
Ballmer grudgingly conceded that he was impressed with work done by Apple and Facebook in bringing applications to the masses through better ways of distribution. He further praised Apple App Store admitting that the store shows 'good work' in getting developers' wares to customers. Taking a leaf from its competitor Ballmer hinted that Microsoft Corp. is working on a software distribution scheme along the lines of Apple's iPhone App Store, but being the monopoly player in the IT industry, Microsoft's application marketplace, and delivery mechanism is the industry itself. Simply cataloguing the plethora of software available from DOS to Windows 7, Windows Mobile, and now Windows Azure is overwhelming. It may seem logical to divide the software by platforms, but as Ballmer said himself today, one of Microsoft's goals is to unify the experience between different devices for users and developers.
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