Neil Hughes
Just before his company's Surface Pro 4 event, the head of Microsoft's Windows division took a shot at Apple, recalling disparaging comments its CEO Tim Cook made about "converged" devices like the Surface tablet a few years ago.
Cook made headlines back in 2012 during a quarterly earnings call, when he suggested hybrid tablet and PC devices offer too many compromises to be appealing to most consumers. At the time, Cook said that the tradeoffs found with devices like Microsoft Surface leave a mobile computer that "doesn't please anyone."
"You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but, you know, those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user," Cook said.
Cook's three-year-old comments were on the mind of Microsoft's Terry Myerson on Tuesday morning, less than an hour before his company's Surface Pro 4 event in New York. Myerson took to Twitter to send a photo of a crudely drawn refrigerator-toaster hybrid at a handful of Microsoft-focused tech journalist.
"hope you enjoy the show today...pay attention — some new things might pop up," Myerson wrote.
Microsoft is hoping that its Surface Pro 4 event will stifle some of the anticipation for Apple's own iPad Pro, a 12.9-inch high-end tablet that is set to become available in November. Like with the Surface Pro, Apple will also sell keyboard and stylus accessories to offer new, portable input methods with its own touchscreen tablet.
In addition to the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft is also set to unveil new flagship Lumia smartphones intended to compete with Apple's latest generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. It can be streamed live from Microsoft's website.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
99 Comments
Its the east coast west coast beef all over again.
Poor Microsoft. When was the last time they released a new revolutionary product that took the world by storm? Let's see what they have to offer today...
[quote name="AppleSauce007" url="/t/188758/microsoft-exec-jabs-at-apple-tweets-drawing-of-converged-toaster-and-refrigerator#post_2786415"]Poor Microsoft. When was the last time they released a new revolutionary product that took the world by storm? [/quote] Why do they have to? Is a product that doesn't take the world by storm automatically a failure?
The pot shots that these guys take at each other is getting a little old. It's sort of entertaining, but mostly makes for great troll food. My recommendation is that non of these guys should throw stones when their own products have issues as well.
[quote name="AppleSauce007" url="/t/188758/microsoft-exec-jabs-at-apple-tweets-drawing-of-converged-toaster-and-refrigerator#post_2786415"]Poor Microsoft. When was the last time they released a new revolutionary product that took the world by storm? Let's see what they have to offer today...[/quote] "Introducing the all-new Microsoft Refrigerator-Toaster Pro!"