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Steve Ballmer: “You need to be a computer scientist to use Android”

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Steve Ballmer is not known for holding back and at the Web 2.0 Summit on Tuesday, the Microsoft CEO tossed out some decent one-liners. Attacking Google search, Android, Yahoo, and touting the company’s recent purchase of Skype, Ballmer let loose, as he often does. Below are some select quotes. 

On Android: “You don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone. I think you do to use an Android Phone…It is hard for me to be excited about the Android phones.”

On Apple: “Apple is a good competitor, but a different one…Both [an iPhone and a Windows phone] are going to feel very good in your hand and both going to look very beautiful physically…. but when you grab a Windows phone and use it… your information is front and centre… and you don’t have to scroll through seas of icons and blah blah blah. A Windows phone gets things done.”

On rumors of Microsoft making its own hardware: “We are [only] focused on enabling hardware innovation…We have been very successful enabling hardware innovation and will continue to do so.”

On Bing: “Today I’d issue you all a challenge to go take any search you want and try it out on Bing and Google! Seventy percent of the time you probably won’t care, 15 percent you’ll like us better, 15 percent you’ll like other guy better!”

On Microsoft’s failed bid for Yahoo in 2008: “Sometimes you are lucky. Ask any CEO who might have bought something before the market crashed (in 2008)… Hallelujah! Putting everything else aside, the market fell apart…. Sometimes you’re lucky.”

On competing with Google in cloud services:  “All in, baby!. We are winning, winning, winning, winning.” 

On Google+ and social: “There are a variety of different things that fall under the social banner. We’re adding what I’d call ‘connectivity to people’ into our core products, The acquisition of Skype is big step down that path toward connecting with other people.” 

The quotes in this article were compiled from the Telegraph, InformationWeek, CNET, and Internet Evolution

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
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