This week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs “proceeded to grab headlines around the world with details of a smart phone everyone had expected, but no one else had been able to imagine,” Simon Avery writes for The Globe and Mail. “Less than two days earlier, Bill Gates took the stage before a similar gathering of tech aficionados to do his traditional keynote that launches the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas… He gave a flat, tired performance, even as he showed off features of the Vista operating system, a product that by his own description will be the most used piece of software on the planet.”
“What do these contrasting tones, from the two largest icons of the personal computer industry, signal about the companies they created and lead? One is led by an extraordinary visionary who maintains a vice-like grip on operations. The other is led by a revered technophile who is gradually slipping out the back door,” Avery writes.
“‘Microsoft has a certain cult of personality. Gates is thought of as a special guru, and people sit at his feet trying to understand what he’s thinking,’ says Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates Inc., a research firm in Wayland, Mass. ‘That’s totally different from Steve Jobs. He’s an autocrat. He’s a sun king. He’s very capricious, autocratic, and creative and charismatic. He’s all kinds of good things, mixed with some pretty strange things. It’s a totally unique formula,'” Avery writes.
Avery writes, “The culture Mr. Gates created has defined Microsoft as a ‘fast-follower.’ The software giant moves to dominate a new market where others have already led the way. The examples abound, starting with Microsoft’s move into web browsing behind Netscape, web search and advertising after Yahoo, live software services behind Google, and digital music after Apple and the iPod.”
MacDailyNews Take: Unfortunately, Avery forgot one big thing in his list of examples (he does get to it later in his article). The examples of Microsoft being a “follower,” albeit not so fast in this case, started with Microsoft’s upside-down and backwards take on Apple’s Macintosh. It continues even today with Window’s Vista trying to look and act like Mac OS X.
Avery continues, “Apple, on the other hand, enjoys the reputation of innovator, creating revolutionary products that have shaped the industry, beginning with the Macintosh computer in 1984, the iPod portable music player in 2001 and now the iPhone. ‘I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been,’ Mr. Jobs said, quoting Wayne Gretzky.”
Full article here.
Watch Steve Jobs’ Macworld Expo Keynote here.
Watch Bill Gates’ CES Keynote here.
Beats throwing a chair to where the puck will be……
B. Gates acts like a civil servant with some grey new ideas. On the other site, S. Jobs presents a way of quick silver and bright life !
Jobs had a keynote appearance? When? The only appearances worth paying attention to this past week were the electrifying Bill Gates showing off the awesome Windows Vista, and the charismatic Michael Dell exhibiting some pretty cool technologies. Did you see that computer with the flames on it? That thing ROCKS—and it’s Vista ready!
The best part is these guys have all the advantages of PowerPoint at their disposal. Why would I watch any speech where the speaker didn’t use PowerPoint?
Cupertino, start your copiers.
Your potential. Our passion.
Zune Tang… you are a crack up…
What’s this with Gates saying that if they have him back year after next he’ll be talking about infectious diseases? Might I plug in here my own, obnoxious “EEEUUWWW!”
you know I’m convinced Zune Tang has mental issues…
Zune Tang’s real identity is:
A) Steve Martin
B) Robin Williams
C) Bill Maher
D) Carlos Mencia
E) _______________
Steve is so good at his keynotes, and one thing that he does is repeat important points three times. This helps to drive the point home. However, one thng I have never heard him repeat is:
DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS.
This is another example of not only the cultural difference between MS and Apple, but the genetic one as well.
Prediction – Microsoft will be out of the consumer desktop OS business within 5 years. Vista will be the last major update. Dell will close up shop within that period after attempting to write a user-freindly Linux variant. Other hardware manufacturers will want to license OS X and Steve will tell them to go ahead and get stuffed.
You hear it here first.
-c
MW: ‘field’ (of vanishing players)
I love the different experiences of watching the keynotes.
Apple presents a polished video that is available in multiple stream sizes and presented on a well designed site (not to mention now being available as a hi-res podcast), while Gates’ keynote is a small poorly streamed video presented on what looks like a blog assembled by a marketing team.
