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The chairman of Microsoft isn't impressed with reports that Google will develop a cellphone that can compete with others in the market, like ones running Windows Mobile.

Bill Gates Yawns At Google Phone

Gates will involve himself fully with his philanthropic efforts after he steps away (mostly) from Microsoft next year. It's our loss in the tech media world, because we won't have stinging quotes from him after he departs.

In recent times, Gates has directed some of his famed invective at Google, a company he once described as the most similar competitor to Microsoft he'd ever seen. That trend continued in a New York Times interview with him.

For one thing, don't expect Gates to pick up a Google Phone if it ever comes to market:

"How many products, of all the Google products that have been introduced, how many of them are profit-making products?" he asked. "They’ve introduced about 30 different products; they have one profit-making product. So, you’re now making a prediction without ever seeing the software that they’re going to have the world’s best phone and it’s going to be free?"

Of course, that one profit-making product happens to be search advertising, an offshoot of Google's dominance in the search engine market. It's been a steamroller to the competition, including Microsoft and its adCenter service.

The minor quibble we have with Gates' comments is that he may be missing what people see as the real appeal of a possible Google Phone. It isn't so much the software, which will have to be effective, but the potential for a Google Phone to be the razor sharp edge of a blade that cuts into the cellphone industry.

We have high hopes that a Google Phone would be backed by a Google Network, with its services available for a far lower cost than what the wireless industry charges customers today. That's the real point of difference that has people interested in Google's efforts.