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Microsoft's early mobile strategy was "clearly a mistake", according to its chairman Bill Gates – but he refused to criticise chief executive Steve Ballmer, although he didn't give him unequivocal support.
Speaking to CBS on a wide range of topics covering his current activities, Gates was asked about the growing number of articles that seem to contain criticism of Microsoft's strategy.
"We appreciate the advice," Gates says drily. "There's a lot of things like cellphones where we didn't get out in the lead early. We didn't miss cellphones, but the way that we went about it didn't allow us to get the leadership." That strategy, he said, was "clearly a mistake." Explaining precisely why would be "too complicated" for the show segment, he says. (It is a CBS profile, rather than an in-depth study of the mobile business.)