Bill Gates equates Steve Jobs' talent to 'casting spells'

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 55
    sumergo said:
    lkrupp said:
    Just another way of saying only stupid people buy Apple products. Casting spells but he could see right through them because a wizard too? My ass.
    I also enjoyed the silly hubris of "Steve & I were both minor wizards", but you didn't expect Mr Gates to admit that he was always totally outclassed by Mr Jobs did you ;-)
    He was being entirely complementary to Jobs.  Contrary to your interpretation, he didn't say Jobs was a minor wizard.  He deprecated his own status by claiming himself to be a minor wizard.  I am both amazed and saddened that you and so many others read the article and came away with a complete lack of understanding of what you read.  

    Calling Jobs ability to galvanize and motivate "magic" is akin to calling Steph Curry's 3 point shooting "witchcraft" ← it's not though, it's voodoo.   It's like calling Jordan's ability to  intimidate opponents "soul stealing".  Same thing as saying Brady cheated by deflating balls... no wait... Same thing as calling Brady's field presence "god like".  All those terms, magic, witchcraft, voodoo, soul stealing, god like,,, all of them are just creative ways to express admiration for something.  Supporting evidence of Gates expressing admiration is right in the article.  Literally everything he said about Jobs was complimentary: 1. he turned a dying company into a great one.  2.  a magical ability to mesmerize or captivate an audience.  3. great judge of people and products: "I have yet to meet any person who [could rival Jobs] in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent, and having a sense of design of, oh, this is good [or] this is not good," Gates continued.  

    He said Jobs was magical.  The exact same descriptor many Apple fans use to describe Apple products.  The only way to read that piece and come away with a negative narrative is to actively and intentionally create one.  
    muthuk_vanalingamGeorgeBMacMplsPxyzzy01
  • Reply 22 of 55
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    I think the best Gates comment about Steve when he would compared others to Steve and why others would never be Steven. Gates said others leader gets the asshole part right but not the genious part. 
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 23 of 55
    geekmeegeekmee Posts: 629member
    If I were Gates... I’d start practicing.
    edited July 2019
  • Reply 24 of 55
    matrix077matrix077 Posts: 868member
    He’s mesmerizing alright. I hadn’t yet met a single person who didn’t pay full attention when he spoke. He could even be able to motivate me to be one of the great I have no doubt. Ha ha. 
    Gone much too soon!
    radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 25 of 55
    dix99dix99 Posts: 12member
    Gates in no way could have beat Android, as they had that sneaky Google Director on the Apple Board, so they had all those iOS secrets, as Apple was making them. 
    claire1knowitallwatto_cobra
  • Reply 26 of 55
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    lkrupp said:
    Just another way of saying only stupid people buy Apple products. Casting spells but he could see right through them because a wizard too? My ass.
    What?
    He wasn't dissing Steve or marginalizing him or his talents.   Quite the opposite.  What he said was:
    ""I have yet to meet any person who [could rival Jobs] in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent, and having a sense of design of, oh, this is good [or] this is not good,""

    And, he said that he himself was only a "minor wizard" -- so he couldn't do what Steve did.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    These two, in their later years actually opened up and showed respect for each other.   Mutual respect between giants. 

    Today things seem to be all about beating the other guy at any and all costs -- and showing respect is a sin.   These two (eventually) rose above that nonsense.
    He was clearly also saying Jobs was snowing people but it didn’t work on him (because he’s a wizard of BS too). That is the part Krupp is disputing - that it wasn’t ever BS to begin with. 

    As for their relationship, you’re just on the outside looking in, you don’t know. In the Becoming Steve Jobs biography the authors suggest they were friends long before, apart from the public rivalry narrative. 

    As for your last claim...are Cook and rivals publicly clobbering each other?
    I base my opinions on what I have heard and read each said about the other.  (You might want to watch the short video of the two in an interview with Walt Mossberg I posted here earlier.)

