I love reading articles that show Ballmer talking nonsense.
- He criticized the Ipod and brought us the Zune.
- He criticized the Iphone and brought us Windows mobile.
- He criticized the Iphone and brought us Windows 7 mobile.
- He criticized Android phones and brought us Windows 7 mobile.
- He criticized Linux and lost half the worldwide server market and ALL the super computer market.
- He criticizes Android Tablets and brings us what?
At some point Microsoft is going to have to realize that their business models is crippled. Where before they could get away with charging exorbitant fees for locked software, Open source software (and especially Linux and its derivatives) has come such a long way, that they are now more than a valid alternative to microsoft - and not just at a tech geek level, but at as a regular user level. It is no accident that so many companies have embraced the promise of Android, that so many companies have switched their servers to Linux, or that computer makers are starting to offer computers prepackaged with Linux.
Apple does very well because it is a hardware manufacturer and because they tightly control the user experience. When people buy into apple, [people are buying the entire user experience. Microsoft, on the other hand is primarily a software company and one that no longer has a clear lock on the market. I think that users and manufacturers have long resented being stuck having to use microsoft products, and product category by product category both users and manufacturers are starting to reject their offerings.
I doubt Microsoft will ever flounder, but they really need to reconsider their approach to business and perhaps take a page from their X-box success, and start pushing the hardware side of the business.