Ballmer says Windows installed base will top a billion by the end of 2008
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jul 27th 2007 1:04PM
posted Jul 27th 2007 1:04PM
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer seems confident that the company is headed for a fairly big milestone in the near future, telling attendees at the company's analyst day meeting yesterday that he expects the Windows installed base to reach one billion by the end of fiscal year 2008. As Ballmer was quick to point out, that makes more PCs running Windows than there are automobiles in the world. In related news, Microsoft also announced that it's sold 60 million copies of Windows Vista this year, including those 40 million licenses sold in the first 100 days, although that obviously still only accounts for a small percentage of the total Windows installed base.
[Via Slashdot]
[Via Slashdot]
Liar
I have 4 words for you:
Developers developers developers developers.
This is the most gangster shot of Ballmer yet- or should I say "Baller"
http://developersdevelopers.com/
wonder if they count pirated copies
you know... come to think of it, pirating is good for microsoft. once everyone owns windows, even free ones, microsoft will finally kill apple.
Ballmer is pure evil and he can be stopped in our lifetime.
I'm not a mac fanboy
I'm not a PC fanboy
I don't have anything against MS per se but they have been churning out crap lately. I'm not saying Windows 3.1, 95, 98, 2000, XP were perfect but they weren't crap.
Recent crap releases by MS -
Vista
Zune
Exchange 2007 - (they forgot to include gui management - welcome back to dos/linux administration)
Office 2007 - not control of menus, no native picture support in access, only one outlook profile at a time
IE7 - nuff said
WM6 - BT stack is actually WORSE than WM5
Bring back Bill, bring back Bill!
Don't forget Windows ME and Microsoft Bob. Both terrible pieces of software. BTW, I run Vista and can't see why anyone is so upset over it.
Why are you so anti ballmer? He didn't throw a chair at you, did he?
So basically what you said was:
"By the way, I run Vista because I don't know any better. Allow me to showcase my ignorance by stating that I don't see any problems."
@palloozer
Seeing other peoples problems does not equal personal problems. I'm running Vista too, and it has performed wonderfully for me.
I don't see your logic. Because someone else has problems with Vista, everyone does? How about "because I don't have problems with Vista, nobody does." Identical.
Then again, life is meaningless to you, so it shouldn't matter whether or not an OS performs.
I been using Vista for over 7 months (beta and release)on my crappy laptop and loving it. I can't think of going back to XP. There lots of people who use and loves it.
Hey Boe,
Not sure why you say the new BT stack in WM6 isn't any good. I have had just the opposite experience on my HTC Hermes with the semi-official WM6 ROM. Music sounds great now, much better than previous A2DP implementation.
Also, I have even written some code using BT and have experienced an increase in data transfer rates as well as overall system robustness (i.e. no lockups, etcs.).
Please explain how you came to your conclusion.
Technically Macs fall under the umbrella of 'Personal Computer', seeing as they're designed to be used by one person at a time and are computers (well, almost), but that's just me being pedantic.
Though the obsession with quantity is worrying (as pointed out by another comment), generally large quantity sales happen either because the product is well marketed (which, frankly, no computer products are really. Have you seen those UK Intel adverts? Ugh.) or because it's good. Since most people are like 'uuugghhh Windows' because of bugs, I make the following statement:
I would say that, in my experience, no Microsoft software is any more buggy than any other large-scale modern software (games, apps, tools, etc.).
About some of your so called failures:
Vista - I admit, not too much a change over XP, but it's still awesome, and running on high-end hardware, it's great.
Zune - There are many Zune fanatics out there. And Zune has some of the features iPod doesn't have. Most people have never actually 'tried' a Zune to really get something out of it.
Office 2007 - Are you kidding? This is like the best quality office suite out there. If you can't figure out the UI, you must really be a dummy. Most of your reasons are really petty - little stuff anyone could complain about
IE7 - I admit, not too outstanding, but huge thing over IE6, and it performs better than FireFox in many areas. Phishing filter, extreme security in Vista, better tab features, other stuff. It can be extended anyway just like FireFox too. The people who really hate it, either are average not-so-smart users, and developers. IE8 will be sure to fix that.
WM6 - Did you hear many people wanting it? New looks, new features, any Windows Mobile fan loves it. Most people don't know it, but Windows Mobile provides a better phone OS than most other ones. In terms of functionality.
