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Jobs Claims Microsoft Is Shamelessly Copying
Nicholas Roussos writes "Steve Jobs was outspoken at a recent annual shareholder meeting. He claimed 'They are shamelessly copying us', referring to Microsoft. Of course, Microsoft has done its share of pointing fingers as well." From the article: "Most telling, Jobs said is that Tiger, the next version of Mac OS X, will go on sale later this month, while Longhorn is still more than a year away."
I just finished reading Revolution in the Valley. One of my favorite quotes from the book is when Jobs confronts Bill about copying the Mac, and Bill says, "No, Steve, I think its more like we both have a rich neighbor named Xerox, and you broke in to steal the TV set, and you found out I'd been there first, and you said. "Hey that's no fair! I wanted to steal the TV set!"
the cosmos in 20 words or less: thumbuki.com
The built-in RSS support is nothing new and already is integrated in a lot of OSS now, this is something I wouldn't be proud of. As for the new Dashboard, it's a copy of Konfabulator which is itself a copy of "Apple's Desk Accessories."
Everyone is copying from everyone else and it's not a bad thing. All the good ideas from old systems are implemented now with new stuff. The difference is: Apple does it better, cleaner (more intuitive) and before Microsoft.
While I understand Jobs' compliants and squabbling he has to keep on pushing. What he has been able to accomplish with Apple is remarkable. Steve Jobs has the foresight to move ahead and come out with new innovative products. In just about every market you're going to have somebody nipping at your heals to try to beat you to the punch. It just so happens the market leader is stealing from the secondary leader this time.
Microsoft has their own set of problems to worry about and I think both operating systems have their own segments in the world today. Really though as of lately I think a lot of people are switching to a Mac. I have friends who have been Windows fans who are fed up with the licensing, security etc etc and have decided to move to the MacOS.
Moreover, I see the problem being were each OS fits into the world. The MacOS always seems to stay with the education systems, graphic arts people, designers, editing and hardcore Mac addicts; while Windows hits up everybody else.
Apple needs to rev up it's marketing and start hitting other users. Eg. Corporate users
I say we just grow up, be adults and die.
We all know Apple invented the TabletPC, Media Center PC, PocketPC, XBox, ...
Okay, how about these? eMate (1997), MacTV (1993), Newton (1993), Pippin (1995)
Windows was announced in 1983, the Mac came out in 1984. How did that happen? Easy... Microsoft was already developing software for the Mac before it was released, and Bill knew Microsoft had to do at least as well if they were going to stay in business.
This comment was directed to a shareholder. This is nothing more than statements to fuel those backing Apple. Jobs wasn't complaining at all in his comments, in fact, he was boasting about Apples progress in direct comparison to M$... Good for him, I seem to recall Bill doing the same in the past. On another note. The creation and evolution (or copying if you feel this way) of different company innovations does nothing more than benefit consumers.
Not really a truce, so much as a "cease fire."
Look at some of the Apps which Apple has recently been pushing out: A web browser which saves them from reliance on IE, and two of the three programs they need to allow Mac users to abandon MS-Office for good. (They still probably need a spreadsheet program, and rumor has it that one is in development.)
This all comes down to a phone call between Jobs and Gates back when Jobs took over Apple. We are not likely to see a transcript, but a lot of folk suspect the conversation went along these lines:
"Hey Bill. It's Steve. Look, we've still got a shitload of lawsuits pending against Microsoft for all the stuff you've been brazenly stealing while I was off making digital cartoons, and now you've got the DoJ breathing down your necks and calling you a monopoly. How would you like to make both problems go away at once?"
"I'd be an idiot to say no, and I may be evil, but I'm no idiot. What are you proposing?"
"It's simple. This company has been run into the ground by morons for the past 10 years, and we need your 800-pound gorilla to prop us up for a while. We are prepared to put all these lawsuits behind us for good if you do the following:
1. Buy a bunch of non-voting stock in Apple. Say about $150 Million?
2. Make a public announcement that you intend to support the Mac with Office and Internet Exporer products for at least the next 5 years.
3. Pay us a small settlement to make our lawyers happy. Nobody has to know how much money it is.
In exchange, Apple will:
1. Not go out of business, which would have made it completely obvious that you really are a monopoly.
2. Pimp your web browser on our desktop... not that you haven't already pretty much already squished the competition.
3. Allow you to legitimately buy any of Apple's OS design ideas and technologies which you want to roll into your own (crappy) operating systems.
4. Mostly sell expensive machines to yuppie assholes, thereby not stepping on your toes in the general consumer market."
"Let's do it Steve."
"Oh one more thing... How would you like to appear as a guest on the Jumbo-tron at the next Mac trade show when I announce our deal?"
"Sound great... but... er... you're not going to make me look like that big evil face from the 1984 ad, are you?"
"Aw, come on Bill. Would I do something like that to you!?" (evil grin...)
Anyway, that's about it. The 5-year deal is over. Microsoft no longer needs to pretend they give a crap about OS X users, Apple is shipping affordable computers and developing home-grown replacement for most of the MS stuff which they customers used to use, the government heat is off Microsoft (at least in the US) and Apple is well in the black with and once again slowly growing marketshare.
It was a win for both sides to make the deal, and it's a win for both sides not to extend it. Jobs and Gates are cheerfully going right back to hating each other.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.