“The co-founder, chairman and ‘chief software architect’ of Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, would deny it on his life, but the one person Bill Gates admires most for his geeky prowess—and might have chosen to succeed him as software architect—is almost certainly Steve Jobs,” The Economist asserts.
“Unfortunately, Mr Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Computer and victim of Mr Gates’s predatory business instincts during the 1980s and 1990s, cannot be considered available, since he is busy leading Apple’s renaissance as a builder of gadgets and software that, in the opinion of his fans, put Microsoft to shame. So Mr Gates spent years courting the geek he admires second most, a software pioneer named Ray Ozzie,” The Economist reports.
Full article here.
Nearly every article about Gate’s departure uses the phrase, “the world’s largest software company.” Note that they never write “the world’s best software company,” for that would be Apple Computer, Inc.
Back in the early days, “We all bought Macs. Bill bought a Mac. Bill was using a Mac. Bill was using a Macintosh. Not a PC,” said venture capitalist Ann Winblad, Bill Gates’ old girlfriend, as quoted by Michael Gross in “My Generation” published by Cliff Street Books/HarperCollins. And it wasn’t just the Macintosh that Bill Gates admired. In the same book, Winblad recalled being present with him when Steve Jobs was speaking, and that Gates had confessed to her: “Some day I’ll be as good a public speaker as he is. How do I do that? I’m going to work on that.”
Gates never got anywhere close.
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Gates had a girlfriend? Oh God.
steve jobs is no software architect… or engineer. he is a visionary.
I think rehabilitating Microsoft at this jucture would be too tall an order for even His Steveness.
Btw., why does this site look so much like a Microsoft site? And what’s with the text ads?
Gates is married, and is a generous man giving 1/3 of his earnings to charities.
I hate Microsoft, why someone would choose a PC shipped with Microsfot is beyond me…but Gates isn’t that bad. He may have ruthlessly tooken over the software market, but at least he’s doing good with his money now.
Microsucks is lucky as hell to have Ray Ozzie, and he is stupid as hell to have taken the position!
Steve sells dreams.
Bill just sells.
Before anything, Robin Hood was a thief.
Bill Gates is a thief. Does he really deserve any praise for donating some of his stolen loot?
MDN: “Note that they never write “the world’s best software company,” for that would be Apple Computer, Inc.”
LOL
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That is an interesting article. A visionary thinker who is also a decent human being could, in time, do some very interesting things with billions and billions of dollars in resources. It will be very interesting to see what Microsoft is ten years from now. For now it is a sack of sh__ and it will not be easy cleaning up, much less transforming into something really good.
Apple, on the other hand, is in one of its “golden ages.”
Yes, Bill Gates is married, and Melinda isn’t half bad looking. I’ve never seen Steve Jobs wife, though. I wonder if she is hot.
Here’s my wife:
Jobs was wearing a Tuxedo and Bowtie at the Mac unveiling. I like the jeans and turtle neck more.
I have 100 billion dollars… You realize I could spend 3 million dollars a day, every day, for the next 100 years? And that’s if I don’t make another dime. Tell you what – I’ll buy your right arm for a million dollars. I give you a million bucks, and I get to sever your arm right here. – Bill Gates, thief and despicable human being currently being lauded for handing out his stolen cash to charity. (source)
640K ought to be enough for anybody. – Bill Gates, the so-called “visionary.” (source)
Hey at least he is working on making better schools in the United States. Our schools are in trouble and need to be impoved upon. Now if Gates were to put Macs in the new schools that would be great.
Steve Jobs’ wife is pretty hot. I’ve seen him with her and son at the Palo Alto Apple store. She’s a blond and looks great for her age, definite MILF material. (HIGH FIVES Steve Jobs)
I haven’t seen melinda gates though.
(improved) upon
Blackbeard the Pirate gave 1/3 of all of his ill gotten gains to a charity of his choice as well. It was the hookers at his neighborhood pub, but still, his heart was in the right place.
Blackbeard and Bill Gates, great men of their times.
From the article:
“One reason why Mr Gates is so drawn to Mr Ozzie is that, as Mr Gates has said, “Ray is incredible at thinking of the end-user experience,” an area where Mr Gates, whose own genius is weighted towards business strategy rather than software finesse, has a less stellar reputation. Another reason is Mr Ozzie’s personality, which is the opposite both of Mr Gates’s and Mr Jobs’s. Mr Gates has a squeaky voice and sounds perennially on the point of irritation; Mr Jobs pushes his colleagues as Ramses did his pyramid-builders and appears to have a similar self-image. Mr Ozzie, by contrast, wears a permanent Buddha-like smile, speaks in a soothing, deep voice and delivers even harsh appraisals with reassuring charm.
Green, pond-dwelling muppets also rarely command serious attention.
“…but Gates isn’t that bad. He may have ruthlessly tooken (sic) over the software market, but at least he’s doing good with his money now.”
Maybe it’s guilt.
So if Al Capone or John Gotti gave lots of money to charity, it would make them o.k.? I don’t think karma works that way.
“I’m sorry I ruined businesses with vaporware or monopoly abuse and gave the world a shoddy, faulty product that has cost the world economy billions in losses, so I’ll take care of that malaria problem.” Nice though but that doesn’t compute.
Maybe he can also give the poor Windows upgrade vouchers as well. Not bad with some salt.
While Apple boosterism is the purpose of MDN, when will we see any position statement that Apple should deliver on quality and not ship MacBooks that fry eggs and explode into flames?
Until then, MDN and Apple are falling short of their potential. Just being better than awful Dell, etc., is not the measure. Excellence is the measure.
Until true excellence is available on the shelves of the Apple Store, I’ll just wait, thank you.
“While Apple boosterism is the purpose of MDN . . .”
WHAT? ? ? OMG, you’re right. I just now realized that. Whew, thanks. I wondered what I was doing here!
“While Apple boosterism is the purpose of MDN…”
LOL. Well said. Hey, MDN, why not put some of that cash from the annoying pop-ups into propping up AAPL stock? It’s shitty these days…
Jeez, does everyone here have to put Bill Gates down in order to feel good about themselves? I doubt there’s one person here who could accomplish 1/100th of what Gates has let alone Steve Jobs. The fact that Gates has the humility to admire Jobs for his unique qualities put you all to shame.
The only good thing Bill Gates can do now is forgo Vista and let Steve Jobs take over Microsoft.
Then the RIGHT operating system will used in the world.
Not some half-assed ‘Quick and Dirty OS’ grafted Mac OS ripoff.
Regarding Melinda Gates, let’s be real: She’s terribly homely, and went for the money.
“Jeez, does everyone here have to put Bill Gates down in order to feel good about themselves?”
Works for me. But we rotate with Ballmer for fairness.
You know, people can say something but don’t mean it. I can detect the insincerity from Bill’s facial expression when he commanded on the Mac in the Youtube footage. I recently saw the footage of Bill appearing on the MacWorld Boston 1997 Steve’s keynote on Youtube as well. I detected the same insincerity when he spook. He eyes would look slightly down and that gave me the creeps.