You forgot to mention some stuff coming from Microsoft Research that's really making a hit across the web: Popfly (big thing over Yahoo! Pipes), Silverlight (better than Flash), PhotoSynth (changes the way we view pictures), DeepFish (better internet browsing than anything), and a bunch of other cool Microsoft things like Xbox, and so-on.
So Microsoft being a failure is in the eye of the beholder. Unfortunately, mis-information seems to get to the public real quick.
@michael
i was on the fence about vista, but your proclamation that it's "great" has really shown me the light. and what's with the "Windows Mobile fan loves it"? actually, you're right, there's gotta be some fan of WM out there somewhere, and yeah, (s)he probably loves it.
@fahnboi: Considering how most users describe OS X (virus-free, just works, easy-to-use), it's not any better than saying Windows Vista is great.
Considering that Macs do get viruses (and Apple patches it at a slower rate than MS), Windows actually works too, and Windows is as easy-to-use as it gets. And I happen to love both PC's and Macs. I just can't stand the lies about each side.
And about WM - You'd be surprised to know how many people prefer WM over Palm and others. There's been recent articles about how WM is becoming a hot and trendy phone OS. Like Samsung BlackJack and T-mobile Dash? WM is well liked because of the functionality it offers. Now if only they made WM phone screens bigger...
@michael
"Considering that Macs do get viruses (and Apple patches it at a slower rate than MS)"??? I've seen one virus in the wild for OS X, and it required you to open the file. Apple got a fix for it together fairly quickly. There are proof of concept viruses, yes, but they're not actually a threat to anyone, and thus Apple doesn't really have to panic and patch ASAP, they have time to figure out a less-rushed solution. But if you've seen Macs getting viruses, by all means, share. I've never encountered one in all my years of OS X, and I'd think it would be big news, like the first ever wild virus that I mentioned was.
He looks just like Todd Packer in that picture.. Who has two thumbs and likes to..
But I digress. w00t! I love my Vista box. It's like a Mac, except I can actually do something useful with it . Unless you consider fueling my fantasy as a successful blogsmith while editing movies of my cat with a starwars cup on it's head as useful.
And.. resume Windows bashing..
i can do useful things on my mac like mock your silly fanboying for vista
Just out of curiosity, what is it that you can do that's 'useful' on a Windows-based PC that you can't on a Mac? I don't mean 'what is it that you don't know how to do' or 'what is it that you don't own the right software for' or 'what is it that you prefer', but what specific, useful things can be done on a Vista system that are not possible on an Intel-based Mac running Tiger or Leopard... Heck, I'll even throw away the obvious in that the Mac could even run Vista anyways... Everything I need to do to be productive that's useful can more or less be achieved on either platform, but in a lot of cases I like the Mac software better - OmniGraffle, for example, versus Visio, or FileMaker Pro versus Access. And I haven't yet seen anything that's been as useful for my media inventory on a Windows ssytem as Delicious Library is on a Mac... so, I'm interested to know what these things are.
And.. resume Crickets chirping..
and.. resume silly, illogical fanboy david crying in the corner. (gee, you mean gushing fanboys don't earn automatic respect on a tech blog? no way!)
I can't use any of my autodesk products. I can't use ANSYS. I have no DAQ software that runs on Mac. -- I do more with my computer than just surf the net.
I may be showing my ignorance, but I don't believe I can get an office suite for Mac nearly as robust and powerful as Microsoft Office. Seriously.
That's what I mean by something "useful". Something I can get paid for in a business world that isn't centered around "graphic design".
"I may be showing my ignorance"
well you know what they say, admitting a problem is the first step towards recovery.
david, you're right. no one has ever written useful software for the mac that isn't 1) net surfing, or 2) graphic design. nothing. ever.
hey david, you should go hold a one-man protest on street corners about how useless macs are. with any luck, microsoft will have a monopoly-level dominance of the software market and sanction developers and vendors for providing competition. oh wait...
Okay, I'll play.
Erm, the first two items you mention, I do hope you realize, are DESIGN products. CAD *design* software. So, either you don't do anything useful (because what you do is centered around -design-), or you consider one form of design to be more useful than another, because it's the kind YOU do. Cos it uses a third dimension (which of course other design can do as well, but whatever). But yeah, there's a ton of CAD and 3D software for the Mac. I did ask to mention something the Mac couldn't do (even if you didn't personally have the software to do it), and it can do those things.
