MacDailyNews - Microsoft probes Apple's iPhone for profit opportunities

Microsoft executives aren"t sure yet whether they"ll find worthwhile opportunities to sell iPhone software - but they seem eager to find out," Jon Fortt blogs for Fortune. Fortt reports, "'It"s really important for us to understand what we can bring to the iPhone,' Tom Gibbons, corporate vice president of Microsoft"s Specialized Devices and Applications Group, told Fortune on Monday.

To the extent that Mac Office customers have functionality that they need in that environment, we"re actually in the process of trying to understand that now.'

The Mac unit"s work certainly isn"t charity - it delivers millions of dollars in profit for the company with its Mac version of the Office productivity suite," Fortt repots. We'll save them the effort: It's because Microsoft wanted to force businesses to keep buying PCs instead of Macs; not on their own merits (because they lose badly), but by creating artificial lock-in. It's the Microsoft way.

And it worked - until Steve Jobs executed an end-around with Intel-powered Macs that could slum it with Windows when necessary. So, same as with our Macs, we'll install intentionally-hobbled Microsoft bloatware on our iPhones as soon as infinity rolls around, thanks. Advertisements: • Introducing MacBook Air. The world's thinnest notebook.

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A microsoft product for the iPhone is guaranteed to break UI conventions, slow down the entire phone, and may very well introduce macro viruses to the iPhone (like they did with Office for the Mac in the 90's). The virus thing might even happen intentionally. I'm sure Microsoft engineers have been looking into that for over a year, now. Mar 25, 08 - 09:40 am Comment from: Gil I don't think 32GB would be enough.. Mar 25, 08 - 09:47 am Comment from: hardmanb There are those who accuse Microsoft of copying Apple's ideas and features in their operating systems.

It makes you wonder if they are looking at Mac OS Mobile with a view to their continuing development of Windows Mobile 7, due out in 2009. Mar 25, 08 - 09:48 am Comment from: mas "what we can bring to the iPhone" Don't they mean "copy"? Mar 25, 08 - 09:49 am Comment from: Woody Ugh. Ew.. Sorry, had to go throw up at the thought of MS-written software on my iPhone. Mar 25, 08 - 09:50 am Comment from: Blue Dream Never underestimate the power of Micro$oft to write bad and unintuitive software, even while using Apple's own SDK and Apple's hardware.

Mar 25, 08 - 09:50 am Comment from: Charles-Augustin de Coulomb "Microsoft probes Apple"s iPhone for profit opportunities" Without the courtesy of lubrication, no doubt.

Mar 25, 08 - 09:51 am Comment from: Jay-Z As much as I don't want it on MY iPhone - enterprise users will want as many Office capabilities as possible on their iPhones. And Apple obviously cares about iPhone in the enterprise. The only reason Microsoft wouldn't develop iPhone apps is if they want to cut the iPhone off at the knees.

This will just leave the opportunity for someone else to develop software that edits Office docs on the iPhone. Mar 25, 08 - 09:59 am Comment from: Synthmeister Thank God, Apple will vet all software through the App store! And if MS does manage to come up with something decent, Apple will receive a 30% cut! Apple wins both ways. Keep the crap out and make money off anything good.

In any event, it won't have anything to do with WinCe. Who knows, maybe they'll come out with a great version of Solitaire or something. Mar 25, 08 - 10:04 am Comment from: Not on My Phone, Not on My Computer I run my own business and I do it without one single Micros t product of any kind. I decided to put my money where my mouth was and remove all traces of Micros t from my life. My website has a notice on the back page. It reads, "Micros t free company.

No Micros t product was used in the production of this site." It can be done. I recommend everyone at least try. You are a Mac user and you use Micros t? Cut the cord. Mar 25, 08 - 10:20 am Comment from: LiM Would love to cut the chord, but Pages choked when I threw it a biig text file, and Numbers choked when I threw it a biig spreadsheet. I have to get my work done.. Had high hopes for Pixelmator too, until I threw it a biig scan.. Maybe in a few years..

I can leave them "behind" - MW. Mar 25, 08 - 10:25 am Comment from: megame embrace and extinguish don't trust microsoft one bit. Mar 25, 08 - 10:26 am Comment from: Macaday I'm fine with it - provided that the iPhone Applications Store has health warnings attached to all MS software. Mar 25, 08 - 10:36 am Comment from: Buster Its great that Microsoft, with its resources, will develop software for the iPhone.

MS has name brand recognition and people will flock to buy the numerous different apps that MS can quickly produce in response to consumer wishes..

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