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Bill Gates & Steve Jobs Set For Historic Conversation

marketwatch.com — Although Gates made a famous phone call to Jobs in 1997 and the two shared a stage briefly at a 1983 Apple promotional event, the two industry icons have never had a public conversation.

Who dugg this? Made popular May 25, 2007

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  • theMurdocVolta, on 10/11/2007, -12/+198Jobs: Soooo, Hows "Vista" sales doing, huh?
    Gates: Great, So when is "Leopard" coming out?
    Jobs: Shut up...

    Ballmer: Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers!
  • middleclassbuzz, on 10/11/2007, -10/+156Let's hope this conversation stays insightful and intelligent... I don't want to watch 75 minutes of "I created that and you stole it".
  • ZepFloyd, on 10/11/2007, -13/+109Steve Jobs wishes to speak with you...

    Cancel or Allow?
  • myt29, on 10/11/2007, -12/+100Jobs: Hello, I'm a Mac.
    Gates: ...and I'm a PC.

  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -14/+82Bill Gates has done more good, for more people, than me and you will ever even think about doing. And I'm going to guess that you don't know him, personally, so why call him an *****?
  • Zukunft, on 10/11/2007, -8/+64Pirates of Silicon Valley 2: Electric Boogaloo
  • Odiwan, on 10/11/2007, -11/+66I say it's all a show. These two people are arch-ennemies. The resentment goes way back. Remember this one: When Bill Gates came to the NeXT offices to discuss developing software for the system, Jobs purportedly let him sit in the lobby for a half-hour in order to prove he didn't need any outside development help. Reportedly, when Gates was later asked if Microsoft would develop software for NeXT, he said, "Develop for it? I'll piss on it."

    By the way, he did develop for it later on. Microsoft Office for OS X, but it is deliberately behind on the Windows version if you ask me.
  • j4200, on 10/11/2007, -0/+47http://digg.com/apple/Steve_Jobs_and_Bill_Gates_Rare_Public_Appearance_Together_Photos
    Looks like they're talking fine to me.
  • jdenzer, on 10/11/2007, -30/+67@whitesaint

    Right, b/c everyone knows that Steve never steals great ideas.
    http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38644

    Have you ever heard of Xerox PARC?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PARC_%28company%29
    Probably not.
  • leer317, on 10/11/2007, -6/+42How can you even compare manipulating the software industry with reducing global poverty and improving global health care (among other things)? His charity is saving lives.
  • EndersGame, on 10/11/2007, -3/+35Wait, I just didn't witness that on Digg. A guy calls Jobs and Gates ***** and only Gates is defended? Wake up people, you have a cliche to carry out!
  • mattxb, on 10/11/2007, -0/+30@kahlessreborn

    not to nitpick but the quote is "good artists 'borrow' great artists steal"

    guess you had xerox on the brain

  • FearMEiDEA, on 10/11/2007, -10/+39I've got 50 bucks on Jobs, supposedly they are supposed to go for 9 rounds, but I don't see it lasting past 3.
  • zlaja, on 10/11/2007, -1/+28Common knowledge would have you believe that they are mortal enemies, but this kind of photo shows otherwise. Looks more like they’ve been friends since primary school. :-)

    http://blog.kennedia.com/articles/2006/06/30/old-mates
  • whiteguysamurai, on 10/11/2007, -8/+35At the pace linux is going, i think both will be dead and buried before there is anything for them to worry about.

    Prove me wrong linux dorks, prove me wrong!
  • kahlessreborn, on 10/11/2007, -12/+36@jdenzer
    "Right, b/c everyone knows that Steve never steals great ideas."
    "Have you ever heard of Xerox PARC?"

    I guess you never heard of Doug Engelbart?
    [I learned about him in History class not from Wiki]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Engelbart

    Xerox PARC stole most of their stuff from him. E.G. The Mouse, GUI, Ethernet, Tele-Computing

    I think a Quote Jobs stole from Picasso sums it up best, “Good artists copy; great artists steal"
  • MacParrot, on 10/11/2007, -0/+22You're correct in thinking that these guys probably don't hate each other. Why would they? They're both incredibly wealthy (Yes Gates has more than Jobs, but neither could spend their own accumulated wealth in their lifetime) and have accomplished more in their lives than any person could dream of.

    As far as MS saving Apple goes, you're half sort-of correct. The 150 million dollar non-voting stock deal did little to help Apple. They still had plenty of cash (in the billions) at the time. The real life-line that MS gave to Apple was continuing to update MS Office for the Macintosh. MS needed Apple to stick around as the DOJ and European regulators were already sniffing around at anti-trust and other monopolistic behaviors committed by MS.