I had to look up DAQ because I don't do it, but the first link I saw said 'DAQ software for the PC, Mac, and Linux'. So it does that too.
I'm not sure why it is a shortcoming of a Mac that Microsoft Office for Mac is a little different that its Windows counterpart; it's a Microsoft product. Honestly, NeoOffice is good, but I am not sure what features you think Word, PPT, or Excel lack in the Mac (other than recent version upgrades that will be coming soon).
I do more with my computer than surf the net as well; I'm not sure where in my mention of database and diagram tools you would infer otherwise. All of the Unix admins, application developers, and engineers I know use Macs. But again, what is it that you can do 'in the business world' that can't be done on a Mac? I can do the same job I get paid for on a Mac or a PC, and I don't do 'graphics and design' for a living.
"I may be showing my ignorance, but I don't believe I can get an office suite for Mac nearly as robust and powerful as Microsoft Office. Seriously."
You mean besides Microsoft Office for Mac? The one that has been available for about 15 years?
Thought I'd enter into the fray for a second to offer my take on the issue.
I use Windows daily at work, although I have owned Macs my entire life. In fact, these days I use Windows far more than I use Macs simply because I practically live at work.
However, occasionally I do take work home with me. And here's where I get to make my point: Office on the Mac is far far better and more stable than Office on Windows. Isn't that pathetic? I work with insanely huge Excel files on a daily basis and I am under constant time constraints. So, it's really helpful to me when Windows Office completely chokes on a 100mb workbook, and then takes 10 minutes to recover. However, the same file on my Mac opens without a problem every time.
I have to admit that although Windows is far more clumsy and buggy than Mac OS, there are more challenges for Microsoft to face in the execution of getting the OS onto the machine. I'm sure that takes a good deal of their resources. However, the GUI is just not as good. The way the OS handles files is equally poor. Case in point: Program files. WTF is that nonsense all about? Talk about annoying as hell. And you'd better pray to god that the network printer doesn't take a shit on you, otherwise you'll be nice and hung up for a while.
So, I'd like to make the suggestion that perhaps Mr. Clark enjoys blowing smoke out of his ass, and doesn't use both operating systems, and is therefore completely unqualified to make the statement that Macs can't do useful things. The majority of us realize that both are in almost every respect the same. One has a better GUI, one has a lot of games (crappy and otherwise).
"I may be showing my ignorance, but I don't believe I can get an office suite for Mac nearly as robust and powerful as Microsoft Office. Seriously."
Well, you are quite blatantly showing ignorance there. As others have pointed out, Microsoft Office has been available on the Mac for well over a decade. A simple Google search or asking a question would be enough to answer that question for you, but instead you've gone the route of uninformed Mac-bashing, which is exactly what makes Mac users so rabid at times. If you actually checked out facts instead of assuming Macs are awful without knowing anything about them, your comments probably wouldn't get so much retaliation from Mac users.
Also, overused argument as it may be, note that Parallels, Crossover, and Boot Camp all allow you to run Windows/Windows programs, so software-wise, there is nearly nothing your PC can run that my Mac can't. We can do the best of both worlds, so don't go arguing that Macs can't run anything useful.
guys, guys, can't we all get along? bootcamp pretty much killed the OSX vs. Windows debate. Mac guys can go both ways. : )
Even with their less than perfect products, they are still quite better than the competition.
Well...the Zune is a flop.
What about Vista do you not like? Is it because you don't know how to use it? It is different from XP but you have to know use it the way it is meant to be used.
Try Vista for Dummies...
The Zune isn't a flop. A product that moves a million units is not a flop; it's a platinum album. Note that I'm not saying that it's a great product or that Microsoft is the BEST THING GOING... TODAY!! - I'm just playing Devil's advocate.
I'm pretty sure I know how to use it as I've been supporting IT for over 20 years including consulting for some of the largest Universites including their own Computer Science departments.
Vista has a problem with file copy, moves, access that is well documented. It is NOT a drive issue, it is NOT an indexing issue although since that is poorly implemented if you leave it on it WILL slow down your performance further, it is NOT a networking issue as the issue occurs even on local disk copies. This is well documented and current belief is that this may be a result of the DRM game MS is playing these days.