    But, even in this interview Gates said:
    ""I have yet to meet any person who [could rival Jobs] in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent, and having a sense of design of, oh, this is good [or] this is not good,"

    That sounds like respect and admiration to me.

    As for my last point:   No, there are still some mature people around.   A few.
    Your reading of articles about them doesn’t mean that’s reality. According to the biography, based on interviews with the men and their coworkers and friends, the public rivalry narrative wasn’t reality. Read the book.

    But you still messed Ikrupp’s point that Gates was clearing saying Jobs’ (contextually framed as) BS didn’t work on him. It was obvious. 

    So who in tech treats respect like a sin? Exactly?


    radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 27 of 55
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    People who live get to write history. That’s only one of the many reasons why history is bunk. 
    claire1watto_cobra
  • Reply 28 of 55
    AppleExposedAppleExposed Posts: 1,805unconfirmed, member
    "Android is the standard non-Apple phone platform."

    A nice way of saying iPhone knockoffs.


    sumergo said:
    lkrupp said:
    Just another way of saying only stupid people buy Apple products. Casting spells but he could see right through them because a wizard too? My ass.
    I also enjoyed the silly hubris of "Steve & I were both minor wizards", but you didn't expect Mr Gates to admit that he was always totally outclassed by Mr Jobs did you ;-)
    He was being entirely complementary to Jobs.  Contrary to your interpretation, he didn't say Jobs was a minor wizard.  He deprecated his own status by claiming himself to be a minor wizard.  I am both amazed and saddened that you and so many others read the article and came away with a complete lack of understanding of what you read.  

    Calling Jobs ability to galvanize and motivate "magic" is akin to calling Steph Curry's 3 point shooting "witchcraft" ← it's not though, it's voodoo.   It's like calling Jordan's ability to  intimidate opponents "soul stealing".  Same thing as saying Brady cheated by deflating balls... no wait... Same thing as calling Brady's field presence "god like".  All those terms, magic, witchcraft, voodoo, soul stealing, god like,,, all of them are just creative ways to express admiration for something.  Supporting evidence of Gates expressing admiration is right in the article.  Literally everything he said about Jobs was complimentary: 1. he turned a dying company into a great one.  2.  a magical ability to mesmerize or captivate an audience.  3. great judge of people and products: "I have yet to meet any person who [could rival Jobs] in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent, and having a sense of design of, oh, this is good [or] this is not good," Gates continued.  

    He said Jobs was magical.  The exact same descriptor many Apple fans use to describe Apple products.  The only way to read that piece and come away with a negative narrative is to actively and intentionally create one.  

    "but because I'm a minor wizard, the spells don't work on me," said Gates."

    This sentence completely kills your illusion that Gates was giving compliments. What a di**.
    radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 29 of 55
    seanismorrisseanismorris Posts: 1,624member
    lkrupp said:
    How long until some bozo saunters in here and regurgitates the “Microsoft saved Apple” myth?
    There were 2 people saved Apple, Jobs and Gates.  Jobs return revitalized Apple.  Gates/Microsoft’s investment created the momentum behind the resurgence.

    In an alternate history, Microsoft doesn’t invest and kills Office for Mac... I’m not sure Apple survives.  If they do, they’re nothing like the Apple of today.  Most likely Jobs dies before his mobile vision becomes reality...

    The death of Apple wouldn’t have been good for Microsoft.  They’ve been forced to reinvent themselves with Azure.  Google with ridiculous amounts of cash probably wins.  Wouldn’t it have been strange if Amazon or Samsung bought Apple...
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 30 of 55
    AppleExposedAppleExposed Posts: 1,805unconfirmed, member
    lkrupp said:
    How long until some bozo saunters in here and regurgitates the “Microsoft saved Apple” myth?
    There were 2 people saved Apple, Jobs and Gates.  Jobs return revitalized Apple.  Gates/Microsoft’s investment created the momentum behind the resurgence.

