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Bill Gates Says His Preference for Android Over iPhone is Due to Pre-Installed Software

bubulol said:
I am not surprised he admits he prefers Android over iOS, he is like Wozniak, these guys have preference for flexible software and non closed.
The curious thing, i am pretty sure Steve Ballmer uses iPhone after his terrible word about iPhone
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Not defending Steve Ballmer, but he didn’t know what he was talking about, ran his loud mouth as usual and I bet you he would admit that behind closed doors that he underestimated the iPhone, because I don’t think anybody really knew what to expect at that point. I don’t think there’s any shame in Ballmer using an iPhone in today’s smart phone era, especially with security being crucial, where android has had far more breaches.
 
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My wife had a Windows Phone until it ceased supporting WhatsApp, which she relies on at the end of 2019. She chose it believing that it would be easier for her to integrate with her work where everything runs Windows. It is now defunct, completely.

I had a Samsung mini Galaxy until the end of 2019 because it was cheaper than an iPhone but I hated it, and I hate everything G👀gle.

The wife now has an iPhone 11 and I have an iPhone 8. We're both very happy and would never use anything else.

"People don't pay for the software [in China]. Someday they will, though. And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.

They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade."

- BILL GATES, explaining Microsoft's Chinese strategy
 
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bollman said:
TBH, if you reside in a Microsoft-only world, why bother with a system that requires you to have additional accounts?
An Android phone can be used without a Google account on it, try using an iPhone without an AppleID... oh, you can't even get into the bloody phone without it!
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You can. Just hit the “skip” button during setup. You can easily get into the phone without an Apple ID. However, if you want to download an app from the App Store or Google Play store you will have to have an Apple ID or Google account respectively. They are equal in that respect. :)
 
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Relentless Power said:
Not defending Steve Ballmer, but he didn’t know what he was talking about, ran his loud mouth as usual and I bet you he would admit that behind closed doors that he underestimated the iPhone, because I don’t think anybody really knew what to expect at that point. I don’t think there’s any shame in Ballmer using an iPhone in today’s smart phone era, especially with security being crucial, where android has had far more breaches.
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He did admit that his comments on iPhone were wrong and did it in public as well: https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/07/former-microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-wrong-iphone/
 
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contacos said:
doesn't even make sense.

  • Set Bing as default search engine? - no problem
  • Make Outlook default e-mail app? - no problem
  • Make mobile edge (is that a thing?) default browser? - no problem
  • Integrate one drive? - no problem
I would say the Office Apps are also far better optimised and integrated on iOS than Android.

Clearly he is just too lazy or hasn't used an iPhone much
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Oh yes no problem at all.

As of a few months ago....
 
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If I recall correctly, Bill Gates once said that he greatly admired Steve Jobs, but mainly for all the things he simply didn't quite get or understand. So his preference for clunkiness and limited taste is appropriate here. Bill Gates is just one of those people that enjoys using more complicated things. I think it gives him an heir of superiority or something.
 
bollman said:
TBH, if you reside in a Microsoft-only world, why bother with a system that requires you to have additional accounts?
An Android phone can be used without a Google account on it, try using an iPhone without an AppleID... oh, you can't even get into the bloody phone without it!
Click to expand...
nobody tell him
 
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Do we know which Android phone, he owns?
Pretty sure its something like Samsung Galaxy Note
 
contacos said:
doesn't even make sense.

  • Set Bing as default search engine? - no problem
  • Make Outlook default e-mail app? - no problem
  • Make mobile edge (is that a thing?) default browser? - no problem
  • Integrate one drive? - no problem
I would say the Office Apps are also far better optimised and integrated on iOS than Android.

Clearly he is just too lazy or hasn't used an iPhone much
Click to expand...
I’d agree that they’re generally better but if android offers better integrations (as he claims) I can see why that would be hard to beat.
 
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LarrySW said:
Better question is why would anyone care what Bill Gates' preference is?
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Simple. He is famous. He is one of the founders of a huge company that competed (if you do not mind the word) in this area. It is a topic that is discussed a lot. (All these seems obvious.)

You may not care, but given the coverage and the comments under the coverage, I am pretty sure many people care. Just like so many other news articles.
 
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Wimpie said:
He did admit that his comments on iPhone were wrong and did it in public as well: https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/07/former-microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-wrong-iphone/
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Those are weird comments, though.

"I wish I had thought of the model of subsidizing phones through the operators. People like to point to this quote where I said the iPhones will never sell. Well the price of $600 or $700 was too high"

But the price clearly isn't too high, since Apple, Samsung and others have no problem selling $700 phones. Oh and, Microsoft has a $1,400 phone. Weird, huh?

" and it was business model innovation by Apple to get it essentially built into the monthly cell phone bill."

Wha? Subsidizing phone pricing wasn't something Apple came up with. It was very, very common at the time.

"I would have moved into the hardware business faster and recognized that what we had in the PC, where there was a separation of chips, systems, and software, wasn't largely going to reproduce itself in the mobile world,"

But arguably, exactly that did happen in the Android world. Just not for Apple and (again, ironically) Microsoft.
 
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Mc0 said:
Or maybe he’s reached the age where he doesn’t care anymore. He just use whatever works for him.
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This is what happened to me but with the iPhone. I used android for years and just got tired of it. The iPhone just works better for me and I’m used to it. It’s good to have choice.
 
For years we've witnessed what money and PR can do for image. Next in line will be Zuckerberg. In 20 years people will view him as a gift to mankind.
 
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