new product that has no revenue model!'...I'm not sure that my investors would take that very well."

Right! Just like what Microsoft did when they gave away Internet Explorer for free to kill Netscape.

"The lack of certainty around money would mean that the improvement of the operating system would be neglected..."

Yes! Just like how Microsoft stopped working on IE after Netscape died. Ballmer's talking from experience here.

[rjpotts]

Balmer is an idiot. As already pointed out he said nobody would buy the iPhone. He's been dismissing competing technology for as long as Microsoft has been around. At one point in time Microsoft could make such bold statements and it would have an affect on the market. Today people have wised up, become more informed and know not hang on every word that Microsoft spews.

Wake up Balmer, people are not idiots. We can think for ourselves and make our own decisions based upon our own experiances. We've learned that Microsoft is a bad experiance.

[sgirard]

"If I went to my shareholder meeting, my analyst meeting, and said, 'hey, we've just launched a new product that has no revenue model!'...I'm not sure that my investors would take that very well. "

Has he forgotten about Internet Explorer? Oops. I forgot. Giving away IE for free was all about killing off a potential competitor in Netscape. IE actually had a revenue model. Sorry, my bad.

[rocketjam--2008]

So far, Ballmer hasn't seemed too sharp when it comes to analysis of the smart phone market.

[kippstor3d]

Ballmer dismissing anything that's well designed and works well.

[zvonr]

Balmer is talking without thinking, have to admit he always make me laugh, he is the George Bush of CEOs ...

[youngjm]

Give George more credit than that.

[ralfthedog]

youngjm you are wrong, Ballmer is Bush in drag.

[techslut]

I think Ballmer needs to dismiss himself for a change.

[fraudbrand]

So people were expecting him to praise the Android ?

[brian.lee]

Don't praise but don't be a condescending prick... whats wrong with being humble and modest??? Dismissing something like Android, just makes you look like a loud mouth idiot... you lose credibility. I'm not saying Android or iPhone will be the be all and end all, I own and use an iPhone but I also use a BB at work and I've really begun to appreciate the BB. I'm even considering giving the Bold a test drive, each platform has it's strengths and weaknesses.

[gerrrg]

I like my G1, thank you very much.

-It hasn't yet crashed on me that I've had to do a reboot, even when an app happens to somehow mess up.
-I don't think most people including Ballmer understand how many apps are being created everyday and added to the Android Market to download, and that stuff is being done by people outside of Google.
-Ballmer understands - he's just lying about it. Google is ubiquitous. Microsoft is pervasive in the OS and productivity suite markets, but Google's influence is far wider than Microsoft's.

Time to catch up, MS.

[62Sparkplug]

Isn't this the same guy that also thinks he's a good dancer?