Microsoft exec mocks iPhone 4, dubs it Apple's Vista

Compuerworld ^ | 07/14/2010 | Greg Keizer

[SeekAndFind]

A top Microsoft executive today compared Apple's iPhone 4 to his own company's problem-plagued Vista operating system.

"It looks like the iPhone 4 might be their Vista, and I'm okay with that," said Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer, in a keynote speech at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), which runs through Thursday in Washington, D.C.

The successor to Windows XP, Vista launched in early 2007 and was heavily criticized by users, and in a series of e-mails that became public during a class-action lawsuit, even by the company's own senior executives. The consensus, deserved or not, has become that Vista was one of Microsoft's worst operating systems.

Earlier in his talk, Turner poked fun at the reception problems that have dogged Apple's iPhone 4 since its June 24 launch. "One of the things I want to make sure you know today is that you're going to be able to use a Windows Phone 7 and not have to worry about how you're holding it to make a phone call," Turner said, referring to the Microsoft mobile operating system set to debut on smartphones this fall.

Complaints about the iPhone 4's call reception surfaced within hours of its release to retail, as buyers griped that touching the external antenna -- embedded in a steel band that encircles the case -- often dropped calls or caused the signal strength indicator to plummet. Apple acknowledged that holding the iPhone 4 could weaken the cellular signal, then a week later claimed that the iPhone 4's signal formula was flawed and promised to update the software.

[SES1066]

While not "SPECIFICALLY" an operating system, I will remind all of Microsoft's "Bob" which was their effort at a user-friendly interface on top of Win3.11 and Win 95! It is now so dated (1995) that I cannot mention it without explaining it, BUT it was such a disaster that it almost made "ME" look good (in terms of unit sales, at least!)

What might be more memorable is that one of Microsoft's most INFAMOUS efforts at a user 'assistant' came from this graphic effort, to whit - "Clippit" the animated MS Office Paperclip! Remember?

I submit that the combination of these 2 products permanently damaged MS' reputation as a "Cool Product Producer".

[The Truth Will Make You Free]

That's wishful thinking on Microsoft's part. Vista had NOTHING good about it and is a dog in every way. The iPhone 4 has a wonderful screen, front camera, flash, faster processor, longer battery life, an occasional antenna problem, and occasionally drops calls. It's better in EVERYWAY except that.

[csvset]

Nothing will ever top Windoze ME for the title of "worst OS ever."

Amen.

[The_Victor]

While not "SPECIFICALLY" an operating system, I will remind all of Microsoft's "Bob" which was their effort at a user-friendly interface on top of Win3.11 and Win 95!

You might have a point. I never used Bob, so I can't speak from personal experience, but the problem with Bob wasn't that it crashed and locked up like Win ME, just that it was just stupid and no one wanted to waste their time with it. It was a disaster as a software release, but it wasn't a bad OS. But Win 3.11 and Win 95 were both pretty good as OSs go.