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Bill Gates on the iPad: It's Okay

I'd love to see Microsoft point to an example of a comparable device which is *better* than the Ipad. Certainly, not the current crop of netbooks.

Nevertheless, Microsoft is good at software. I'd love to see them buy a manufacturer like Dell or Asus and begin to optimize their OS with specifically designed hardware. One size fits all operating systems are on the way out.
 
HiRez said:
Hilarious to hear him talk about what he thinks is "mainstream" and what is not. Let's see, Apple sold about 500,000 iPads in the first couple weeks it was out (and are predicted to sell well over 10 million in the next year), MS sold how many Windows tablets in the last 10 years? Anyone? Anyone? But yeah, let's talk about "scenarios".
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How many computers are running HIS operating system on it? How many copies of windows 7alone has he sold? How many copies of Microsoft office does he sell every year? Let alone copies of programs that most people never heard of. I am a programmer and I have a mircrosoft program ALONE that cost more than 2 ipads combined. Look at microsofts first quarter numbers, I think mr gates is doing just fine without tablets.
 
New flash:

The new Lenovo tablet that is going to be announced in the second half of 2017 is going trump Apple's iPad.
 
4DThinker said:
MS doesn't make tablets (yet). They make software. Bill prefers the netbook form. 2008: 14.6 to 16.4 million netbooks(mini-notes) were sold. 2009: 33.9 Million. 2010: 39.7 Million (predicted). I guess Bill is right so far.
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And what kind of profits are all those netbook manufacturers pulling down? Yeah, that's what I thought. Only thing Bill has been right about is selling copies of his bloated OS to suckers who still think it's the only choice they have.
 
Windows netbooks are garbage I just wiped my win7 pro netbook and loaded ubuntu 9.10 netbook remix and I love it, so much faster! And what'd you really do with a netbook besides websurfing and notetaking? Plus I got to transfer my win7 pro key to my gaming rig :D
 
the idea is great but its not good like someone said already its trying to be bolth a laptop and a tablet. this is not what apple is try ing to do, they want something in the middle between an iphone and a mac. heres my take on things the os 4.0 is being implemented in the fall i think there not just doing this because it just came out. they are cooking up something good, they are going to make the os more computer like. just as the os for the iphone evolved it will also evolve for ipad. the new os changes will be revealed at the wwdc along with the new iphone(witch we kinda saw already). the new features will soon bring great changes to the new models of ipad. :D
 
He is right. Its Okay. its far from magical unicorn that Apple made it out to be. But then again its version 1.0 and i'm sure it will improve with time.
 
To a point I think Gates is right. The iPad is "Okay". It's a nice product, but it's a very immature product. It has lots of room for improvement, and it needs to improve.
 
nolesfan said:
How many computers are running HIS operating system on it? How many copies of windows 7alone has he sold? How many copies of Microsoft office does he sell every year? Let alone copies of programs that most people never heard of. I am a programmer and I have a mircrosoft program ALONE that cost more than 2 ipads combined. Look at microsofts first quarter numbers, I think mr gates is doing just fine without tablets.
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I'm sorry my friend, but you're in state where the world is perfect and it's just not reality. Firstly, you're right, there are many computers running Windows, but which version? XP. How old is XP? I've never seen a business running anything but XP. Secondly, Windows 7 hasn't actually sold that many in terms of Stand Alone. Yeah, Windows 7 has "SOLD" however those were preinstalls on new computers. I hardly think W7 standalone was a big seller outside of the Windows fanboys.

You're last one was way too funny. OFFICE? Next to Windows, Office is the most torrented Microsoft software and several companies that actually buy it are not licensing it for each computer. I know this for the several companies I've worked for, their I.T departments have burned copies of Office. MS isn't making THAT much money off their Windows software as you think. :p
 
I'm sorry to break everyone's bubble, but Bill Gates is still a human being and he can be wrong. O and btw, a person brought up how netbooks have sold in the 10s of millions. Do you not realize that there are a number of different model netbooks out there and only one iPad?

