Ballmer oblivious to Google's expanse

Say what you will about Bill Gates, but you have to admit he understood his competition (and he has $80 billion to prove it). But Steve Ballmer (http://tinyurl.com/2vcpd5)? Perhaps not so much. He recently criticized Google for still being one type of business, "search and advertising", while Microsoft has re-invented itself many times and now offers much more than desktop operating systems. He acknowledged their acquisition of YouTube was a step toward something new, but that it was still related to their core business. Of course, by that rationale, Microsoft's first re-inventive move was the XBox, since everything else they offer is Windows-related. That aside, is Ballmer really that oblivious to the directions in which Google is expanding? They launched free wifi in San Francisco. They're actively pursuing the office productivity market. Images from Google Earth are shown every night on the major newscasts. C'mon Ballmer, it's one thing to downplay the competition, it's another to gloss right over all their major activity.

CateGoogles: general_tech Mood = skeptical