Ballmer praises openness, attacks iPhone
Summary
Topics
Ballmer was participating in a Mobile World Congress panel discussion on the "open mobile ecosystem", alongside Nokia chief Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo and AT&T head Ralph de la Vega, who used the occasion to inadvertently announce Dell's imminent smartphone.
"Open means different things to different people," Ballmer said. "To some people, open means open source. It means more than that and different than that to me. Open can mean an open platform that people can extend, or it can mean open standards that are baked in. Ultimately the companies that succeed will be open, maybe in different ways and at different times."
To Ballmer, "open" refers to "the power and success of the partner ecosystem approach [that Microsoft] pioneered at the beginning of the PC revolution".
"The industry makes about $18 for every $1 Microsoft makes through the Windows platform," he said.
"We had to strike a pragmatic balance between a very unstructured openness in which privacy and security are difficult to control, and the other end [where there is] much less choice, less flexibility but often less chaos and many fewer problems."
"In the mobile space, the proportion of revenue that goes to the ecosystem is even higher than that in the PC ecosystem," Ballmer continued. "This is the right approach. We support open networks, open competition and open access . We've doubled down on the level of interoperability that you see in our PC ecosystems."
Then came a spot of iPhone-related complaining, with de la Vega claiming Apple's handset would be even more successful "if there was commonality about where the applications could work".
"The iPhone has a nice app platform," Ballmer said. "People are downloading. But most of these are really front-ends to websites."
Microsoft announced its own mobile application marketplace on Monday, although details remain sketchy.
Ballmer then pointed out that, with the iPhone, "you can only get it from one hardware maker, with their choices and their price points". He contrasted this with the approach of Windows Mobile and Symbian, both of which allow the operating system to run on a variety of different handsets.
This article was originally posted on ZDNet.co.uk.
Talkback Most Recent of 114 Talkback(s)
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Hallowed are the Ori17th Feb 2009 -
Ballmer can't attack the iPhone...
but ZDNet can sure put out the invitiation for flame attacks with a total lie as the headline.
Just wait for the Apple haters to come a postin'.
No More Microsoft Software Ever!17th Feb 2009 -
Open to Ballmer means open to taking your money or
open to taking your ideas or
open to spreading FUD or
open to being too big to fail or just
open to like a trap ready to close at anytime.
Tell Ballmer he can talk about open when MS becomes open to
supporting open standards that every other software company supports.
LittleGuy17th Feb 2009 -
He has control issues.
No single company should be in control of the hardware or software. Non IP encumbered standards should allow anyone to develop for both.
kozmcrae17th Feb 2009 -
It's why we need to punish Apple for touch patent threats
Apple is the one here trying to control everything by patenting multi-touch and single touch (read the patent, Apple has patented all touch activities using one or more fingers). Apple is the biggest threat to the entire mobile industry this world has ever seen.
NonZealot17th Feb 2009 -
get a clue...
you obviously have not read apple's patent. apple has
not patented multi-touch or single touch (nor could they
since there is so much previous art).. apple has
patented their particular implementation of a touch
interface.. their gestures, their interface elements,
layout, their user feedback and the system that detects
and interprets user input.
anyone is free to implement a touch interface they just
can't use/copy apple's particular implementation.. start
innovating and stop copying.. if apple had done as
everyone else was doing it would have come up with the
same crap that we have seen in the past and this tidal
wave of innovation that we see now would not of
started..
again, stop copying guys and get to damn work
innovating.
NonZealot wants the innovation to stop with everyone
doing 'me too' iPhone clones.. lets demand more of these
guys.. leap frog the iPhone's innovation.. are you
saying you can't come up with something better another paradigm shift?
doctorSpoc17th Feb 2009 -
iPhone is not innovative except for marketing
There is nothing useful in the iPhone that hasn't been done a million times before. The touch screen cell phone has been done. The application store has been done. Mobile browsers have been done. Copy and paste has been done. Oops, iPhone doesn't have that! The iPhone is actually a clone of the HTC Touch which was released before the iPhone. History is your enemy, sorry about that.
apple has not patented multi-touch or single touch (nor could they since there is so much previous art)
Thank you for admitting that there is much previous art for everything that Apple has patented. What worries me isn't that Apple's patents are defensible (they aren't, you are right, everything in the iPhone has been done before) but whether companies like Palm will have enough money to defend themselves from the charging 900lb gorillas in Apple's legal department. You have to admit that we've seen many cases where someone has been "right" but have had to give in because they didn't have the money to defend themselves in court. I really fear that we are about to see this again with Apple and their touch patents. This is truly scary stuff for the entire mobile industry.NonZealot17th Feb 2009 -
i really hope you are being paid to do this...
i.e. posting comments that make you look like a
complete and utter fool.. do you even try to
make any sense any more?doctorSpoc17th Feb 2009 -
I was hoping you could name one innovative thing in iPhone
But you can't.
