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To Ballmer, Grabbing iPad's Market Is 'Job One Urgency'
Barence writes "Microsoft's Steve Ballmer has vented his frustration at the success of the iPad and said developing a Windows alternative is 'job one urgency.' 'Apple has done an interesting job of putting together a synthesis and putting a product out, and in which they've... they sold certainly more than I'd like them to sell, let me just be clear about that,' Ballmer told analysts. The Microsoft boss said the company plans to deliver a range of tablet formats in the next year, some based on Intel's next-gen Oak Trail processor. 'It is job one urgency around here. Nobody is sleeping at the switch. And so we are working with those partners, not just to deliver something, but to deliver products that people really want to go buy.'" In Microsoft's vision, slates will run a derivative of Windows 7.
but a company that can convince people they need a product that does the same thing as other gadgets they already own has to be doing something right.
FTFY.
And yes, Slashdot, this is just my opinion. Sorry if it angers you.
Living With a Nerd
^^^This, pretty much. I know a couple of people who buy and use Apple products as if they were any other brand ("I like the interface", "I've had good luck with their products", that sort of thing), but most of the time Apple users are straight up zealots...in their mind if it isn't an Apple product, it's crap.
To be fair, other hobbies have similar "exuberances"...gaming fanboys, car fanboys, etc. Apple fanboys are, to me, a lot like Fox News Republicans*: no matter what evidence or logic you present them with to counter their claims, you're always wrong.
*Note that a Fox News Republican is not the same thing as a Republican.
Living With a Nerd
Given that I've never seen this attitude expressed anywhere but on slashdot, I'd have to say you're a lying, jealous piece of shit. Really. The vast majority of Apple customers just like stuff that works. They don't want to play with their hardware or replace their OS kernel. Apple has better brand loyalty than others in their markets because they have good integration and a good track record. Good products that work together. Bottom line.
It's odd to me that all the Apple fans weigh in to dis Microsoft but you seldom see a Windows lover like me make comments. Personally I think the iPhone and iPad are for kids with too much money and nothing to do. I'll pose a challenge. I'm a software developer, game player and movie watcher. Can I develop software using the iPad as a platform? Nope - not easily. Can I play World of Warcraft on an iPad? Nope - not really. Can I watch a high quality movie on an iPad? I suspect not really. So what's left? Telephone calls and texting. I don't do texting and my Windows MotoQ phone takes care of my phone calls. So please someone tell me what I need an iPhone or iPad for?
Lol if you honestly think that at the end of the day Apple is worth more than Microsoft you need to put down the pipe and stop blindly wallowing in your data that doesn't even make sense.
Imagine a world in which one of those companies just disappeared tomorrow, tell me which one do you think would have the much more drastic effect on the world...
On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
Microsoft are going to make a tablet? About fucking time. I want to take notes on it with a stylus, not wave my fingers over the screen going 'oooo, I can make pictures big'. I want to be able stuff a USB stick in the side of it and put directories of data on it, not sync it to a fucking iTunes program running on an entirely separate computer (because, amongst other things, my Gentoo box really loves running iTunes).
And it will sell as well as all of the other tablets that have been previously manufactured which MS has developed the software for. You guys really don't get why the iPad is selling, do you? It's because it doesn't have all of the crap that you think is "essential". The thing is, you guys are a very small market, populated by low-disposable-income types. You are not a particularly desirable demographic. As such, you'll be perfect for the bottom feeders that will supply you with cut-rate, crapola hardware coupled with a cut-rate, crapola OS that you both desire and so richly deserve. Have fun shopping at WalMart for it. Pick up a can of Pringles while you're there to make your experience complete.
That is all.