    In an alternate history, Microsoft doesn’t invest and kills Office for Mac... I’m not sure Apple survives.  If they do, they’re nothing like the Apple of today.  Most likely Jobs dies before his mobile vision becomes reality...

    The death of Apple wouldn’t have been good for Microsoft.  They’ve been forced to reinvent themselves with Azure.  Google with ridiculous amounts of cash probably wins.  Wouldn’t it have been strange if Amazon or Samsung bought Apple...

    Imagine a world where WindowsCE, Blackberry and Androids Blackberry knockoffs rule the world.

    *shudders*
    GeorgeBMacpscooter63watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 31 of 55
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    lkrupp said:
    How long until some bozo saunters in here and regurgitates the “Microsoft saved Apple” myth?
    There were 2 people saved Apple, Jobs and Gates.  Jobs return revitalized Apple.  Gates/Microsoft’s investment created the momentum behind the resurgence.

    In an alternate history, Microsoft doesn’t invest and kills Office for Mac... I’m not sure Apple survives.  If they do, they’re nothing like the Apple of today.  Most likely Jobs dies before his mobile vision becomes reality...

    The death of Apple wouldn’t have been good for Microsoft.  They’ve been forced to reinvent themselves with Azure.  Google with ridiculous amounts of cash probably wins.  Wouldn’t it have been strange if Amazon or Samsung bought Apple...

    Gates saved nothing. There were 300 NeXT Employees who saved Apple. Steve went to everyone of us and asked we didn't bail on him for at least a year after the merger.
    pscooter63radarthekatwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 32 of 55
    normmnormm Posts: 653member
    "The greatest mistake is whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is," he said. "That is, Android is the standard non-Apple phone platform."

    Android is free, and Google makes its money from its services on Android.  Unless Microsoft was ready to give their OS away for free, they weren't going to be the "standard non-Apple platform."  Windows was also a poor fit for mobile.  Selling Windows was Microsoft's greatest strength, until it wasn't.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 33 of 55
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    sumergo said:
    lkrupp said:
    Just another way of saying only stupid people buy Apple products. Casting spells but he could see right through them because a wizard too? My ass.
    I also enjoyed the silly hubris of "Steve & I were both minor wizards", but you didn't expect Mr Gates to admit that he was always totally outclassed by Mr Jobs did you ;-)
    He was being entirely complementary to Jobs.  Contrary to your interpretation, he didn't say Jobs was a minor wizard.  He deprecated his own status by claiming himself to be a minor wizard.  I am both amazed and saddened that you and so many others read the article and came away with a complete lack of understanding of what you read.  

    Calling Jobs ability to galvanize and motivate "magic" is akin to calling Steph Curry's 3 point shooting "witchcraft" ← it's not though, it's voodoo.   It's like calling Jordan's ability to  intimidate opponents "soul stealing".  Same thing as saying Brady cheated by deflating balls... no wait... Same thing as calling Brady's field presence "god like".  All those terms, magic, witchcraft, voodoo, soul stealing, god like,,, all of them are just creative ways to express admiration for something.  Supporting evidence of Gates expressing admiration is right in the article.  Literally everything he said about Jobs was complimentary: 1. he turned a dying company into a great one.  2.  a magical ability to mesmerize or captivate an audience.  3. great judge of people and products: "I have yet to meet any person who [could rival Jobs] in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent, and having a sense of design of, oh, this is good [or] this is not good," Gates continued.  

