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Microsoft's Steve Ballmer Sees Cell Phone as iPod Killer

Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 at 1:20 PM - by

Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, is certain that yet to be released cell phone models will finally be the iPod killer that he has been hoping for. heise online reports that Mr. Ballmer shared his views on Apple's iPod during a management forum in Berlin.

Mr. Ballmer commented "We will soon witness a lot of innovations and changes in portable devices. Portable music is not limited to iPods."

Microsoft has been looking for a product to dethrone the iPod as the dominant portable digital music player, but so far no one has been able to unseat Apple. The company has teamed up with electronics manufacturers in the past to produce MP3 players, and to date, all have come up short.

This time, however, Microsoft thinks things are different. It has already hinted that it will release new products within the next 12 months that have the iPod directly in their sights.

The idea of a powerful and easy to use cell phone and music player combination does have its merits, but right now there are also a few drawbacks. Cell phones tend to have clunky and unfriendly interfaces, and their battery life isn't long enough for extended music listening. Rumors persist, however, that Apple is working on its own iPod cell phone that may be released within the next year. If so, the device would likely be designed with Apple's typical flair and set the bar very high for other cell phone manufacturers.

It is possible that Microsoft, or some other company, will release a product that performs better than the iPod/iTunes Music Store combination, but based on the attempts made so far, that's not likely to happen. Until then, the iPod will get to keep its music player crown.

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vasic said:

member since 09 Aug 2005 with 279 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:49 pm

Well... he can always hope. If nothing else, that hope can help him live through this period of Apple's increasing dominance in people's mind space. He can also hope that SJ and Apple will just sit there while Microsoft continues to (fruitlessly) try and come up with something half as useful as iTMS/iPod ecosystem.

As for the idea of an iPhone, it has been tossed around for quite some time. Signals abound that SJ is actively thinking about it (ROKR? SLVR? Let others take a stab, make first mistakes, learn from them, then do it right yourself), and it is almost certain he won't wait for another shot at the iPod world from MS. The idea itself is definitely very attractive. Even though there are two iPods in my household, since recently, I've been walking around with just one device - Sony-Ericsson W600 walkman phone. Its MP3 player is definitely a far cry from iPod; its music uploading process is arcane and a hassle (which makes me listen to the same music for days before I would be bothered to upload something else), but the overriding factor is integration. I listen to music, the phone rings, I say "Phone Call!", it automatically recognises the command, stops the music and answers the phone. Still, I am waiting for Apple to one-up this with the sleekest, coolest, smoothest solution. Ballmer can meanwhile continue to hope...

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:50 pm

Ballmer has been investing a lot of money into iPod Killers for a long time - money and human resources that could have been better spent getting Vista out the door and beefing up IE security.

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Tiger said:

member since 17 Jun 2003 with 1018 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:52 pm

The world sees the Vista Delay as the Ballmer Career Killer.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:08 pm

Just one question?

Has Apple stayed still since iPod launch?

From 6 Pin firewire connector, to Fire/USB Dock Connector.

From Black/White screen to Color Screen

From Ipod, to mini, To color, to Shuffle, to Nano, to Video Ipod

From Still images to Video

From 5G to 60G

From upload to iTunes

From Mac personal computer to Windows personal computer

From Mac personal computer to Cellphone

Gossip is a gossip, but when you heard the river? is because the rock are rolling under

From iPod to iPhone isn't that crazy, at all

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fo said:

member since 23 Aug 2005 with 39 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:33 pm

Welcome to iPod-killer camp, Stevie!

We've chosen an ideal bunkmate for you... meet Mr. Sim Wong hu from Creative. We're sure you two will find lots to talk about... maybe you can teach him to do that dance of yours.

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Small White Car said:

member since 02 Jul 2004 with 1960 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:52 pm

Steve Ballmer sees a lot of things.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:52 pm

oh, i thought it was origami which was supposed to be the ipod killer.

keep trying, m$

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Dreadnought said:

member since 01 Jan 2005 with 162 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:24 pm

Guest wrote:

oh, i thought it was origami which was supposed to be the ipod killer.

You know, I had to think for about 20 secs about what was meant by origami - I couldn't seem to connect folded paper with an iPod killer, and then it hit me - that stupid tablet thingie that MS and others "launched" at CeBit in March. Wasn't that long ago, but who can remember every bit of junk that comes out.

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Biff said:

member since 08 Apr 2004 with 1479 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Apr 26, 2006 4:07 pm

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer Sees Cell Phone as iPod Killer.

