Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer fielded heated questions from the software giant’s shareholders Thursday concerned about losing younger consumers to Apple. Responding to a question on how best to market to the “next generation” of computer users, Ballmer remarked that there “is a group of people with whom our market share is less.”
Although Apple CEO Steve Jobs was recently voted the “most admired entrepreneur” among the 12 to 17 year-old age group, Ballmer told the audience “it is important to remember that 96 times out of 100 worldwide, people choose a PC with Windows – that’s a good thing,” according to Seattle, Wash.-based TechFlash.
Asked how Microsoft plans to compete against the iPhone and Google’s Android cell phone operating system, Ballmer said the Redmond, Wash.-based company intends to “focus on the software that goes into phones as opposed to building phones.”
In another exchange, Ballmer, who succeeded founder Bill Gates to lead the Windows maker, said Apple’s advances amounted to a “couple of tenths of a percent of market share.” The Microsoft CEO quickly added “every couple of tenths matter. They matter when we’re increasing our Bing market share, too.” Microsoft’s upstart search engine Bing is attempting to shave some market share from search leader Google.
The remarks resembled earlier comments Ballmer made on Apple’s increasing market share. In July Ballmer told financial analysts Apple’s upswing was a “a rounding error.”
Although Microsoft founder Bill Gates attended the annual shareholders’ meeting, he did not participate in the give-and-take with the audience, reports said Friday.
[Via TechFlash and AppleInsider]
