Ballmer: Android is 'Wild' and 'Uncontrolled,' iOS is 'High-Priced' and 'Highly Controlled'

This is a discussion thread for the "Ballmer: Android is 'Wild' and 'Uncontrolled,' iOS is 'High-Priced' and 'Highly Controlled'" story posted on the front page.

Each of those three mobile operating systems has its advantages, and consequently their disadvantages. Choosing between the three can be solved by the age-old concept of choosing the one with the "lesser evils", yet how so? Quantitative, or qualitative? I'd say Windows Phone quantitative has fewer disadvantages, yet Android and iOS have more qualitative advantages.
Having a third option makes a bit of a mush out of the options available as you seek out the quantities and qualities of the competing products's advantages and disadvantages. With BlackBerry 10 looking more and more attractive (to me, at least), it seems like we have four competitors in the smartphone market, as to where back in the day it was just three: iOS leading it off, closely trailed by Android, while Palm was playing catch-up with its Pre line and BlackBerry was dead to all but businessmen and hipsters.

So let me guess, Windows 8 meets both of them in the middle and is the perfect mobile OS.

I love that pic of Ballmer on the front. Makes me laugh.

It would be nice to see Windows Phone become somewhat popular. Right now most people would have no idea what Windows Phone is. I'd even go as far to say that when they see Windows Phones in the store they think it's just like all the android phones. In their mind it's iPhone or 'smartphone'.

Which is why Win8 is Wildly Controlled. They're trying to compromise, but from what I've seen of Windows Phone it takes all the wrong stuff from iOS and all the wrong stuff from Android. A visually interesting UI does not a good OS make.

That is to say, people like Android because of the freedom and sideloading, and iOS because of the large app catalogue and ease of use. WinPhone has none of that.

IMO What he's saying is exactly right. What I want to know, which I can't find anywhere, is how open Windows Phone 8 is? I can't find info on this anywhere. Do Windows Phones come with root access? If not it's really not all that different than iOS. Highly crafted, beautiful, and limited.

There may be OS' entering this battle but I don't see anymore than 3 staying around for long. Either Windows Phone will succeed or BB10 will. It won't be both.