Bill Gates obviously no longer works at Microsoft, but he does still have quite a loud voice when it comes to the tech community considering what he did to build the empire that is Microsoft. In an interview with Bill Gates where he was asked what he thought about Apple and their new iPad, Mr. Gates answered with an interesting remark, in my opinion. Here’s what he had to say:
“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. 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.’ “
In that short response, quite a lot was said. For one, he does admit that the iPhone was better than they were anticipating when he states that his own company didn’t “aim high enough.” To me, this isn’t really a surprise, as many of the Windows based smartphones until the launch of the iPhone were lacking in the hardware department. There’s no doubt the iPhone changed the way we look at smartphones and has certainly played a role in some of the changes in Windows Mobile. However, also in this statement is how Mr. Gates feels about netbooks versus the iPad still. By his remarks at the iPad announcement, we know Steve Jobs certainly doesn’t like netbooks and feels they don’t appropriately fill the gap the iPad does. That said, it’s apparent that Gates does think the netbook is the way to go for mainstream.
Lastly, it appears as if Gates doesn’t see anything in the iPad that Microsoft should be worrying about. While it’s hard to say whether this will be the case as we haven’t seen how many iPads are being sold yet, I’m thinking he may be wrong on this one. The iPad is certainly the first tablet device that I’ve considered purchasing, and I’m sure many others feel the same way. While it isn’t as powerful as a lot of people would like, the way it’s going to change magazines and tablet hardware will alter the market. Despite sort of blowing off the iPad, I believe Gates may be wrong on this one.
Via [BNet]
Microsoft usually waits, watches, and then dominates. Bill Gates sees computing through the "geek lens" so it's not surprising he "doesn't get" the market that the iPhone and iPad appeals to. There's room for everyone and there should be different choices available, and everyone needs to remember that.
I should have added that someone at Microsoft does "get it" with respect to the "consumer simplicity" apparent in the Windows 7 Phone Series platform. I wonder if the "series" will refer to multiple variants, one that's super simple for consumers and another for the geeks, tinkerers and corporate users who can deal with multitasking and complexity.