Appeals Quote by Steve Ballmer
“500 dollars? Fully subsidized? With a plan? I said that is the most expensive phone in the world. And it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard. Which makes it not a very good email machine.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Bloomberg Tech Talk, 2010
The speaker criticizes a high‑priced smartphone lacking a physical keyboard, arguing it fails to meet business users’ needs for efficient email.
In simple terms: Expensive phones without keyboards aren’t good for business email.
Key Takeaway
Consider user needs before pricing.
Themes
technology
business
user experience
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
opinion
analysis
When to use this quote
- enterprise sales
- product development
- marketing positioning
Key Concepts
mobile design
keyboard ergonomics
pricing strategy
Questions to Reflect On
- Do business users prioritize price over functionality?
- How essential is a physical keyboard for email efficiency?
A Different Perspective
Business users may still prefer keyboards despite trends.
![“[Apple and RIM] are probably restricted, in some sense, to a certain maximum. ... If you want to reach more people than that, you sort-of have to separate the hardware and the software issue.” quote by Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a34/steve-ballmer-3273_apples_apple-and-rim-are-probably-restricted-in_174230.jpg)
![“I don't think there is one size that fits all [] I've been to too many meetings with journalists who spent the first 10 minutes of the meeting setting up iPad to look like a laptop.” quote by Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/248/steve-ballmer-3273_firsts_i-don-t-think-there-is-one-size-that-fit_198460.jpg)