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer is Horrified to Learn That Said Cell Phone is from Apple.

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mrmgraphics said:

member since 05 Sep 2003 with 825 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Apr 26, 2006 4:15 pm

+

Nice one, Biff!

My only comment, once again, is that iPodObserver/MacObserver definitely needs to start archiving these "iPod-killer/iPod-is-doomed-because-of-closed-proprietary-system" articles, much as TMO does for Apple Death Knells. Honestly, I doubt a month goes by without some exec/pundit/coolumnist predicting the impending demise of the iPod.

Hasn't happened yet, and don't think it's going to. And I agree with Biff: If a cell phone does hit the market with enough useability, style, features, and simplicity as to dethrone the iPod, said cellphone will bear the Apple logo. No doubt about it.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 4:22 pm

Guest wrote:
oh, i thought it was origami which was supposed to be the ipod killer.

I thought that business "folded"

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:12 pm

Steve Ballmer: A real visionary, as his track record proves....

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:27 pm

Come on Monkeyboy, let's say it together: "Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, Battery developers, ....

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:58 pm

Steve Balmer is a walking joke machine.

A walking joke machine with way more money than me

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:23 pm

Cell phones playing music have been out for what 2 years now. I don't see how suddenly they're going to change anything. Especially with only 256mb to a gig of storage on a cell phone. Besides the fact that getting the music to the phone is a major slow painful process. Balmer can keep dreaming though and say whatever he wants. So far everything he's said has not come true. This is another good example which I think he's totally wrong about as the iPod keeps gaining more market share.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:19 pm

Biff wrote:
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer Sees Cell Phone as iPod Killer.

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer is Horrified to Learn That Said Cell Phone is from Apple.

ROFLMAO! Could definitely see it happening. Poor Stevie B.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:20 pm

Tiger wrote:
The world sees the Vista Delay as the Ballmer Career Killer.

Too true. Ballsmear should stop worrying about Apple and the iPod and worry instead about MS's OS business going down like the Titanic.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:31 pm

When was it that an analyst was prognosticating in just this fashion? Yesterday? The day before?

Ballmer ain't no monkey. He's a parrot. No wonder those MS bloggers are inciting mutiny.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:34 pm

C'mon Ballmer, you know and I know that the real reason Microsoft can't make a dent in the iPod's dominance is that you haven't thrown a chair at one yet.

C'mon Monkey Boy, you know you want to.

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bryson said:

member since 05 Mar 2002 with 79 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Apr 26, 2006 11:03 pm

Steve Ballmer sees the iPod killer. It is jelly-filled.

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Rainy Day said:

member since 07 Jun 2005 with 607 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:14 am

Translations from BallmerSpace to HumanSpace:

BS: This time, however, Microsoft thinks things are different. It has already hinted that it will release new products within the next 12 months that have the iPod directly in their sights.

The iPod sighting will be its taillights.

BS: It is possible that Microsoft, or some other company, will release a product that performs better than the iPod/iTunes Music Store combination

It is possible, too, that monkeys will come flying out my butt!

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:12 am

Guest wrote:
Cell phones playing music have been out for what 2 years now. I don't see how suddenly they're going to change anything..

I know im a guest here, but in New Zealand, a seemingly backwards country when it comes to cellphones, we have only two networks, one cdma, one gsm. Vodafone and telecom. Telecom is popular since they allow 500 txts for 10 nzd. Its not THAT cheap at all if you ask me, but others do, kids here txt like crazy!

Here, in New Zealand, a "backwards" country, we could get cellphones that played mp3s for years now! I think America must have had them too.

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A guest said: (hide)

Sat Apr 29, 2006 3:05 pm

Excuses, excuses...

Music cellphones have been out for awhile now, and they haven't really made a dent in the iPod. Some folks like multifunction devices, others prefer very elegant devices that only do one thing, but do it extremely well. Therefore, the iPod will never be killed by music cellphones... at worst, it might give up some marketshare once music cellphones improve significantly (if they do).

Even Ballmer must realize this, so I'm thinking that his continuing "Great White Hope" recycled nonsense regarding music cellphones is just an excuse he trots out as a smokescreen to keep journalists and stockholders at bay when they ask why Apple keeps on kicking Microsoft and its' allies collective ass in the portable music player space.

Question is, how much longer 'till that excuse just starts to sound like what it is... a tired joke? Much like most of the iPod's competition.

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