    Does anyone listen? Does anyone get it? Use the OS and software that you prefer to do the tasks you want to do. Linux, OS X, Windows FTW!
  • Osjpr, on 10/11/2007, -3/+24There should be more debates like this. I'm still willing to pay for a Bush v Ahmadinejad debate.
  • somerandomnerd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+16"Xerox PARC stole most of their stuff from him. E.G. The Mouse, GUI, Ethernet, Tele-Computing"

    I think you misspelt "staff"; most of the Engelbart's team went on to work at Parc.
    Also bear in mind that Engelbart's vision of the mouse was something that you used in conjunction with a one handed chord keyboard, a pointer on your head and an array of other devices. Xerox combined it with a standard QWERTY keyboard. And that in turn, he attributes the ideas to Vannevar Bush...

    Also worth mentioning that Engelbart would *never* have accused someone using and developing his work of stealing his ideas.
    Quote: "My professional motivations are strongly oriented toward maximizing the benefit which society might derive from the advancements in the computer field. "

    (Back in the days when C/S was Computer Science, rather than Copyright Studies...)
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -2/+15I hate when the Media hype that they are worst adversary's are on god's green earth !! Whats worse is the Geek Community as a whole or at least 75 % of this lame generation believe that they are as well !!!! News Flash Geeks Gates helped Apple stay afloat !!!

    I mean Jesus they talked and ate together and laughed together at the 5th Annual All Digital Conference NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2007

    http://www.trappedbydogma.com/blog/steve-jobs-and-bill-gates-rare-public-appearance-together-photos/

    Here's a "Time Magazine" Cover of Steve Jobs thanking Bill Gates for SAVING Apple Computers via Phone conversation for buying Stocks to keep Apple Computers ALIVE !!!!!!!!!!!!! in 1997 !!!

    http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19970818,00.html

    This Thread and Title is inaccurate and needs to be Dugg Down for Stupidity and for posting Non Valid and, uninformed Bull ***** !!!!!!
  • krebcycle, on 10/11/2007, -4/+17Well everyone knows Steve Jobs is actually an *****, personality-wise, regardless of his actions as an industry mogul.
  • nakani, on 10/11/2007, -0/+12@macparrot
    Your handle would indicate that you are a Mac zealot, yet that was one of the most insightfully balanced, platform-agnostic posts I've seen in a while. The right tool for the right job, indeed!
  • jacobj, on 10/11/2007, -0/+12Everyone needs to chill out. The truth is that both of these men have made great steps toward moving the technology world forward. They differ in approach and occassionally slag each other off. Who cares? I'm an apple user at home and a Windows user at work: when at home I miss the power of the windows version of office and the power and usability of programmes such Enterprise Manager. When at work I miss the general usability of OSX and (if managing my personal digital life were part of work), I'd miss the iLife suite.

    Connecting to a wireless network using my work laptop is a nightmare, but not having the ability to click an app into full screen in OSX bugs the hell out of me.

    I am glad that both exist because I get the benefit of 2 amazing companies with differing agendas.
  • firegrind, on 10/11/2007, -5/+16steve : 'here is some stuff you might want to buy from me'
    bill : 'here is some stuff you might want to buy from me'

    helicopter richard stallman in to spice it up ?
  • PueSi, on 10/11/2007, -3/+14They met at the Wall Street Journal "D" Conference here are some pics:
    http://www.digg.com/tech_news/PICS_Steve_Jobs_meets_Gates
    I know it's a shameless plug but you know, digg to spread the word.
  • MooseSquirell, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11That's a lie!!

    They were at some shin-dig in Europe or some where where they had lunch together with a couple of friends of their. I've seen photos of them together floating around the Net.

    go here:

    www.appleismo.com/2006/12/18/pobre-bill/

    M&S:)
  • MagnetoWasRight, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11They should really start off with this to break the ice. I hope it's a constructive conversation and not just rhetorical sniping from both sides.
  • EnsErmac, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10GO AWAY LINUX DORKS

    Nobody wants to hear your crap in this thread, the story has nothing to do with Linux, its about Jobs & Gates or Mac & Windows. (I'm amazed how civil the conversation has been between the two also...)
  • hmunkey, on 10/11/2007, -2/+10Why do people hate Jobs or hate Gates? Both are great men. Gates virtually created operating systems and GUIs. Jobs is a world-renowned creative visionary. Both have done so much for the technology field.

    So why do we hate either one?

    P.S.
    To everyone who hates Bill Gates, is it just because you're jealous of his wealth? How can one hate a man who has given more money than any other man in history, or who has saved more lives single handedly as a result of this?

    If ahything, he is worthy of GREAT respect.
  • olenick, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8Steve Jobs: "Uh Bill, we're getting older and we're both really rich."
    Gates: "Uh .. yeah."
    Jobs: "Everyone wants us to argue."
    Gates: "Yeah, but like ... whatever. Let's go have a beer. I want to talk you out of some of the iPod money for my foundation."