Also, say what you will about Steve’s ego, but please note that the Macworld keynote is presented as just that… the Macworld keynote. On the other hand you have “Bill Gates Keynotes”.
SEE BILL GATES KEYNOTE AT CES!
Uh, I will pass thanks.
ZT can’t be Bill Maher, as ZT is occasionally funny
It should be obvious to everyone that Zune Tang is the new name of Baghdad Bob
Yeah, I admit it. Zune Tang has been really funny lately.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
Why do people often skip Apple II from the list of Apple’s revolutionary products? It helped popularize personal computers.
However, one thng I have never heard him repeat is:
DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS.
He does. At the WWDC.
At Macworld he thanked the third party developers for creating universal binaries of their apps.
Dang if Gates isn’t a bore!
Bill Gates gave a keynote?
Funny, only Jobs and iPhone were in the news.
Zuney:
Great to see you back in fine form!
Whatever Kool-Aid you’re drinking, it must be good stuff!
“However, one thng I have never heard him repeat is:
DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS.
He does. At the WWDC.”
The difference is he doesn’t sweat like a monkey in august while he does it.
Bill who? wha’?
Wasn’t the first thing Microsoft was a “follower” on MS-DOS?
There are many examples of where Apple is the leader (wireless, usb and firewire in all computers) but also many examples of Apple following (though in a smart way). iPod wasn’t the 1st mp3 player; but it raised the standard. The same with the scroll ball in the mighty mouse, AppleTV, iPhone. They weren’t the 1st but they improved upon exisitng ideas or created new ones.
The best part is these guys have all the advantages of PowerPoint at their disposal. Why would I watch any speech where the speaker didn’t use PowerPoint?
Typical ZT bait, but he has a good point.
PowerPoint has advantages all right. It helps mediocre managers keep their jobs, and lets them hide empty content behind bullet lists and stupid special effects. Why deliver facts when you can show art?
One aspect that sets Apple apart is they’re about the only company that doesn’t run on PowerPoint. That alone should be a huge asset.
Look at it this way: Apple headlines the iPhone while CES headlines bigger TV’s. Actions should speak for themselves.
I resent that Bill Gates looks like me.
I can’t get any sound to happen when I try to listen to Bill’s powerpoint presentation… Is anyone else having this problem?
Bill Maher is Zune Tang? Nah, I’ve never seen ZT write anything about chasing black ass.
Hey, Smeagal: THAT was funny!!!!!
Too true…
If it’s any conciliation j, I have flip4mac, so quicktime opened, stopped buffering at 4.6….. didn’t really care to see it anyway, and quit.
I think Zune Tang is Ampar gone stealthy… well, sort of.
Battle? What battle? Steve went around the iMaginot Line (no silent ‘t’)
I’m with Thought process and Cubert on the Bill Maher thingy, although he used to be funny, and sometimes even right, he is too condescending for me to enjoy anymore.
Avery writes, “The culture Mr. Gates created has defined Microsoft as a ‘fast-follower.’ The software giant moves to dominate a new market where others have already led the way. The examples abound, starting with Microsoft’s move into web browsing behind Netscape, web search and advertising after Yahoo, live software services behind Google, and digital music after Apple and the iPod.”
I realy don’t see M$ dominating Google, Yahoo or iPod, this guys only has one example where M$ actually succeeded in taking over a market. They’ve pretty much failed in a lot of instances… thank God.
I realy don’t see M$ dominating Google, Yahoo or iPod, this guys only has one example where M$ actually succeeded in taking over a market. They’ve pretty much failed in a lot of instances… thank God.
MS hasn’t had a hit in ten years. That’s an eternity in any industry.
Meanwhile, look what Apple has done…
Sorry MacDailyNews, while the Windows poor copy of Mac OS is the biggest copy job Microsoft has undertaken, the copying goes further back — to MS-DOS – a purchased copy of CP/M, and back further to M$’s foundation — MS BASIC a rip off of a dozen BASICs being written in the early days of microcomputers.
M$ buys up technologies or copies them. I think the only product that was 100% Microsoft innovation was MS Bob.