I've verified it quickly after I discovered the issue by setting up several PCs of identical makes to each other (different brands and models one vista, one XP each with a matching twin using the other OS) all with all the latest patches, drivers etc, turned off indexing, firewalls, antivirus, every extra available and file transfer is random as to size and quantity of file copies. MS took 5 months to admit they had the problem - I reported it as soon as Vista came out and they insisted that it had to be a firewall, driver, or other issue I hadn't optimized on my end - only after thousands of similar posts by journalists did MS even look into the issue. MS had to know about this when they released the defective product but wanted to make the release date.
@bob:
Do you know anyone with a Zune? I don't.
@ Ryan
Doesnt mean its a flop. Do you know anyone with a 360? I dont.
@Ryan: Exactly. Not that you're right.
If people continue to think that iPod's are the only good PMP's (portable music player) out there, then the public will continue to use iPods. If the whole slogan "It just works fine for me" seems to be common when iPod users are asked why they prefer it. It's started to be the American fad to own an iPod (because they were the first of it's kind), and so people just thought they just 'had' to get one.
Sadly, that means most people are not willing to try something new, or even take a 2nd glance at anything that could be better. Now the Zune doesn't make a real ideal iPod switcher, but it does have some of the stuff that hasn't been available in iPods for so long. WiFi, FM Radio, larger screen, etc. You may not use some of it, but better than no feature at all.
I just want people to get it right. Most people aren't bothering with it, just because it's not 'cool', most people aren't even trying to like it, and they listen to reviews that could be as biased as anything.
Both the Zune and 360 are disappointments.
Don't kid yourself.
The Zune isn't even a player among wma daps. Yeah, they moved a million of them. The market sold about 50-60 million in the same time. That's a success?
The 360 has decent market share. But it is getting blown out of the water by the Wii. The 360 doesn't even outsell the PS2. How sad is that? And the real kicker is that the 360, like the xbox will NEVER be profitable. Microsoft has lost billions with that division.
I love how Ballmer and Microsoft blasted the Wii. Guess they were wrong about that.
I love how Ballmer and Microsoft blasted the iPod. Guess they were wrong about that.
I love how Ballmer and Microsoft blasted the iPhone a few months ago. Considering Apple will surpass Windows Mobile sales in about six months, I'm guessing they are wrong about that too. Windows Mobile is a distant 3rd, behind Symbian and Linux. They'll be 4th shortly.
See a pattern here?
This is what happens when your only qualification for CEO is being a college friend of Bill Gates.
Ballmer has no technical expertise. He has no management expertise. And he has no visionary expertise.
Vista will sell because of the installed Windows base. Same with Office. But not because the products are better or innovative. Microsoft is kind of like a toilet paper company now. You don't run out and buy the stuff because it is "new and improved." You buy it because you have a need and the product fills the need.
@rip: TP! TP for my bunghole! BUNG hole!
Now why can't they use all that money to write better software?
Or use all that money to come up with some original ideas and not rehashed 5-year old ones...
Good God that guy is ugly.
Ok ballmer only if you say so, but i got one question how come with all these high #s how come we are doing so bad for the last years on the stock market and it just looks like its getting worse, what the heck are you guys smocking, am not a apple fan but i just dont know anymore
Just try office 2007 and vista for 2 hours and see if you arn't pulling your hair out. Microsoft's apparent lack of standards leaves you scratching your head trying to figure out where things are.
I can barely stand using windows any more after being a primary freebsd and OSX user. You shouldn't have to read the entire program interface to see an obscure button, or dig through a menu thing that was hidden in an entirely obscure area.
Try browsing around in the filesystem in windows, Good God, Whoever designed it needs to have their balls torn off and thrown into a pillar of flame. I think I will go tear my eyes out if I see another vista machine.
Try "Microsoft Vista/Office for complete idiots"
Seriously. How hard is it to figure out a point-and-click interface? Just because you can't figure out "start" was replaced with a logo doesn't mean an operating system isn't any good.
I had no problem transitioning to the new office and Vista interface.
Yep, having just finished my doctoral dissertation on it, I can attest to how crappy Office software can be if you are trying to write anything over a few pages (and yes, I know how to use quite a large portion of Word functionalities).