NonZealot17th Feb 2009 -
Even if it is just the marketing
The iPhone has clearly made the benefits of it's interface available widely to an extent not heretofore achieved.
In short: the innovation is getting the tools into more people's hands than ever before. Those people seem generally pretty damn happy about it. (Not everyone - universal approval is impossible.)
That is how technology is advanced in the marketplace. It's not enough to build a great widget. If that widget never gets used then what good did it accomplish?
As for your comments on prior art - read the post you replied to and then read the patent. They both show that multi touch is not being patented. A method of implementing multi touch and a particular device to utilize that method are.
macadam17th Feb 2009 -
It's not about being "innovative'
The main "innovation" with the iPhone is its braindead simplicity. Something that all these geek manufacturers always seem to get wrong. The mentality that something that's easy to use is beneath them. So they add these "innovative" rocket scientist features that have zero practical use whatsoever.
That's why every mp3 player except the iPod sucked balls. And so did every phone I used until I got the iPhone. Gee? A phone that acts like it's supposed to be a phone?? Who'd a thunk it? Not the manufacturers that put everything but the kitchen sink in their product EXCEPT useful phone functionality. The iPhone may not be innovative but it sure is DAMN USEFUL!
frankz0018th Feb 2009 -
Oh Zealot... Paying the fool again???
" was hoping you could name one innovative thing in iPhone But you can't." Posted by: NonZealot
Apple got gesturing right. No one else has... Apple got installing 3rd party apps right... No one else has (try to argue that punk.... all the numbers back my statement 100%) Apple got finding and locating 3rd party apps right... (The App store has been called the killer app of the iPhone) Pinch... Swipe... Do I really need to go on??? Didn't think so...
Apple CYA'd Zealot... No one gets a free ride this time. Apple is owning the cell market right now. That is why everyone is desperately trying to copy the iPhone... But they can't... Boo Hoo... Cry me a river.... Apple has learned thier lessons from all the rip off wanna be hacks in the past.... Does that piss you off Zealot?
People enjoy thier iPhones.. Hell.. I love mine... I seriously don't think we will see anyone leapfrog the iphone for another 10 years at least. And you know what??? The longer it lasts the more I will enjoy it because it's gonna burn you for that entire time... Stew in that broth veggie boy.
As for Monkey Boy Ballmer.... Anyone who bothers to listen to that loser has a few screws loose.
"Open means different things to different people," Ballmer said. "To some people, open means open source. It means more than that and different than that to me."
Um... So what you are trying to say there babble-boy... Its that it doesn't mean the same thing to you. That quote is ridiculously stupid... Yup.. Better listen to Monkey Boy Ballmer... He is talking from experience.... Yup.. His is the voice of reason... He's not getting his ass handed to him by the iPhone on a daily basis.... BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Baller is a complete FOOL...
i8thecat20th Feb 2009 -
macadam....don't forget the media frenzy. The closest you'll see.....
to that kind of favoritism is named Keith Oberman. He's not biased is he...noooo. He makes Rush Limbaugh look halfway objective.
But the point is, the media is the largest group of Apple users in the world and they have always treated Apple with kids gloves and sang it's praises, even here on zdnet.com.
David Morganstein anyone?
yes, the media frenzy over the "iPhone" and the hype they gave it in reporting saved Apple a ton in advertising. And of course the media are all elitists, so Microsoft gets raked over the coals daily.
Anyone that says this phenomenon does not exist, is an Apple fanatic that can only see it as "fair and balanced" reporting.
xuniL_z21st Feb 2009 -
your over reacting
i see both sides of your little debate here. and your super h@rdcore and defensive. why?
what do you have to lose or gain by being right???
really... why do you really care one way or the other.
why do you act sooooo concerned about all of this.
Isnt that what we're really asking here.
Please explain.
I want facts... not attacks or fear based comments. thanks.
pcguy77717th Feb 2009 -
MarketingTutor18th Feb 2009
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