Bill Gates unimpressed by Apple iPad
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, a longtime proponent of tablet-style computing and touchscreen devices, has said he is not impressed by what he's seen of Apple's iPad.
The multi-billionaire spoke with Brent Schlender of BNET and admitted that while he became envious of the iPhone, the iPad has not elicited the same reaction from him.
"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," Gates reportedly said.
"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.'"
Gates joins a chorus of technology enthusiasts and casual users alike who have said they feel they were let down by Apple's iPad announcement. One study found that while the number of users interested in buying the device tripled after it was unveiled, the lion's share have said they will not purchase an iPad.
Gates' support of tablet-style computers is nothing new It was in 2001 that he and Microsoft introduced the "Tablet PC," which was predicted to be everyone's primary computer in just a few years. However, the form-factor and input method failed to catch on.
At the D conference in 2007, Gates and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs sat down together for an interview in which the two tech titans spent some time talking about the future of computing, and where tablet-style devices might fit into the mix.
"I believe in the tablet form factor," Gates said in 2007. "I think you'll have voice. I think you?ll have ink. You'll have some way of having a hardware keyboard and some settings for that. And then you'll have the device that fits in your pocket, which the whole notion of how much function should you combine in there, you know, there's navigation computers, there's media, there's phone. Technology is letting us put more things in there, but then again, you really want to tune it so people know what they expect."
While Jobs didn't embrace the tablet form factor like Gates did, he did say he believed computers were going to become even more mobile, and the very idea of what consumers view as a computer could change dramatically.
"This general purpose device is going to continue to be with us and morph with us, whether it's a tablet or a notebook or, you know, a big curved desktop that you have at your house or whatever it might be," Jobs said. "So I think that'll be something that most people have, at least in this society. In others, maybe not, but certainly in this one."
Of course, Apple's latest take on the tablet is much different than the options offered by Microsoft and competitors up until this point, with the multi-touch, multimedia iPad being more akin to an iPod touch than a MacBook. Analysts expect the iPad to sell millions in its first year.
The multi-billionaire spoke with Brent Schlender of BNET and admitted that while he became envious of the iPhone, the iPad has not elicited the same reaction from him.
"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," Gates reportedly said.
"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.'"
Gates joins a chorus of technology enthusiasts and casual users alike who have said they feel they were let down by Apple's iPad announcement. One study found that while the number of users interested in buying the device tripled after it was unveiled, the lion's share have said they will not purchase an iPad.
Gates' support of tablet-style computers is nothing new It was in 2001 that he and Microsoft introduced the "Tablet PC," which was predicted to be everyone's primary computer in just a few years. However, the form-factor and input method failed to catch on.
At the D conference in 2007, Gates and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs sat down together for an interview in which the two tech titans spent some time talking about the future of computing, and where tablet-style devices might fit into the mix.
"I believe in the tablet form factor," Gates said in 2007. "I think you'll have voice. I think you?ll have ink. You'll have some way of having a hardware keyboard and some settings for that. And then you'll have the device that fits in your pocket, which the whole notion of how much function should you combine in there, you know, there's navigation computers, there's media, there's phone. Technology is letting us put more things in there, but then again, you really want to tune it so people know what they expect."
While Jobs didn't embrace the tablet form factor like Gates did, he did say he believed computers were going to become even more mobile, and the very idea of what consumers view as a computer could change dramatically.
"This general purpose device is going to continue to be with us and morph with us, whether it's a tablet or a notebook or, you know, a big curved desktop that you have at your house or whatever it might be," Jobs said. "So I think that'll be something that most people have, at least in this society. In others, maybe not, but certainly in this one."
Of course, Apple's latest take on the tablet is much different than the options offered by Microsoft and competitors up until this point, with the multi-touch, multimedia iPad being more akin to an iPod touch than a MacBook. Analysts expect the iPad to sell millions in its first year.
Comments
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, a longtime proponent of tablet-style computing and touchscreen devices, has said he is not impressed by what he's seen of Apple's iPad.
Which is the MS "Kiss of Success" for an Apple product! That and the nervous laugh we heard from Steve Ballmer when he was expressing his views on Apple's iPhone!
"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," Gates reportedly said.
If that is what is required to make a tablet a success, why have none of your efforts became known as "Gamer Changers?!" Netbook!? Really?! A netbook is a cheap copy of a cheap PC laptop... If that's mainstream then I'm happy to be odd man out, thank you very much! Oh and while it looks cool and has the potential for it's own niche market, we are still waiting on that "Courier" thingy...
"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.'"
Code for Microsoft's 'iPad' will be out within a year or two... maybe three... Depends on our OS...
Bill Gates knows innovation like Donald Trump knows how to mop his floor.
Short of that I'd probably just stick with an iPod touch because it's more portable (while wishing it was a little bigger... got that Apple, I'd like something between the touch and the iPad
Gates' support of tablet-style computers is nothing new It was in 2001 that he and Microsoft introduced the "Tablet PC," which was predicted to be everyone's primary computer in just a few years. However, the form-factor and input method failed to catch on.
Right, because the OS had nothing to with....
Windows is mildly tolerable on a PC but downright unusable on a Netbook. And the reason why the MS tablet didn|t catch on was that the OS was so annoying and while trying to do everything didn|t do anything well (see Steve Jobs on that) that people didn|t WANT to use it.
