Steve Ballmer Talks About Microsoft vs Apple

As part of an interview for CNET Conversations, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that Apple's ads may resonate with its fans, but says "I'm glad we're doing a great job with the other 96.5 percent."

Ina: It seems like Apple still gets the benefit of owning the message sticking with we’re cool, we’re simple, we’re safe. Can you talk a little bit about your marketing strategy and like just personally, what's your reaction when you see them constantly just beating you guys over the head? Steve: What do you want me to say? They’ve done a very good job of marketing for their 3 and a half percent of the market. I think they do a great job for their 3 and a half percent and I'm glad we’re doing a great job for the other 96 and a half percent. I mean, at the end of the day the fruits and the pudding. We got whatever the number is, 96, 95. Take the pick. And they got 3, 4, 5. Those are about the right numbers. And they advertise basically to that small niche of people who want they're machines. I don’t take it away from them, they make a very good business doing it. And they're selling something like 10 or 11 million PC a year. 10 or 11 million Macs a year. And we’re selling about 300 million PCs a year. And so we need to have messages that are appropriate to the vast majority of people and its fine. There may be 3 percent of people who appreciates their approach. Our job is to make sure we keep a very healthy ecosystem, high volumes with Windows tell our story. I think they're telling our story. You know, if you want to be counter culture, you will sell to a counter culture market. Or whatever they're trying to do in their ads there. I think they're ads are got, I admit, one could say cute when they first came out. I think they just got kind of edgy silly itself. But I'm not on bias on the issue.