MS blatantly copies Apple's mobile strategies:

- Minimum features, but everything should 'just work'
- Strip the OS down to the barebone functions that 'sells', release subsequent features with fanfares as OS upgrades (no copy & paste in first revision)
- Minimize hardware differences as much as possible
- Apple marries iPod ecosystem with iPhone. MS tries to do the same with Zune to WP7.
- etc

So, if there's one thing that Ballmer sees in Nokia in relation to Apple is that Apple has gotten immense advantage by tightly coupling the development of their software platform and their hardware delivery vehicles.

Given the chance, I think MS would give a big 'F*CK YOU' to their (non performing) WP launch partners and try to take over the market themselves through Nokia.