Bill Gates Vs Steve Jobs Who’s the Better Person?

Just came across this excellent article on Wired by Leander Kahney Titled Jobs vs. Gates: Who’s the Star?. I am love both Microsoft and Apple products I think both produce some really innovative products. I get a bit sick of all the MS bashing that usually exists in the geek world. People seem to have double standards when it comes to Apple Vs Microsoft. I found the article interesting since people like to paint Bill Gates as an evil capitalist and Steve Jobs as a innovator, When in fact the facts are completely opposite.

Here are some Key points from that Article.

Gates is the cutthroat capitalist. A genius maybe, but one more interested in maximizing profits than perfecting technology. He’s the ultimate vengeful nerd. Ostracized at school, he gets the last laugh by bleeding us all dry.

On the other hand, Jobs has never seemed much concerned with business, though he’s been very successful at it of late. Instead, Jobs has been portrayed as a man of art and culture. He’s an aesthete, an artist; driven to make a dent in the universe.

But these perceptions are wrong. In fact, the reality is reversed. It’s Gates who’s making a dent in the universe, and Jobs who’s taking on the role of single-minded capitalist, seemingly oblivious to the broader needs of society.

Gates is giving away his fortune with the same gusto he spent acquiring it, throwing billions of dollars at solving global health problems. He has also spoken out on major policy issues, for example, by opposing proposals to cut back the inheritance tax.

In contrast, Jobs does not appear on any charitable contribution lists of note. And Jobs has said nary a word on behalf of important social issues, reserving his talents of persuasion for selling Apple products.

Jobs once offered to be an advisor to Sen. John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election, and he invited President Clinton over for dinner when Bubba visited Silicon Valley in 1996 — hardly evidence of deep political convictions.

Jobs can’t even get behind causes that would seem to carry deep personal meaning, let alone lasting social importance. Like Lance Armstrong, he is a cancer survivor. But unlike Armstrong, Jobs has so far done little publicly to raise money or awareness for the disease.

Given Jobs’ social detachment, I’m confused by the adulation he enjoys. Yes, he has great charisma and his presentations are good theater. But his absence from public discourse makes him a cipher. People project their values onto him, and he skates away from the responsibilities that come with great wealth and power.

Some Interesting comments from DIGG users.

Menso says: For truth. No matter how much people may dislike Gates/Microsoft, Gates/Microsoft have done much more for people than Jobs/Apple has done for anyone. Although Microsoft is still pretty shady business wise…

th3heretic says: Pretty easy to tell look at Apples policy vs Microsoft’s. Microsoft just wants everyone to run windows, and use xbox 360’s. Apple wants you to run OSX only on Apple hardware, only use their software (itunes, quicktime) with their music play which they want you to get with your mac, they want to own ALL of your digital entertainment not just your pc and console.

Anrkist says: Monopoly?? There’s no competition out there for Windows? Or other countless products that come from MS? I’ve made the choice to use products by his company, they didn’t make the choice for me. If people felt his products weren’t worth using… then they wouldn’t use it. Give people a little more credit then that, stop talking down to everyone with your high & might attitude.
ME is a good example of how the people react when you release a crappy product. They quickly released XP soon after and the people were happy again.
You can then argue that “Windows comes on purchased PCs!! The people don’t have a choice!” - You have the choice to use the Internet and download another O.S. There’s hundreds of choices, people have the options, they just choose not to use whatever else is out there.
You can be Anti-Gates/MS all you want, the fact is his company has helped shape the technology world for the past 2-3 decades & given the growth in technology over those past few years, it doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.

logicwax says: you think plugging in your USB scanner would make your computer automatically install drivers? ha!
Microsoft got things rolling by making sure everyone sticks to a standard. Look at how fragmented Linux is/was between distro’s and windowing systems. Yeah, choice is great……but for the home PC market, microsoft making sure everyone using one OS was what catapulted PCs into every home of america.

tanveer says: Action speaks louder than any words, no matter how ‘reality distortion worthy’ they are!
Its about f’**** time someone in the major tech journal/publishing did away with trendy snobbery of looking bill/microsoft with a biased eye and admitted the truth - which honestly has always been obvious as a day light for anyone interested in the facts and not what’s considered ‘cool’ or ‘hip’ by the fellow ‘tech-savvy’ crowd.
I don’t hate apple, i think they make beautiful machines (albeit pricey - but worth it - except for AppleTV, oh and mighty mouse…and in-your-ear ipod ear buds, iMac keyboards…)
I just can’t stand baseless anti-Microsoft/Bill Gates cow dung!

Highlights of the joint interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates