This week, Microsoft shmoozed developers at its Build conference in San Francisco. The event opened with a two-hour keynote presentation on Wednesday, where CEO Steve Ballmer and several other executives took to the stage to discuss what’s happening at Microsoft, and give us all the latest news on its top projects. Back in May, Google did something very similar at Google I/O, and the two events turned out to have a lot in common – right down to both holding on-stage coding demonstrations – but the most striking similarity was the almost complete dismissal of their respective mobile operating systems.
In a break from tradition, Google didn’t announce a new version of Android at Google I/O, and generally skirted around the software, instead choosing to talk about Google Now, Maps, and other Android related apps. Microsoft did the same thing, spending its time discussing Windows 8.1. However, CEO Steve Ballmer painted a different picture during his opening speech, and while one of the two companies can get away with such boldness, the other really can’t.
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