    He said Jobs was magical.  The exact same descriptor many Apple fans use to describe Apple products.  The only way to read that piece and come away with a negative narrative is to actively and intentionally create one.  
    Yeh,  I totally agree.   Most are responding from their own worship of Jobs and hatred of Gates.   When, in real life, these two had the greatest respect for each other -- but neither worshipped the other.   They instead saw the gifts and the deficits of themselves and the other in a detached kind of way because each had the intelligence and self-confidence to see clearly.
  • Reply 34 of 55
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    lkrupp said:
    Just another way of saying only stupid people buy Apple products. Casting spells but he could see right through them because a wizard too? My ass.
    What?
    He wasn't dissing Steve or marginalizing him or his talents.   Quite the opposite.  What he said was:
    ""I have yet to meet any person who [could rival Jobs] in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent, and having a sense of design of, oh, this is good [or] this is not good,""

    And, he said that he himself was only a "minor wizard" -- so he couldn't do what Steve did.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    These two, in their later years actually opened up and showed respect for each other.   Mutual respect between giants. 

    Today things seem to be all about beating the other guy at any and all costs -- and showing respect is a sin.   These two (eventually) rose above that nonsense.
    He was clearly also saying Jobs was snowing people but it didn’t work on him (because he’s a wizard of BS too). That is the part Krupp is disputing - that it wasn’t ever BS to begin with. 

    As for their relationship, you’re just on the outside looking in, you don’t know. In the Becoming Steve Jobs biography the authors suggest they were friends long before, apart from the public rivalry narrative. 

    As for your last claim...are Cook and rivals publicly clobbering each other?
    I base my opinions on what I have heard and read each said about the other.  (You might want to watch the short video of the two in an interview with Walt Mossberg I posted here earlier.)

    But, even in this interview Gates said:
    ""I have yet to meet any person who [could rival Jobs] in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent, and having a sense of design of, oh, this is good [or] this is not good,"

    That sounds like respect and admiration to me.

    As for my last point:   No, there are still some mature people around.   A few.
    Your reading of articles about them doesn’t mean that’s reality. According to the biography, based on interviews with the men and their coworkers and friends, the public rivalry narrative wasn’t reality. Read the book.



    LOL...    I DID read the book -- and that is essentially what  I said...  Perhaps YOU need to read what I said instead of what you imagined I said.
  • Reply 35 of 55
    tobiantobian Posts: 148member
    I don't believe they were friends.. Gates is unable to express his mind briefly, Steve would be freaking out of time wasted with such interaction. He would consider him dull and weak (that's what Bill Gates I'm convinced), not worth of friendship. I feel like Bill is trying to be stealing again.. but a different way this time. Is he going to replace Nadella soon?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 36 of 55
    eldoeldo Posts: 2member
    Feels like Bill Gates is a bit jelly of Steve Jobs
    radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 37 of 55
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    normm said:
    "The greatest mistake is whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is," he said. "That is, Android is the standard non-Apple phone platform."

    Android is free, and Google makes its money from its services on Android.  Unless Microsoft was ready to give their OS away for free, they weren't going to be the "standard non-Apple platform."  Windows was also a poor fit for mobile.  Selling Windows was Microsoft's greatest strength, until it wasn't.
    Gates was well aware of that tactic because that is pretty much how MS-Windows beat out MacOS and OS2 -- both of which were superior products.  But, Gates essentially gave Windows away free to the OEMs and thus made it pervasive enough to become the industry standard.   Gates won on marketing rather than technical superiority.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 38 of 55
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    I think Elon Musk has similar capabilities (compared to Mr Jobs) motivating people to work for him and judging whats good an whats not.
    pscooter63watto_cobra
  • Reply 39 of 55
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    dix99 said:
    Gates in no way could have beat Android, as they had that sneaky Google Director on the Apple Board, so they had all those iOS secrets, as Apple was making them. 
    Exactly!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 40 of 55
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    tobian said:
    I don't believe they were friends.. Gates is unable to express his mind briefly, Steve would be freaking out of time wasted with such interaction. He would consider him dull and weak (that's what Bill Gates I'm convinced), not worth of friendship. I feel like Bill is trying to be stealing again.. but a different way this time. Is he going to replace Nadella soon?
    No, Its wikipedia greatness he is after.
    watto_cobra
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