Talks to Watch

Steve Ballmer Laughs At The iPhone

853K views · Jul 6, 2011 · 0:45 · 0 HN recommenders · 6 mentions · discussed 2018–2023

A one-minute clip of Steve Ballmer laughing at the original iPhone and dismissing its price and appeal.

Why Hacker News points people here: HN uses it as a joke or cautionary reference when a company or analyst confidently dismisses a product that later succeeds.

What Hacker News said 6

CriticalfossuserOct 2020

“Ballmer made MSFT's probably largest strategic mistake”

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Yeah, while Google immediately scrapped their blackberry like phone project to quickly accelerate an iPhone-ish design for the first android phone, Ballmer made MSFT's probably largest strategic mistake: this video I don't buy the 'things were in motion' while he was there, I think if they were it was in spite of his direction, not because of it.

in “How Microsoft went from “Linux is a cancer” to “Microsoft loves Linux”” · view on HN
JokeonetimemanytimeJul 2018
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Major congrats to them and to the late Jobs. I'd be in the Ballmer category... this video Making telcos "subsidize" it, must be right there with the "pay just the minimum on your credit card" business wise. Brilliant.

in “Apple Reports Third Quarter Results” · view on HN
JokercMgD2BwE72FNov 2018
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> Is there another choice? Not yet, I guess. But the $35K Model 3 should be delivered mid 2019 and the first used sales should be available soon after. I doubt Tesla will decrease its prices (they're slowly securing the industry's profits, à la Apple). I'd expect most people to spend more on EV than did on ICE. I wonder if this legitimate question (when people wonder how much to spend on an EV vs cheap ICE) will be later compared to the famous 2007 Ballmer moment: this video :)

in “The $6T Barrier Holding Electric Cars Back” · view on HN
JokesimonebrunozziNov 2019
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Among many things: “500$? Fully subsidized? With the plan? That is the most expensive phone in the world” [0] [0]: this video

in “Satya Nadella Added $850B to Microsoft” · view on HN
JokemwertyJan 2020
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Steve Ballmer points out iphone's "disadvantages": this video The bet is that the advantages outweigh the negatives.

in “Tesla Surges Above $500, Leaving Analyst Targets in the Dust” · view on HN
JokejveJun 2023
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To everyone complaining about the price, let's add Steve Ballmer to the studio, he will give some weight to your words: this video

in “First impressions: Yes, Apple Vision Pro works and yes, it’s good” · view on HN