It never fails to amaze me that MS looks at something someone else does (iPod, iPhone, OS, you name it) and then says "well, that's not very remarkable, is it?"
Well, buddy, then why didn't YOU think of it?
Really, who cares what those people think.
You must- why did you respond?
I find it hypocritical that a marketing guy that never really invented anything except DOS says "no biggie" to something he doesn't really know anything about.
Bill Gates knows innovation like Donald Trump knows how to mop his floor.
You do know Steve Jobs never developed, engineered, or designed anything right? Is he a hypocrite too for saying something isn't up to snuff?
At least Gates actually designed, engineered, developed, SOMETHING!
what does he know about the possible success of the ipad? what product besides his windows monopoly people have to suffer has been successful?
Zillions of them. Try Office for starters.
Being a border-line tech-nerd myself (girls kinda like me, but not too much), I was a little unsure what to think of it when it first came out, but I now think it's going to be a big success. I keep finding myself in situations where it would be the perfect tool, and the normal people that I talk to are pretty interested in it.
"... but there?s nothing on the iPad I look at and say, 'Oh, I wish Microsoft had done it.'"
From MacDailyNews ...
Mr. Originality strikes again. From 2004: "There's nothing that the iPod does that I say, 'Oh, wow, I don't think we can do that.'" - Bill Gates, September 02, 2004
And we all know what a failure the iPod touch has been
For once I agree with bill gates. The iPad really is unimpressive.
Thank you- and no amount of spin here or from Apple will change that. It's basiclly an extension of the iTunes store (an iPod) and, even worse, a hobby exactly like the Apple TV (another iPod) was when it was released. And look where that is today.
Now I will be accused of being negative and a troll but I could care less.
Gates joins a chorus of technology enthusiasts and casual users alike who have said they feel they were let down by Apple's iPad announcement.
I'm still betting that the iPad will be a smash hit though. Plan on buying one myself, and I haven't bought a new Apple product in like twelve years.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, a longtime proponent of tablet-style computing and touchscreen devices, has said he is not impressed by what he's seen of Apple's iPad....
I'm sorry, but Bill Gates is probably the last person we should be listening to when it comes to predictions of future technology like this. For starters he has been wrong about almost every "prediction" like this he has ever made.
Also, he doesn't even make sense. If you read his actual words as reported above, this "prediction," (like most of his others) is just one statement in the middle of a whole bunch of conflicting and mutually exclusive other statements. It's total bafflegab, similar to when Balmer starts talking marketing and sales.
He talks vaguely about a lot of things. He says how he believes in the tablet but then talks about it having a hardware keyboard. He talks about something that "fits in your pocket" in the same context (a tablet?), and more vagueness about the capabilities each of these possible devices might have.
Apple is the company actually designing these devices. They are the ones actually making the decisions about what technology goes into them and how they work.
All Bill does is dream a little tech dream and hope for the future. Anyone can do that. His "predictions" are no better than what any tech person could tell about what they think might happen in the next few years. He just has a pulpit to preach from is all.
I think how successful the iPad will be will depend a lot in what kind of applications developers dream up. Personally, I think it's on the big side and wish it were a little smaller. But if Apple came out with a version of Aperture for the iPad that let me load my photos in the field, review/edit/arrange them on the iPad, and then sync the whole project back to my desktop, then I'd say with a high degree of certainty that I'd get one.
Short of that I'd probably just stick with an iPod touch because it's more portable (while wishing it was a little bigger... got that Apple, I'd like something between the touch and the iPad
BEAUTIFUL idea! Shooting with your DSLR tethered to an iPad would be an asset that would be invaluable and make a wonderful professional reason to buy one!
Alas though.... Unless they made the iPad so that I can tether it to my iPhone and I don't need to pay for any extra data package I most likely will not be in the market for one. I have my iPhone and I have my MacBook Pro. Do I really need or want a 9.7" iPod Touch that cannot embrace the real internet?
For once I agree with bill gates. The iPad really is unimpressive.
Yep.
You do know Steve Jobs never developed, engineered, or designed anything right? Is he a hypocrite too for saying something isn't up to snuff?
At least Gates actually designed, engineered, developed, SOMETHING!
Really? I doubt that very much. I guess he never scribbled ideas on a notepad or something in Apple's early years and had things built based upon his ideas. How do you define develop, engineer or designed?
I think that Gates represents a big segment of the tech nerd set but a small segment of the overall population. The tech nerds look at the iPad's tech specs, not at the whole device. They go down the spec sheet and see a bunch of components and features that are already available in other products (though not necessarily all in the same product, which is kind of the point), and so they are not impressed. They can't see the whole thing and they can't see how other non-tech geeks will see it. They really are tone deaf on this. It's kind of funny to watch. And when you go to the tech nerd sites, you see a lot of confusion and even anger over the device -- I think it's because they're ticked off that once again they are left out in the cold -- the rest of the world perceives something they don't, and it drives them nuts. It's almost as if it reminds them that girls don't like them, never will, and they don't understand why.
Being a border-line tech-nerd myself (girls kinda like me, but not too much), I was a little unsure what to think of it when it first came out, but I now think it's going to be a big success. I keep finding myself in situations where it would be the perfect tool, and the normal people that I talk to are pretty interested in it.
i agree 100%