“Gates was merely the best businessman ever born. He was ruthless. But capitalism is ruthless. It is a system. And it is that system – not his operating systems – that made Gates so damned big. Gates was not an inventor and innovator and I’ll argue that – his prognosticating books aside – he was no visionary. He was an exploiter. His first product was another version of the Basic programming language. His master stroke was taking the essence of a now-forgotten operating system called CP/M and turning it into MS-DOS, the neurology of the personal-computer revolution. He took the tool that truly created the technology age, VisiCalc – the spreadsheet that let business people ask ‘what if?’, which is what put computers on every office desk in the world – and turned it into Excel, part of his Office suite that also included Word, which itself was really just an adaptation of WordStar. He took the art of the Apple Lisa and Mac and turned it into the clumsy painting-on-velvet, Windows. Gates took others’ innovations and turned them into products and profits. Every great invention needs a business genius to bring it to market. For software, that was Gates,” Jeff Jarvis writes for The Guardian.
“My teenage son and webmaster, Jake, a computer genius (if you’ll allow me a link of paternal pride) since the age of 3, has admired and even idolized Gates for giving him the tools he loved, tools that empowered and taught him and helped shape his way of thinking,” Jarvis writes.
MacDailyNews Note: Perusing Jarvis’ link to his son’s webpage, MacDailyNews reader “Dan” noticed that Jake dumped Gates’ Windows in July 2005 for the superior operating system: As of July 2005, I have discovered that I am a Mac addict at heart and have been from the moment I set my hands on my shiny, new eMac. Since then, I am always looking for new tricks to improve the already great OS X with everything from freeware to commonly-known keyboard shortcuts. – http://jakejarvis.com/
“But then came the internet, the great invention that by its very open essence defies productization,” Jarvis writes. “In spite of government fears in the U.S. and the EU – and try as he might – Gates couldn’t take it over and exploit it. This was not his only failure. Gates tried to become a media mogul – in a local listings service, in a news magazine, in a TV network, and in a web portal – but that eluded him. In an era when everyone can now master media, Gates could not. So perhaps this is indeed the end of the Gates era. And if anyone is smart and ruthless enough to know that, it’s probably Gates.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Tsk, tsk, nary a mention of illegal acts. Yes, capitalism is ruthless, but there actually are rules. Gates and his company broke them. Repeatedly. Gates should never be lauded as “the best businessman ever born.” That simply is not true. And should Gates really be praised for sprinkling his ill-gotten gains upon charities worldwide? Isn’t that merely his penance to be executed without praise? Where was the charity for Netscape and their employees? Or for Gary Kildall? Or for innumerable others?
We can all now look at Gates and ask, “What did he really give the world?” Bill Gates gave the world an upside-down and backwards bad simulation of the Apple Mac and a bloated, insecure Office suite. He sold it to so many because so many early on were ignorant of what a personal computer was for and they lacked the ability to imagine what it could be. They bought what their equally-ignorant friends, family, and co-workers bought. It’s that simple.
What we really want to know is: will we ever be able to measure the extent by which Bill Gates retarded the world’s progress? Any Mac user who’s seen their Windows brethren struggle so mightily trying (and often failing in frustration) to do something that is easily accomplished on a Mac understands what we mean. So, what do you think, how many years worth of progress did Bill Gates cost the world? 10 years? 20?
[UPDATE: 2:55pm EDT: Added Jake Jarvis switcher info.]
Advertisements:
• Introducing the super-fast, blogging, podcasting, do-everything-out-of-the-box MacBook. Starting at just $1099.
• Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as $31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
• Get the MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo for as low as $47 A MONTH with Free Shipping!
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
Related articles:
Will Bill Gates really be able to stay away from Microsoft? – June 15, 2006
Bill Gates to transition out of a day-to-day role in Microsoft – June 15, 2006
WindowsOn…, I don’t think you know crap about Photoshop. Try nudging a layer one pixel at a time. Windows won’t let you. And keyboard shortcuts with the Ctrl key, what a joke.
And no, I don’t surf for porn, asshole. I like the real thing, but a gay boy like you wouldn’t understand.
neomonkey – you forgot one difference of Photoshop on an IntelMac vs. Windows.
It´s slower! LOL.
Porn on dude!
Your try nudging a layer one pixel at a time – man, I do that all the time! LOL.
Dude, From the WINDOWS Photoshop Help file:
“- How to move a layer one pixel at a time:
Select Object in layer. Select the Move tool in the toolbox.
– Press an arrow key on the keyboard to nudge the objects 1 pixel.”
One pixel at a time, dude. No brainer —-if you got a brain that is. Tip – Wanna move it 10 pixels – hold down the Shift key when you punch the arrow key. Amazing stuff.
And you say you´re a pro? LOL. And you think there is something wrong with gay people?
