Steve Ballmer decided to take a look at all around Microsoft and answer some questions at the MIX08 online technology conference in Las Vegas on Thursday. On his agenda, among other things, everything that’s “hot” right now on the market, such as Apple’s iPhone, Apple’s iPhone SDK, Apple’s Macbook Air… and among other things…some of Microsoft’s own creations.

The interesting part was that he was doing all the talking and sharing the stage with Apple’s former employee Guy Kawasaki at the same time. Ballmer had something to say about pretty much everything that concerns tech world, and here it goes:

Apple: nice jobs in music players industry, but competition will continue to be fierce;

MacBook Air: lacks some features, including the DVD drive;

iPhone: Silverlight would look great on it: “We want to see Silverlight everywhere”

iPhone SDK and the 30 percent tariff on applications: “It’s a good business if you can do it … However, he added: “I’m not sure they can do it”

Apple’s adoption of ActiveSync technology for the iPhone: “We’ll be glad to see Apple participate and make ActiveSync more powerful.”

Microsoft and Blu-ray: at some point, they will have to support the new format in the appropriate markets; still no word on Blu-ray and Xbox 360 though;

IE8 for Mac: “We feel it’s smarter for us to do new things rather than bringing another browser to the Mac.”

Windows Vista: the security-over-compatibility problem has been overcome with the help of a lot of upgrades;

Yahoo: the proposal is out there, and the reason why Microsoft made it in the first place was that these days, everything goes around online advertising; Google is as strong as ever, but Microsoft is “the little engine that could”

Bill Gates: “Most of the innovations doesn’t come from Bill… They come from people in the company.”

Ballmer and Bill’s “part-time” : “We don’t exactly know what part-time means.”