Ballmer Calls Android "Wild" and iOS "Highly Controlled"

Published November 04, 2015

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Nobody's ever accused Steve Ballmer of mincing words, and the Microsoft CEO was in fine form during an interview with LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman in Santa Clara last night. Once conversation turned towards Microsoft's mobile competition, Ballmer laid out the flaws he sees in Android with his usual bluntness, calling the operating system "a little bit wild," "uncontrolled" and prone to malware infestations.

Apple didn't escape Ballmer's attention either: he called the Cupertino company's offerings "highly controlled" and "quite high priced," TechCrunch reports. Geez, why don't you tell us what you really think, Steve?

Ballmer wasn't just picking on his competition, however. He was making a case for Microsoft settling into a viable middle ground, delivering a price-friendly, user-friendly, developer-friendly and all-around safe option as a third operating system.Steve went on to say that Windows Phone 8, Windows 8 and Windows RT were all built in close collaboration with active developers (though a cynic may point to the lack of available apps and say otherwise). Google and Apple have both struggled maintaining healthy relationships with the programmer community at times, thanks to Google's hands-off nature and Apple's strict guidelines and enforcement policies.

It's going to take more than blustery talk to dig Windows Phones out of its hole, however. Microsoft's mobile operating system currently lingers in last place amongst the big hitters, failing to garner enough marketshare to displace even the languishing RIM.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/ballmer-calls-android-wild-and-ios-highly-controlled