Zune Tang needs Poon Tang.
Never had it. Never will get it.
That explains it all.
Bill Gates did a keynote address last week? What’s CES?
@Cubert
Maybe Maher misunderstood the manual. What kind of ass is he supposed to be chasing? You seem to know. Enlighten us.
That was the best from Zune Tang for a while.
in my opinion Steve Jobs as more integracion to the ppl more than bill gates,i guess apple is a very good winner in coming years and M$ is going to loose big market share outside the US,and of course i love mac,ipod,iphone and the next printers,scanners and other products that apple is going to do in coming years; my final conclusion is that apple is and it will be the next big company to gain market share and profits better than others in other industry´s,everybody is gonna love apple as i did.
Zune Tang: I wish I could have gotten this post to you when you first poked your head out.
You really are a turtle that acts like a zune. You know those times when you cut a little gas and the turtle pokes his head out to everyones horror and leaves his little lipstick stain on the old cotton drawers before pulling his head back in. Thats you!!!
Opie,
ZT is satirizing the windows fanboys, and he’s doing it very well. However, he’s not half as funny as the people who think he’s serious. Look at some of his older posts.
-jcr
Is it too late to view Bill Gates keynote?
No?
Shame.
My insomnia’s really bad tonight, and the only sure-fire cure is listening to Bill GatezzzzzzzZZZZZZ…
@ TT – “Battle? What battle? Steve went around the iMaginot Line (no silent ‘t’)”
True, so true. Does that make Cisco Belgium?
You seem to forget that apple has rarely created anything new, they’ve simply been able to market it well. such as iPod, many other great mp3 players before it, still better than it, never had a chance because of apple marketing.
Steve jobs wears the same crap every day, at least bill tries to mix it up now and then.
Chrissy
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”LOL” style=”border:0;” />
yeah, they are kinda walkin’ all over them…
Duh
?
MW:high, as in “Duh”
Secret fear: Zune Tang is none other than John C. Dvorak…
AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whoa. Sorry. Scared myself for a second. Dvorak ain’t got the neurons to pull off the ZT gig.
Hi All
I am a true fan of Apple. I am paid to say bad things about Apple. I hate Micro$oft. Sorry for all the things I have told in MDN. I am committing suicide.
Good Bye..
the real zunetang is funny
Dont’t let the bastards get you down, Zune Tang. I think your wit is priceless.
“You seem to forget that apple has rarely created anything new, they’ve simply been able to market it well. such as iPod, many other great mp3 players before it, still better than it, never had a chance because of apple marketing.”
You know, that had totally slipped my mind.
Ya know what’s really funny. My Bro-in-law wanted me to watch the CES coverage on G4 yesterday, and there was one line that made me laugh so hard I about fell off the couch. (and it wasn’t meant to be funny,)
“MacWorld was overshadowed by CES.” Yeah in what reality?
What’s really funny is after that line they did a very bad unfunny parody of SJ’s keynotes announcing the new country of iDAHO. The 3 second intro line was funnier then the whole 5 minutes or so of the parody.
So I’m honestly starting to wonder if Zune Tang isn’t really just some sort of satiric genius, rather than a demented moron who says things like “Cupertino start your copiers,” as if Apple had ever copied a Micorsoft product. Some of the things he says are so ludicrously and obviously false that I can’t help but wonder if he truly isn’t an Apple enthusiast who enjoys writing satire about the Microsoft/Apple battle, and then watching his fellow Macophiles erupt into anger and loving the fact that we get so defensive about Apple. I really can’t imagine how he could be so diluted and…truly crazy, and not be receiving mental counseling…
response to Crabs;
well, Duh! You catch on quick don’t you.
What ammuses me is you folks who actually believe Zune Tang is being genuous! This guy probably finds it difficult to finish what he’s typing because he’s laughing too hard at his own post.
Either that, or Zune Tang is Gates HIMSELF!
On a tangent though, as much as I love Apple, the Mac, and Job’s keynote, I actually prefer Gates’ persona. If I met Gates on the street, I think he would actually give me the time of day.