I have windows XP installed on my MacBook Pro and Photoshop. The combination is great. I just hate using photoshop on the windows side as I don’t like the interface. Not as nice looking as the mac side. It’s very, very fast on the Windows side and I use it to convert large numbers of files and then I transfer them back to the mac side. does save alot of time.
Ok, so it’s Friday time for some fun. I know you guys have been asking yourselves this question:
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO KILL BILL GATES WITH AN AXE?
http://www.lanceandeskimo.com/paul/bill.shtml
Fsck this, Gates is a fscking big crook, modus operandi steal it and argue about it later, he’s got a bent lawyer for a father:
http://www.evergreenpolitics.com/ep/2006/01/how_preston_gat.html
Donations to charity? – see the strings attached. Even then it was just to buy PR credits, he didn’t give a single dime until he started to get real bad press about how rich he was and how crap his products are.
Last I heard there were still 200 court cases against Microsoft for patent violations, outright theft etc.
No single person, not even GWB, has done so much to harm the world in the last few decades.
Put BillG in prison forever, give his fortune to a real charity like FOE.
Is there a reason why the members of this forum are so juvenile? Are all Mac users like this?
neom – “And keyboard shortcuts with the Ctrl key, what a joke.”
ATTN: neomonkey
In Photoshop:
Windows: Control Key = Mac: Command Key
Windows: Alt Key = Mac: Option Key
Everything else is the same is using shortcuts.
Why do you think are keyboard shortcuts with the Ctrl key are a joke??? – In the Mac it is same shortcut just using the Command key.
You got a mouse with a right click button yet?
GATES AGAIN COPYING JOBS? I think he is a visionary – at least he can see the future.
– He is getting ready to leave the company.
– He can see the downfall of MS as it is now.
– He will stay out for 5 – 7 years in its downfall.
– He will come back at a very low point.
– He will again try to emulate Steve Jobs’ performance and “resurrect” MS.
Sad, Sad, Sad.
He will again try to emulate Steve Jobs’ performance and “resurrect” MS.
Heh, what’s Gates gonna do? Start EnSUE Computer Co., develop the EnSUEStep OS and OpenWalk API’s, and bring it back as the new Windows in several years? Maybe he’ll do an iBlog music player too.
Jobs has always been about hiring the best of the best & doing the whole gadget.
Gates hired Ballmer, and has always been about making mishmash products with other companies.
No way Gates could do it all over again. Mommy & daddy can’t land an exclusive IBM contract for him this time.
“”I love Bill – but hate MS. I hate Steve – but love Apple.”
And I hate getting bills but I love applesauce. I would hate getting MS but I love St. Eve. Your turn.
I hate how Billy doesn’t donate money to me but I love Mac OS X. Next!
“Requiem for Bill Gates”
Requiscat in pace, disilluminati.
MDN is slightly off-beam with its take: Microsoft succeeded not so much because of users’ ignorance but because it got in early and became the default on most manufacturers’ PCs. Having every PC maker on the planet (except Apple) sell your OS, you can’t lose.
Proof that users don’t choose Windows for its quality: Windows 3.1 had over 80% market share.
MW: “lack”. Nuff said.
And Gates won mainly because Jobs did not make the right decisions early on. If Jobs had been less ego-oriented Apple would rule the world instead of the 2% market share it has.
So hats off to Gates for seeing the big picture. Stevego Jobs was too busy thinking about me, me, me – me right, me know everything and made the wrong strategic decisions in spreading the Apple product.
And because Steve is Apple, Apple is totally vulnerable to him leaving. The day Jobs announces his retirement is the day Apple is dead. Again, poor strategic management by Jobs – all me,me,me ego.
Gates was a visionary on one occasion: He wanted Apple to do the OS and Microsoft to do the applications. Alas Apple didn’t share his vision.
The day Jobs announces his retirement is the day Apple is dead. Again, poor strategic management by Jobs
Here’s something to ponder: would have Job’s been able to rise to CEO under a boss like himself?
Steve casts a HUGE shadow, and as long as his mind’s sharp it’s going to be extremely tough for anyone to rise up and fill his shoes. I’d say there are very few people on this planet who’d be able to prove themselves good enough.
It’d be among THE toughest job interviews ever. I’d rather run for U.S. president!
>MDN: Gates should never be lauded as “the best businessman ever born.”
Agreed! There is no way to be the end-all/be-all best at anything, That’s like saying this is the best burger in the world (implying a person can sample all the burgers in the world).
>MDN:And should Gates really be praised for sprinkling his ill-gotten gains upon charities worldwide?
A resounding yes! What is the benefit of discrediting someone for doing good in the world? Is there any?
>MDN: Isn’t that merely his penance to be executed without praise?