"Just try office 2007 and vista for 2 hours and see if you arn't pulling your hair out. Microsoft's apparent lack of standards leaves you scratching your head trying to figure out where things are."
I suppose that does explain why Ballmer looks like Uncle Fester.
And I'm glad to say I'm not one of them. Ha!
Steve Balmer comes off as such an insincere jackass that I don't believe a thing he says..
Yeah. He's almost worse than Steve Jobs.
@stxstu
Three out of how many people? I think roughly a quarter of people I see on regular basis have iPods, and absolutely no Zune. Most people who don't buy it usually buy some Korean branded players or are given some off-brand players as a gift.
I don't have anything against the machine, but people just aren't buying it around me (of course, I do agree that anecdotal evidence is weak, but hard numbers show the likelihood of one knowing someone with an iPod).
Over one billion served...
(to Windows owners: you just got served)
*boots up Vista and starts break dancing*
Wow...all 60 million have switched from XP to the ever so great Vista...what is that like a whooping 16%, good job windows :/
Lets see if Apple can get a HUGE 16% to switch from 10.4 to 10.5 when it comes out...vista makes my eyes bleed...OS X ftw
Ryan
This may make you laugh, but I don't know abody with an IPod. I do know three with the Zune and I don't work for Microsoft.
Stu
Am I the only one who thinks he looks like the monster from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein
I like the McDs analogy, because selling a lot of something (whatever it is) doesn't make it good. It seems that their priority is quantity, not quality. I don't really care how many they sell, sold, or have in use; I care if it's stable, if it works well, if it does what I need it to do. They've spread themselves so thin into any and every possible marketplace for no seemingly good reason other than the fact that they don't seem to be able to stand seeing anyone being a market leader other than themselves. Why do they need to make so much stuff? I'd love to see them worry more about the quality for a change. A billion tons of manure is still...
You raise an excellent point...
MicroSoft's strategy has always been to rush a product to market, make a million, or several billion dollars on it, and fix it later.
I can believe this...
It's only 100,000 call centers.
It did make me laugh. Thanks!
That guy looks extremely evil in that pic.
…in fact, he almost resembles Dr. Evil to me. Anyone else think so?
looks like a high school gym teacher from hell
A billion is an impressive number, but... how many are active?
Kinda like saying that there have been 13 billion people born in the world. (Yeah, but only 6 billion are breathing now.)
It would be 2 billion of you include Pirated copies :)
Silverlight is better than Flash, eh? Making a hit over the web? I donno, it seems that this, plus PhotoSynth, the "Photoshop Killer" and a bunch of the other products Microsoft is making just doesn't make sense for them to be making, and thus is just turning out to look like a really bad knock-off. I'm no Windows fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Office just kicks soooo much butt it's not even funny (though PowerPoint still needs work, I just wish there were better ways of "forcing" templates).
Even Surface. I just picture Bill Gates and Ballmer going crazy about multi-touch coming to the consumer in 5 years and Steve Jobs is like "Yeah, we'll have it in June. We're good."
XBox is good, though I think it's too expensive for what it is (XBox v1.5). For what ever reason, the XBox is where it's at with the games.
The Zune.... eeeeeh. The ID is HORRIBLE. I don't even think people in the late 90s would have wanted to carry that around. I will admit that I like the more graphical interface, but I think the iPod gets it right where is just a VERY simple menu system, nothing complicated about it.
Windows Mobile... I haven't cared about Windows Mobile since before they started calling it Windows Mobile. When Pocket PC hit, I really liked it because it was a reboot and made the interface simpler, but more powerful at the same time. Then Pocket PC 2002 came out and the interface started having all this detail that we didn't need and it just got worse. Today, you can't even recognize the pure simplicity of the original Pocket PC interface. Working with Windows Mobile on a Treo? A Nightmare!!! You really NEED at LEAST a 3.5" screen to be able to work with WM.
IE7 is way better than 6.
Vista is horrible because it's basically just a visual improvement (using that word lightly) over XP (and slows down your system at that...). MS had a LOT of great ideas going into Vista, but stripped them all out. At very least when Apple release their 10.X OS upgrades, there's real enahancements.
"It's like a Mac, except I can actually do something useful with it" yeah ummm you can do lots of useful things with macs, like me typing this right now on my Powerbook 17"G4 while rendering video with finalcut pro, try doing that with a windows machine.
