14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has already stepped beyond the desktop environment and jumped directly into the mobile world, trying to get the lion’s share in both the tablet and the mobile phone industry.
Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 are Microsoft’s big bets in two yet-to-be-explored worlds, but Steve Ballmer thinks that Microsoft’s very own products have many more advantages in this fierce battle.
Talking with LinkedIn co-founder and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman at a Churchill Club event, Steve Ballmer praised both operating systems and suggested that people have no strong reason to choose Android over Windows.
“The ecosystem of Android is a little wild,” he said, pointing out that offering plenty of devices developed by different companies and featuring multiple Android versions is not at all a good thing for the market. People may feel confused, he said, so Windows 8 and its mobile siblings are much more user-friendly.
And even if he expects Microsoft to become a tough competitor in the mobile sector, Ballmer is aware that it all comes down to a long-term battle.
While several studies have estimated that Microsoft won’t catch Android and iOS until 2016, Ballmer says that he hopes to get at least 10 percent of the smartphone market. Then, a progressive increase is very possible, he explained.
“There is unmet need from operators and, from a consumer perspective, a lot of room for innovation. The challenge is to get 10 percent of the smartphone market, and then 15 percent, and then 20 percent. We aren't trying to get to 60 percent overnight,” Ballmer was quoted as saying by CNET.
Windows 8 comes in different flavors on both tablets and smartphones, but it’s still considered one of the most confusing operating systems to date.
The GUI changes mixed with the new features introduced by the Redmond-based company make it a piece of software to avoid for beginners, despite Microsoft’s efforts to make everything a bit more intuitive and straightforward.