You cannot compare sales figures like that; it's just not accurate. The iPad is selling pretty well for being one product vs a bunch of netbooks.

Oh and one last thing. The low end netbook, which most consumers are buying, are terribly underpowered and can barely play Youtube at full screen. Just because a product is selling in great numbers doesn't mean it's a good product. Look at POGs for an example. Sold like crazy for crazy amounts even though they were nothing more than round cardboard cut outs.
 
dsnort said:
To a point I think Gates is right. The iPad is "Okay". It's a nice product, but it's a very immature product. It has lots of room for improvement, and it needs to improve.
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hmmmm....iPad 2.0 will obviously improve it in many ways.

But, that isn't what BG said in the OP article quoted:

Asked whether he likes the iPad, Gates replied simply: "It's okay."

"The scenarios aren't that clear," he noted. Ever diplomatic, he added, "But it's good looking. [Steve Jobs] does good design, and [the iPad] is absolutely a good example of that.

His "review" of the tablet is consistent with the stance he took several months before the iPad's official release, when Gates spoke with BNET:
"You know, I'm a big believer in touch and digital reading, but I still think that some mixture of voice, the pen and a real keyboard - in other words a netbook - will be the mainstream on that," he said. "So, it's not like I sit there and feel the same way I did with iPhone where I say, 'Oh my God, Microsoft didn't aim high enough.' It's a nice reader, but there's nothing on the iPad I look at and say, 'Oh, I wish Microsoft had done it.'"
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I think when he says, "The scenarios aren't that clear", he's relying on that game theory he was able to leverage to Win with Win(doze).

Nowhere does he indicate it lacks anything at the moment, except a netbook implementation (running Win7touch or something)
 
Well if you have done work for companies who are using the product with no license than they are idiots to begin with, they could be finned huge amounts of money or even be shut down, it's called stealing! And yes I work for a fortune 500 company in the programming dept. And all our company uses is windows 7 so you need to get your facts right before saying stupid stuff like that. As a matter of fact my company is in the top 50!! Read the news papers my friend, Microsoft is doing better sales than apple right now, explain that. Your just a Steve jobs fan boy, plain and simple.
HLdan said:
I'm sorry my friend, but you're in state where the world is perfect and it's just not reality. Firstly, you're right, there are many computers running Windows, but which version? XP. How old is XP? I've never seen a business running anything but XP. Secondly, Windows 7 hasn't actually sold that many in terms of Stand Alone. Yeah, Windows 7 has "SOLD" however those were preinstalls on new computers. I hardly think W7 standalone was a big seller outside of the Windows fanboys.

You're last one was way too funny. OFFICE? Next to Windows, Office is the most torrented Microsoft software and several companies that actually buy it are not licensing it for each computer. I know this for the several companies I've worked for, their I.T departments have burned copies of Office. MS isn't making THAT much money off their Windows software as you think. :p
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We can just make this simple, who has more cash? That's what I thought and gates will never be caught by apple and Steve jobs, ever!!
HLdan said:
I'm sorry my friend, but you're in state where the world is perfect and it's just not reality. Firstly, you're right, there are many computers running Windows, but which version? XP. How old is XP? I've never seen a business running anything but XP. Secondly, Windows 7 hasn't actually sold that many in terms of Stand Alone. Yeah, Windows 7 has "SOLD" however those were preinstalls on new computers. I hardly think W7 standalone was a big seller outside of the Windows fanboys.

You're last one was way too funny. OFFICE? Next to Windows, Office is the most torrented Microsoft software and several companies that actually buy it are not licensing it for each computer. I know this for the several companies I've worked for, their I.T departments have burned copies of Office. MS isn't making THAT much money off their Windows software as you think. :p
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HLdan said:
MS isn't making THAT much money off their Windows software as you think. :p
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The main cash cow is the MS Office suite, though Windows obviously contributes a significant percentage to their overall profit. There was another thread I saw recently here on MR that showed their revenue per product line.
 
