Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer has slammed Apple’s OS X Snow Leopard and it’s Safari browser. He claims Microsoft is actually gaining market share and told Techcrunch: “Apple is expensive. In a tough economic environment, people get it. Their model is, by definition, expensive.”
Apple’s seen a sales bump since it debuted cheaper Macbook Pros in June and OS X Snow Leopard sales are strong but Ballmer seems to believe that trend won’t continue. He’s focusing on netbooks but says they’re “just the first battleground.”
Ballmer acknowledged that Firefox has bitten a big chunk out of Internet Explorer’s share of the browser marker. But he was scathing about Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari. “Chrome is a rounding error,” he said, “Safari is a rounding error…but Firefox is not.”
With the Microsoft Courier set to battle the Apple mac tablet, we’re not suprised Ballmer is getting so bolshey. But is he right to be so scornful of the new browsers?
Out now | £free | Microsoft (via Techcrunch via AppleInsider)
Ballmer has a similar way of talking to Gates. I read things these guys have said and find myself scratching my head, trying to understand. What does this mean, “Apple is expensive. In a tough economic environment, people get it. Their model is, by definition, expensive?”
I don’t know about Gates, but Ballmer is certifiably insane. I don’t think he is capable of logical thought.
This is funny considering Vista did more for Apple than Microsoft!!
He’s got to keep face I guess. I just wish he wouldn’t lose it by screaming and sweating all the time.
Letting Steve Balmer open his mouth in public seems to be the biggest “rounding error” (whatever that is!?) of them all.
DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS! He must have done something right to get Microsoft to where it is today (He joined in 1980), but it’s sometimes difficult to see what that is/was. Still the Courier tablet looks promising – I actually do like it when Microsoft dips into the hardware side of things.