{"id":1693,"date":"2011-01-11T16:55:14","date_gmt":"2011-01-11T07:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2011-01-11\/1693"},"modified":"2011-01-11T16:55:38","modified_gmt":"2011-01-11T07:55:38","slug":"balmers-theres-no-chance-that-the-iphone-is-going-to-get-any-significant-market-share-no-chance-quote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2011-01-11\/1693","title":{"rendered":"Balmer’s \u201cThere’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.\u201d Quote"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nApple vs.<\/i> Microsoft since Balmer's Bold Statement\ngraph via Google Finance<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

An article<\/a>\nI read<\/span> today included the author's speculation that:<\/p>\n\n

\n“the Verizon iPhone is expected to add a few<\/span> more billion dollars to Apple's bottom line<\/i>”\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

“A few more billion dollars” would be big money to me, but it's probably\nnot all that big a deal<\/span> to a company<\/span> the size of Apple (the 2nd largest\ncompany in America). Still, it brought to mind something Microsoft CEO\nSteve Balmer said in April 2007, a couple<\/span> of months before the iPhone was\nreleased. In an\ninterview with USA Today<\/i><\/a>, Mr. Balmer said:<\/p>\n\n
“<\/td>\n\nThere's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant\nmarket share. No chance.<\/span>\nIt's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot<\/span> of money. But if you<\/span>\nactually take a look<\/span> at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer<\/span> to\nhave our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would<\/span> to have 2% or\n3%, which is what Apple might get.<\/i><\/td><\/tr>\n\n
—Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer<\/td><\/tr><\/table>\n\n

This bit of hubris is pretty funny, especially with the luxury of hindsight, but most of what he says is actually correct. Let's look....<\/p>\n\n