I suppose the HP tablet is totally awesome, right, Bill? :rolleyes:

This freaking guy is so 90's. Who cares any more what his opinion is anyway?
However, I can't wait for Ballmer's opinion. If anyone has seen that online, please post. (This is the first time I've ever wanted Ballmer's opinion rather than Gates' - Never though I'd live to see this day :D)
 
lukenn said:
I said I wouldn't buy it as it is. Stick more power in it and it's a whole different ball game :p
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what Intel CPU is in there? probably some Atom thing?

if there was one of the low end i3 processors in it (id hazard a guess and say anything more powerful will be too hot) it might be decent!

ctt1wbw said:
News flash:

The new Lenovo tablet that is going to be announced in the second half of 2017 is going trump Apple's iPad.
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they wont be called iPads - they will be called *insert whitty name*
 
nolesfan said:
Well if you have done work for companies who are using the product with no license than they are idiots to begin with, they could be finned huge amounts of money or even be shut down, it's called stealing! And yes I work for a fortune 500 company in the programming dept. And all our company uses is windows 7 so you need to get your facts right before saying stupid stuff like that. As a matter of fact my company is in the top 50!! Read the news papers my friend, Microsoft is doing better sales than apple right now, explain that. Your just a Steve jobs fan boy, plain and simple.
Click to expand...

nolesfan said:
We can just make this simple, who has more cash? That's what I thought and gates will never be caught by apple and Steve jobs, ever!!
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for your arrogant, insulting yet uneducated rebuttal. As much as you're backing up MS and Bill Gates on how well he's doing, you should reconsider who you're calling a fanboy. Take a look at yourself first. Why do newbies always have to troll? :rolleyes:
 
If you think Bill Gates does not have a valuable perspective on technology and how it's marketed, you need to rethink. And if you think Gates is a rabid Apple-hater who is willing to say anything to support netbooks over the iPad, you need to understand the context of how he normally talks about Apple and Microsoft products. There's basically no way to believe this isn't a valid and honest opinion. That doesn't mean he's right, nobody's right every time.

And whether netbooks are underpowered, good, bad, whatever ... if 5 million iPads are sold and 20 million netbooks are sold, well, the numbers are right there. I don't think his point is "every single person on a Mac message board will prefer the netbook," I think his point is that the netbook concept will remain the sales leader by a wide margin.

For the record, I think he's right, but I also think it doesn't matter. I have a lot of interest in an iPad and zero interest in a netbook. I don't see them as directly competing devices.
 
"I still think that some mixture of voice, the pen and a real keyboard - in other words a netbook - will be the mainstream on that"

Its clear that Bill is just trying talk up the category that MSFT can make money in while downplaying the category they don't currently compete in. I'm disappointed that Bill would make a comment like this when its clearly not the future and I suspect he doesn't fully believe it.

Anything you put between yourself and the app are just barriers. Keyboards, mice, pens, stylus, etc are all just barriers that we tolerate when we haven't found a way to get rid of them. Haven't you ever been frustrated that you can't write as fast as someone can speak? Or can't type as fast as you think? Or can't move and click your mouse at the pace of your creativity?

Touch is our current solution. Gestures are next. Then perhaps mere eye movements. Voice will overlay somewhere in here. And eventually thoughts will be enough. These are the future. Pens and keyboards are the past.

We have to be willing to let go of our old ways so that people will be challenged to come up with new ones. And then we have to be willing to accept them.
 
You have to also remember that as a public figure, his words get scrutinized (witness this very thread!) and so he has to choose his words carefully. The opinion he gave is fairly noncommittal, which is probably what he was aiming for.

If he had said "This thing is fantastic! Nobody can touch this! I only wish Microsoft could do something this cool!" then of course he would be quoted everywhere, Apple fans would bring it up all the time, bad press and embarrassing for Microsoft.

Conversely if he had said "This is the stupidest piece of junk I've ever seen! Microsoft's device will be way better than this!" then he would also be quoted everywhere and also potentially be embarrassed should the comparison not prove to be so positive. Everyone still remembers Dell and the "give the money back to the shaeholders" comment, right?

"It's okay" is probably pretty much the only answer he can give.
 
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