From the little I've used Vista, a lot of it was copied off of Mac, except the ease of use. One of my friends has a brand new Dell Inspiron with 2 Gigs of ram, Core2Duo, and Vista, and my 4 year old PowerBook G4 boots faster and runs applications quicker. All that laptop has me beat on is graphics for games. All of the things the changed to try to make it more user friendly have made it so hard to use. On my Mac, if I want to connect to a wireless network, I turn it on and it finds it and asks me to connect. With vista, you have to open the utility, hit find networks, wait, click on the one you want, specify if this is a home or business or other network, and then connect to it. Why all this extra stuff. Heck I couldn't even figure out how to change the desktop background and resolution at first because its all in a weird place.
That aside, yes having that many machines running Windows is a lot, but that doesn't mean every one of those users is satisfied. I have a couple Windows machines that I still occasionally use, and those are running XP. Theres spyware, viruses, junk that builds up, errors, and other things that you have to keep up with. If you have spyware and virus protection, a firewall turned on, run a disk repair and defragmentation utility, and run a registry optimizer, then you will have a good clean working machine. Thats ALOT to do. Why not have a Mac and do the occasional disk permissions repair to speed things up, thats all you need to do. No viruses, spyware, etc, that you have to worry about. Thats why I just use my Macs.
They do need to take all their money and sales and put it to good use. Tighter programming and code to prevent viruses and spyware from getting in, make things easier to find and use (more self explanatory), and don't base your new OS off of other existing ones, come up with your own!
Zune to me was a flop. I don't know one person that has one. To another response higher up, I know 6 people off hand that have 360s. iPod is the portable audio king, making a resembling clone of it isn't going to help. If Zune had new breakthrough features and could do a lot more then the iPod, then yes Microsoft would have done a good job. However, looking at its selling points and features, I'd still much rather have an iPod. Works on both Windows and Mac, easy interface, Mac has one of the highest rated support branches, whats not to love?
Theres my argument.
I agree with some of your stuff, but some others I don't.
True, Microsoft did seem to 'copy' many features, but I think they kind of really enhanced what was already avaliable. Like Microsoft Gadgets are cross platform, and can be on the web, your browser, and others. Desktop Search seems more quicker on my laptop than Finder is. Plus most people didn't know that Microsoft previewed desktop search in a Longhorn demo, and a few months later, you see Google Desktop and Apple's Finder. Sad. The reason why MS has been keeping things under wraps lately.
Have you ever used a high-end/mid-range PC with anti-virus program? Seriously? My Sony Vaio has top of the line specs, and runs Vista beautifully. No problems at all. It's the problem that most of the public consider Dell's, HP's, and cheap PC's, as the only PC's available. And Live OneCare, my AV runs very nice with minimal interference. Runs in the background, and provides nice system tools.
Zune wasn't that successful I admit, but the 1st version of any PMP is not always the best. Compared to most 1.0's of PMP's, Zune has really come out far in terms of features you still can't find on iPod's. But since most people think iPod's are the only form of a good PMP, and are less likely to really take a look at something different, then it will stay like that. Zune could have been better, but it's not truly a failure. Apple is in talks of WiFi - Would that have happened without the Zune?
So you're kinda right, and I can see where you're going. But I just hate the fact that most people don't take a look at the real facts, and try to open their minds as to why people prefer something over another.
I have a high end windows PC and antivirus programs, I use panda, don't make too much of a performance difference, but what about people with mid and lower end pcs. The ram and processing power that it would normally take on a high end one that you wouldn't normally notice is now very noticeable and there. I was surprised from running a virus scan last week that I had 34 infected files found, some viruses and some spyware. I don't use that machine too much since I use my Macs more, but just from doing some normal web browsing with it over time gave it those things. Thats why I side with mac, since there aren't viruses available that still work today.
Things like the desktop search and such, I do agree on, but apple has had its search in finder since OS X was released, which I think was 2001, right around when XP came out. I was referring to more of things like the interface, effects, and some of the window designs like the download windows. I do like having the widget or gadget bar over on the right side instead of having to click on the dashboard to pull up all your widgets in Mac. When they are away though, they aren't fully active, unlike Vista where they are always running, which I would guess would pull performance down a little but.
