Gates Says He's the MacDaddy

[jmiller]

Sounding a bit smug about Microsoft’s ability to knock off Apple products, Bill Gates predicted an anemic future for iPod.

His grim prediction was revealed in an interview published in German newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, saying that iPod popularity has been a first generation temporary type of zeitgeist having the same fate as the Mac.

“You can make parallels with computers: Apple was very strong in this field before, with its Macintosh and its graphics user interface--like the iPod today--and then lost its position," said Gates.

"As good as Apple may be, I don't believe the success of the iPod is sustainable in the long run."

Proving to be a shrewd marketer recently, especially with supposed Xbox information leaks, Gates didn’t hesitate to predict that mobile phones with similar music capabilities would eclipse the 15-million sold iPod, particularly Microsoft’s own so far blasé received Windows Mobile smartphone software.
"If you were to ask me which mobile device will take top place for listening to music, I'd bet on the mobile phone for sure," he added.

[slideri812]

Bill has been listening to the sound of his own voice for far to long. Not only has Apple sold more that 15 million iPods, but iTunes moved more the 1M songs in less then a year. More music than all of the other paid services combined for the same time period.

Not to mention, bill and co. are using wmv with "content rights management". No one in their right mind, especially the target market of 12 to 25 yr olds, is going to use products that prohibit you from using your music the way you want.

Let me see now, pay more to M$, get less for my money and have them tell me what I can and can not do with my music OR use iPod and iTunes, Rip - Mix - Burn to my hearts content with no restrictions.

Wow bill, you're right, tuff choice. LOL