    End of debate.
  • cr4ft, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8Anyone know where we can catch this discussion? Will it be streamed online? Or on some kind of channel?
  • ChefAnubis, on 10/11/2007, -2/+9it doesnt
  • Stevethegreat, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6In the networks, it practically does not exist on the consumer desktop PCs.
  • nakani, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6People create and reuse (you can't "steal" an idea) ideas all of the time. Most modern music samples former music. Most modern GUI ideas build upon former GUI ideas. Honestly this list could go on ad infinitum. Wouldn't it be ridiculous if every new model of car reinvented the wheel?
  • ShrimpCrackers, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6I think the pictures just prove that they are really both great businessmen first and foremost, and that childish bickering is mostly left for the fanboys/girls in their client bases. While the fanboys/girls frustratingly work all the time to promote their products tirelessly, and for free, these guys are enjoying all the fun cashing in.
  • jdenzer, on 10/11/2007, -3/+8@kahlessreborn

    Actually I have heard of Doug Engelbart (b/c I enjoy CS history as much as you do, I'm guessing).

    But the debate is not about where PARC got it's ideas from. Nor does PARC claim to be great inventors of 'new' technology.
    My response is to the same old tired debate of Microsoft 'stealing' from Apple.
    Which is simply a unfair statement, especially if one take the time to read the history of these two companies.
    One can clearly see over the years both companies have come to rely one one another for something.
    And how egotistic Steve Jobs is and how competitive Bill Gates is.
    Which is what probably has created this fanboy class of supporters
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -3/+8Sorry my link wasn't working

    Here
    http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1997/1101970818_400.jpg

    http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1101970818400hp8.jpg

    NUFF SAID

    Thanx to Bill Gates Apple is Alive and Kicking
  • TimDigg, on 10/11/2007, -4/+9Noone who hates Bill Gates hates him because of his wealth. The fact of the matter is he's earned his wealth. People hate Paris Hilton for her wealth and stupidity.

    People hate Bill Gates for things

    - Not Supporting Open Source
    - Forcing Vendor Lock-In because his products aren't interoperable with others
    - Releasing software before it's finished so he make money and then the consumer is patched to death( This is the reason many haven't switched to Vista....they'll buy when it's finished so like.....SP2)


    Always remember folks people don't hate Bill Gates because of his money, they hate him for what they feel are predatory business practices.
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6I'm sorry, but that was completely unfunny.
  • ricepudd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Why do these sites litter the article with lots of NASDAQ codes? Surely anyone interested will already know them (e.g. GOOG isn't too difficult to forget is it?)
    Couldn't they just summarize them at the end of the article, i.e. for those who are really desperate to see the share price at that exact moment just because the company was mentioned in passing?
  • bridow, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4@gregharmon

    totally agree. gates has donated 45% of his personal wealth to charity. the walton family(walmart) has donated .01% to charity. if gates was a greedy bastard like those walmart guys, he'd be hovering around the 100 billion mark in wealth.
  • tuzziel, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Lightsaber duel?
  • SanTe, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Step 1. "Hi Steve."
    Step 2. "Hi Bill."
    Step 3. ...
    Step 4. Profit!
  • beijingdave, on 10/11/2007, -3/+7"Microsoft Office for OS X, but it is deliberately behind on the Windows version if you ask me."

    I don't have a URL to it, but one of the emails released in the Iowa vs. MS lawsuit outlined how Microsoft used their Mac business unit to try out new features for Office. I also remember an announcement during a presentation by the mac business unit manager at WWDC who claimed that the Mac version was more advanced than the PC version.

    But this might only apply to the prior version of Office and not 2007. I haven't played with 2007 because I've switched to OpenOffice.
  • Pfhreak, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6For all of you beating the "Apple stole from PARC. [So it's OK that Microsoft stole from Apple later.]" drum:

    Here's a screen shot of Xerox PARC's Alto: http://www.gnome.org/~seth/blog-images/alto.jpg

    Here's a screen shot of Apple's Lisa (the immediate predecessor of the Mac): http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/apple-lisa2xl/apple_lisa_screenshot.gif

    All they have in common is they're both GUIs.

    Further, he's some recollections from Jef Raskin, who actually started Apple's Macintosh project, and oversaw it until Jobs took over:

    http://mxmora.best.vwh.net/JefRaskin.html

    "My thesis in Computer Science, published in 1967, argued that computers should be all-graphic, that we should eliminate character generators and create characters graphically and in various fonts, that what you see on the screen should be what you get, and that the human interface was more important than mere considerations of algorithmic efficiency and compactness. This was heretical in 1967, half a decade before PARC started. Many of the basic principles of the Mac were firmly entrenched in my psyche. By the way, the name of my thesis was the 'Quick-Draw Graphics System', which became the name of (and part of the inspiration for) Atkinson's graphics package for the Mac."

    The relationship between research at Xerox PARC and the research in the Lisa and Macintosh groups at Apple are more like distant cousins than parent-offspring.
  • cr4ft, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3As some random guy I ran into on IRC once said, "When you're not funny, just STFU"
  • monosyth, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4*public conversation*. i'm burying you as inaccurate.
  • Toast1185, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5I thought Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were going to be talking about history :'(
  • stuckinOK06, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Anyone know where I can watch this interview? TV or Net?
  • meatmcguffin, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Huh?
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