With the iPod, that is very true, its built up its name over time and I can see Zune doing the same. I don't own either since my flash drive with a built in Mp3 player and screen does the trick fine. You are right, if I was going to go out and buy a hard drive based player I would choose the iPod just because of its name and reputation, so with the Zune being released when the iPod had already built up its rep and was getting even better, the Zune does have a lot of work to do.
"But I just hate the fact that most people don't take a look at the real facts, and try to open their minds as to why people prefer something over another." I do, I've been a windows user my whole life up to the past three years when I bought a Mac. I still have both and use both, but I like Mac better because I looked at the facts comparing the two.
Every time I see that mistake of the nature it disgusts me more and more. God, I hate him. And for you guys who think he's ugly, take a look: http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/19/ce-oh-no-he-didnt-part-xvii-ballmer-to-linux-users-you-owe/
@argot
"Yeah. He's almost worse than Steve Jobs."
If I had to pick one or the other to represent, and present for my company - picking Jobs over Balmer would be as big a no brainer as picking a Bugatti Veyron over a rusty Razor scooter.
You must be pretty fucking stupid, argot.
Yeah... that is the all time classic Ballmer "UGLY" Photo... He must regret EVER sticking out his tongue. Pretty funny, yet disturbing, picture. :)
I have a 4G iPod, and it's still going strong. I got a Zune late last year, and because I rip everything on the iPod to Apple Lossless, the Zune couldn't pull it in to my library. So, my Zune sat on the shelf for 6 months. I recently went back, and ripped 5 or so CDs to copy music to it.
Damned it if doesn't sound BETTER than my iPod, both through headphones and my car stereo! Don't ask me why - better codec, better DAC, who knows.
It's enough to make me go through the process of re-ripping all my CDs, though, so that's certainly saying something!
Give it a try.
(I have two Vista PCs at home and 1 Mac, before you go all fanboy on me...)
That makes me wonder... Have there been any tests to see which device sounds better? Frequency analysis anyone?
@fahnboi: Considering how most users describe OS X (virus-free, just works, easy-to-use), it's not any better than saying Windows Vista is great.
Considering that Macs do get viruses (and Apple patches it at a slower rate than MS), Windows actually works too, and Windows is as easy-to-use as it gets. And I happen to love both PC's and Macs. I just can't stand the lies about each side.
And about WM - You'd be surprised to know how many people prefer WM over Palm and others. There's been recent articles about how WM is becoming a hot and trendy phone OS. Like Samsung BlackJack and T-mobile Dash? WM is well liked because of the functionality it offers. Now if only they made WM phone screens bigger...
i heard ya the first time you posted this. actually, not that i have been spending any time touting OSX in this article, but i'm dubious of your "love" for both platforms.
you say that "(virus-free, just works, easy-to-use), it's not any better than saying Windows Vista is great." actually, it's way better. "great" is a meaningless adjective, and the three ID's adjectives of OSX, while agreed are often exaggerated, are pretty much the three key advantages of the OSX platform vs. MS platforms. not sure which "lies" you're referring to... i guess "virus-free" is technically a lie. just hammer people to say "virtually" first.
and about WM, yeah, that was just a cheap shot. sorry =)
True- but it's a big difference between saying 'it's great because it works well for me' and 'it's great because we sold a lot of them', and that's what I have an issue with. To turn the tables, I don't think that an iPod is great because of how many they've sold either. I wouldn't buy an iPod 'because everyone used it' any more than I would buy one 'because no one used it' and it made me more of an 'underdog'. Microsoft's OS and software products tend to get lazy with quality once they feel they have no competition, while some of their other products tend to still try and improve. I am one who likes products that work for my needs. I like WM more than Palm, and my iPhone more than either. I like my 360 more than my PS2 or Wii or gamecube or xbox. I like my iPod more than a zen or zune or iriver or archos. I like my OSX-based systems more than my XP or Vista systems. I like my microsoft keyboard and logitech mouse more than the Apple ones. Quantity in either direction won't change those things. When I have a choice, I choose quality over popularity, and obviously my needs and definitions for quality will differ from everyone else's.
Obviously, some people prefer WM. However, it is a small minority. The overwhelming majority prefer Symbian, Palm, and Linux, based on market share.
