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Microsoft Employees Hide Their iPhones Around Ballmer [Sources Say 10% Of Microsoft Employees Are Avid iPhone Users, Hide Their Phones When Executives Are Around]
In: gadgets
18 Mar 2010It’s not really a shock that some of the the hi-tech geeks who work for Microsoft would enjoy the iPhone over the (usually) dreadful Windows Mobile devices. But, as it turns out, they’re forced to hide their iPhones from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Very few employees will use an iPhone openly, some disguise them in “old” smartphone cases (Palm Treo 680, anybody?).
Why Microsoft has no official ban on using iPhones at Microsoft’s Redmond campus, Steve Ballmer, according to reports from within, says frequently to employees that when his father was a manager for the Ford Motor Company, they drove Ford cars. For example, Steve Ballmer told Fortune magazine in 2006 that his kids don’t use an iPod, and that they used Windows Live Search (now Bing) over Google.
Sources within Microsoft say that when word spreads that Ballmer or other high-level executives are coming by various buildings in the Microsoft campus, iPhones disappear out of sight. While nobody has been fired for seen using an iPhone, it definitely sounds like an interesting atmosphere.
The Wall Street Journal, who broke the story, compared it to Apple, where it reports that most Apple employees, from the engineers at Cupertino to the retail jockies at Apple Stores all proudly use Apple computers, iPhones, etc. This story has to be viewed through the lens of Windows Phone 7, which, by all accounts, looks to be much better than Windows Mobile 6.5 (and any version of Windows Mobile, actually). It’ll be interesting to see if the iPhone users at Microsoft make the switch to Windows Phone 7.
How do you feel about the (so-called) “culture of fear” at Microsoft regarding the iPhone?
Original Post Link: Microsoft Employees Hide Their iPhones Around Ballmer [Sources Say 10% Of Microsoft Employees Are Avid iPhone Users, Hide Their Phones When Executives Are Around] | Published by TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities
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3 Responses to Microsoft Employees Hide Their iPhones Around Ballmer [Sources Say 10% Of Microsoft Employees Are Avid iPhone Users, Hide Their Phones When Executives Are Around]
Max M
March 26th, 2010 at 12:21 am
I don't know of any software that Apple makes that will make it support Verizon but you may be able to find a third party software by googling for it.
FnK
March 26th, 2010 at 1:32 am
Palm Treo 680
The good: The Palm Treo 680 features a sleeker design; integrated Bluetooth with the ability to use it as a wireless modem; more user-accessible memory; and e-mail capabilities. It also offers a bright touch screen and productivity tools and is easy to use.
The bad: The smart phone doesn't have integrated Wi-Fi nor does it support Palm's Wi-Fi card or voice dialing. What's more, the VGA camera is disappointing, the QWERTY keyboard is a bit cramped, and the speakerphone quality is a bit scratchy.
The bottom line: With a user-friendly interface, decent performance, and an affordable price point, the Palm Treo 680 is a good smart phone for the first-time buyer or for mobile users looking to be more productive on the road; we just wish it had a better camera and Wi-Fi support.
AT&T Tilt
The good: The AT&T Tilt features a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard and a tilting screen. The Windows Mobile 6 smartphone also offers the full gamut of wireless options, including 3G and GPS, push e-mail, a 3-megapixel camera, and support for AT&TMusic and Video.
The bad: Speakerphone quality wasn't the greatest, and talk-time battery life was on the shorter side. The Tilt was sluggish at times, and picture quality was subpar. We also had problems acquiring a GPS fix.
The bottom line: The AT&T Tilt promises to be the carrier's most powerful smartphone for business users with its full range of wireless options, Windows Mobile 6, and innovative tilt screen.
T A
March 26th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Unfortunately the only place to fix the touchscreens – as far as I know – is Palm. I encountered the same problem with my Zire 71 and 72.
You will discover two things when you call them.
1. It will cost more to repair/replace the screen than it will to buy a new , and identical, PDA.
2. Palm's customer service can be very rude.
Also, they can and probably will copy all of your personal information from your PDA. And who knows what they can do with it.
MY ADVICE – purchase another one. Then, synchronize with your computer, making sure that the setup copies from the computer onto the PDA. Vice-versa will wipe-out all previously synchronized data. So, be careful. Then, destroy the old PDA. I primarily bust it up with a hammer and then torch it for a few minutes. It may sound extreme, but I was once the victim of identity theft. So, I will be extreme in this case. My whole life was pretty much tied-up in my PDAs.
Good luck with this