If you are to judge when, where, and to whom praise is given, what time is left in the day to get anything done? Judging people and being bitter takes up so much energy. If someone does somthing good, I’d rather pat them on the back and be part of the positivity than continually spite them. Let go already!
>MDN: Where was the charity for Netscape and their employees? Or for Gary Kildall? Or for innumerable others?
Doesn’t Apple bundle a browser? a imaging app? video app? widget (that someone else invented)? anti-competitve DRM policies?
You can apply much of Microsoft’s “sins” to Apple! MS took the hit because it’s the bigger fish.
So happy Fathers’ Day to everyone – Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, everyone…
Bill Gates says he is retiring – but there are no hysterics that Microsoft is dead. Gates has wisely set up a long term transition period out of the company.
If Steve Jobs announced he was stepping down – the headlines would read “Apple is dead”. Jobs has no apparent long term strategy for Apple and continues to make himself the only face of Apple computer. Not good.
Gates won because he forced manufacturers into contracts that excluded other players (the were subsequently ruled illegal in the a series of anti-trust cases) intentionally altered MS software to break competitors products, published slowed down API calls publically while keeping the *useable* APIs in Windows 3.1 etc secret so that no one else could *possibly* produce products that could compete with them on that platform, etc, etc, etc.
With the possible exception of Excel MS *never* had the best product in any category. Ever. They won in the marketplace almost entirely through illegal or shady behavior and abuse of monopoly power. The field is littered with people they screwed (frequently illegally).
Remember Stac? The guys selling disk compression software? MS started moving forward to partner with them, got a lot of engineering cooperation, got access to their code, etc. Then, they terminated their business arrangement with Stac and incorporated their code into MS Dos 6.0. Stac evetually got a pittance in when they won in court.
Remember DR DOS? Remember ‘Windows isn’t done till DR won’t run’? MS wrote code into Windows that intentionally broke Windows when running on DR DOS. DR DOS was superior in everyway to MS Dos, but MS used Windows to drive them under… DR (or rather their anticedents at SCO) eventually got a pittance when they won against MS in court.
Remember Spyglass? Those were the folks who got Mosaic from NCSA. MS cut a deal with them to license Mosaic as the basis for IE. Spyglass got a *really* good percentage cut of the revenue for every copy of IE sold… but a large percentage of $0 is still $0… MS drove them under.
Remember OS/2? Funny, no one computer manufacturer wanted to pay for a second OS, since the MS contracts required them to buy MS DOS and Windows for every machine they built whether they shipped with it or not.
Remember BeOS? Funny how no computer manufacturer would take them up on their offer for free licenses to install BeOS as dual boot… because their contracts with MS forbid it…
Remember Wordperfect? Isn’t it funny how Wordperfect kicked Words ass up till the Windows transition, and them WP 5.2 used the public Windows APIs, while Word used the private ones… funny how Wordperfect was really slow isn’t it…
The list goes on and on and on… the history of MS is a history of abusing monopoly power, cheating business partners, breaking laws, and stalling out long enough that they don’t care about paying pittances out when they loose in court.
Bill Gates did a lot for the computer industry and for consumers. While Windows is still pretty lame, what Microsoft did that everyone seems to forget is to drive down the cost of computers and software so that everyone could afford them. That is a huge benefit to industry and to the world.
Microsoft didn’t cause Apple’s problems – Apple did that through bad mangement over a long period of time, until Steve came back. Apple and Microsoft need each other, and benefit from both cooperation and competition.
re: If he is ruthless why is he so interested in donating money to the poor?
he has donated more money to poor african nations than any other company in the world.
—
FFS – He is actually personally richer than any company in the world!
So bloody what – he has alot of money.
It’s not money that the poor areas of the world need.
Remember he has a personal fortune of billions.
He has left M$ so he can spend all his money to aviod paying inheritance tax on his fortune.
He may even buy enough world leaders so that they give him a Nobel Peace Prize.
Bill Gates, the savior of the world!
ROFL! I just saw a pig fly by!!
Bill Gate’s idea of helping the poor in the world:
‘Give them windows and internet access’
Steve Jobs of helping the poor in the world:
‘Give them food, water, shelter, grain and tools to grow their own food’
With Bill Gate’s ‘vision’, the poor with starve to death while looking at western porn on the internet using their virus ridden Dell.
Re: quadrupole
Nice examples of Bill’s work.
Do you also remember the cort case where M$ were being sued for anti-trust and they faked evidence and got caught out too??
In any other country, in any other court in the world Bill Gates would have spent 30 years in prison.
BUT, in America all he got was a slapped wrist.
Just goes to show how many people in power Bill gates has bought, from laywers, to Senators and yes, even the President (George Bush).
THIS is Bill’s true legacy to the world – NOT his charitable donations (which he only gives anyway to further his own means and to get teh taxman off his back).
bill gates is a fucker