And there is currently not a single virus for Mac osx in the wild. So I would say that no, Macs do not get viruses. Will that change? Probably. But as of right now, it's Windows 100,000 - Mac 0
@Rick: Ok, this is my last bothering trying to explain with somebody:
1) I don't really care. Desktop search is just search. Does it even matter who copies who? It's just feature, and if a company does them real well, then it's all good. OS X and Vista feature have lots of good feature.
2) Consider a Mac (which are high-end within themselves), can run OS X so well, why can't a high-end PC run Vista so well? After all Macs, and high-end PC's are pretty much exactly the same in terms of hardware and specs, and even nice design.
3) Until I see WiFi in iPod, I'll believe it. We all love to say that Microsoft copied the iPod, yet when Apple will copy features of a Zune, we'll say they'll do it 'better'. Hmm. I thought it was the exact same thing when Microsoft pulled some feature of OS X over to Vista. I thought they did make it better. And Zune is still 1.0. iPod is at 5.0. Who should already have it?
We can talk about this all we want and debate, but I've got stuff to do, and I don't really care. I'm not a fanboy of either side, by the way. I just want people to see the truth in things, and see it as they really are.
Couple of things:
1) The OS X Desltop search wasn't copied from any Longhorn demo, it was part of the old Copland demos (Apple's next generation OS back in the mid-90s). This wasn't even a new feature at the time, the innovation of the particular Desktop search of Copland and OS X isn't that it's on the desktop, it's the instant search (i.e. all you have to do is start typing and things already come up, you don't have to wait for 20 minutes while Windows searchs your drive. Vista was SUPPOSED to make that better with a revolutionary new file system, but it, like the rest of what would have made Vista truly worth it, was stripped out).
2) It's sad that you have to have a high-end PC to be able to run without a problem. With all the extra software required to be running to protect your computer, it really slows things down.
3) I guess I wouldn't necessarily classify the Zune as a failure, but of all the things that it should have copied Apple on, ease of use and the "it just works" factor was something MS should have. Apple's WiFI they talking about isn't for "wireless squirting songs", but rather syncing songs over WiFi and surfing the net, and listening to streaming internet radio, you know, useful WiFi features. Speaking of Radio, what's with the FM tuner in the Zune? MS SHOULD have made it the oppoiste by making it a built-in FM transmitter.
Now, what do I consider a "killer app" in DAPs? That phone in the Verizon commercial that can recognize songs played on TV, radio, concerts, etc. Now THAT'S innovative AND useful!
Dear Mr. Ballmer,
Thanks for closing down dock 7 at the Orange County Convention Center for your entrance. As if we werent busy enough trying to please Microsoft. I hope you choke on your Adams peanutbutter.
PRICK
Mac OS X on all Pc world PLEASE
I
Well that comment sure worked out.
What I meant to say was:
I
wtf!
I think subways and streets are the right place for Ballmer.
How did that bum work at Microsoft?
Wow! 1 billion pounds of crap!! Our world is truly under attack... God save us all.
so, does this number include the 5 or so comps that ive had running the same copie of 98se? (best windows ever by the way)
That picture....the man is thinking of throwing a chair right now. God have mercy on the world if he ever develops telekinetic chair throwing powers. On stage with hundreds of chairs in the auditorium..*shudders*
I'm sorry to say Jobs's reality distortion field would be no match....huh.
I think there is a Stan Lee comic in there somewhere.
Boe??? What, Office 2007 is very very nice, and much better than Office 2003/OpenOffice. It has so many nice features, and you can get all things look prof :D
I run vista cuz it's only other OS that allows me to run photoshop on my OCed 3.6Ghz quad core.
well, i tried running OSX. Mac is too slow to incorporate 8800 nvidia into their OS drivers. had to plugin the same slow 7300GT in macproto get OSX to run on my OCed Quad core.
Ballmer says a lot of things.
So if a billion people are using windows, how many thousand do you think are cursing it at any time?
Must be weird to know a billion people several times a year hate you with all their heart.
Ballmer, your hair is almost gone. Might want to consider just saving some time and shaving the rest. I mean, you're almost there.
Of course, with no hair or eyebrows, you'll be dangerously close to looking like Robocop without the helmet. You could also get yourself a pacifier - that might get some laughs.
OK, I'm just jokin' around. But uh, congrats on the install base!
Considering that over half the world's population (> 3 billion people) still use open flames as their primary cooking method, somehow I'm not so sure selling a billion copies of Windows is anything to brag about.