Apples Quote by Steve Ballmer
“You can have an Apple in the phone business, or a RIM, and they can do very well, but when 1.3 billion phones a year are all smart, the software that's gonna be most popular in those phones is gonna be software that's sold by somebody who doesn't make their own phones.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Business Strategy, 2005
Software success lies with companies that focus on platforms, not hardware manufacturing.
In simple terms: Platform focus wins.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize software ecosystems.
Themes
technology
strategy
innovation
Mood
analytical
forward‑looking
Type
business
technology
When to use this quote
- tech startups
- enterprise software
- mobile app development
Key Concepts
platform economics
network effects
industry disruption
Questions to Reflect On
- How can hardware makers transition to platform models?
- What risks accompany platform reliance?
A Different Perspective
Hardware dependence can limit flexibility.
![“[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_apple_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)
