Steve Jobs and Bill Gates became close in the end
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The two weren’t always at one another’s throats – in the early days Apple and Microsoft they frequently worked together on projects, with Bill Gates famously pointing out that at one point Microsoft had more people working on the pre-release Macintosh than Apple did. But as their fortunes followed different paths, they often had less than kind things to say about one another.
Jobs frequently accused Gates of being “narrow and unimaginative”, and Microsoft of stealing Apple’s ideas. Gates on the other hand, once remarked that Jobs was a “weirdly flawed human being.” Upon Gates' departure from Microsoft that enmity seems to have subsided, to be replaced with a grudging respect that seems to have flourished into full-fledged friendship by the end.
Just last fall Gates was asked whether he was bothered by some of the quotes in the Steve Jobs biography that was published posthumously; Gates indicated no resentment at all, replying "We spurred each other on, even as competitors. None of that bothers me at all." A new report by The Telegraph revealed that Gates wrote a personal letter to Jobs toward the end of his life. While going light on details Gates indicated that he told Steve how much he had to be proud of in his accomplishments, and also discussed Jobs' kids, who Gates had met with on several occasions.
While we may never know exactly what was communicated between the two in the letter, there can be little doubt as to the importance that Steve Jobs placed in it. After Jobs' death, his widow called Gates to let him know that the letter had meant so much to Steve that he’d kept it by his bed as the end drew near.
In this fiercely competitive world of mobile tech, where lawsuits, CEO commentary, and product enthusiasts often create more rancor than constructive dialog, it’s nice to know that two of the men who started it all were able to work out their differences before it was too late.
source: The Telegraph via TUAW
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28 Comments
24. drahmad posted on 31 Jan 2012, 09:57 1
i like gates . Steve was good as a technologist, but not very good as a human being, gates is better as a human being...
3. fervid posted on 30 Jan 2012, 15:59 4
When did English teachers stop teaching kids the difference between then and than..."than Apple did" not then. I think everyone that has graduated school within the last 15 years needs less text messaging and more Little Brown Handbook.
5. thephoneguy92 posted on 30 Jan 2012, 17:07 11
And that is what you came away with from this article. I think you have more problems than people who use than/then incorrectly
25. fervid posted on 31 Jan 2012, 11:23 0
Nope, just tired of all the poor spelling and grammar on here lately. That the two people know best for making money ruining the technology market are best buds is not news worthy or worth my time to begin with.
26. thephoneguy92 posted on 31 Jan 2012, 12:32 0
And yet you waste time to comment on it...twice. Got it.
4. remixfa posted on 30 Jan 2012, 17:05 9
its nice to know that Gates was man enough to reach out to Jobs to bury the hatchet.
21. chapizzo posted on 31 Jan 2012, 00:51 4
now what exactly is there to thumb down in this comment? Some people are just plain stupid.
6. snowgator posted on 30 Jan 2012, 17:19 0
Time has a way of easing resentment where there is at least respect.
7. hobble posted on 30 Jan 2012, 17:31 1
I bet steve jobs thought his condition was contagious.
9. roflcopter posted on 30 Jan 2012, 18:11 1
Bill Gates is alive and Steve Jobs is dead.
Who do you think is laughing last? Rofl@Steve.
11. thephoneguy92 posted on 30 Jan 2012, 18:55 8
Are you really letting your feelings of a company dictate how you feel about a man? Laughing at a death is always messed up, no matter who it is. Grow up.
18. roflcopter posted on 31 Jan 2012, 00:30 7
It has nothing to do with my feelings about Apple. I actually think Apple is a great company, and its products are exceptionally solid. However, nobody can really argue that Steve, well, was a douchebag during his life and while I don't think he deserved to die, I sure as crap ain't going to feel like he deserves my sympathy. As a human being, I think he was slime. What is his philanthropy record again? Oh, right. Practically non-existent. What's Bill Gates again? Quite a bit, really. And it's not exactly news that when Steve passed, Apple, as a whole, felt a lot less tense without his iron hand ruling over them. And how many times has PA or any other tech site posted an article about the crap he did or spewed? Too many to count.There's a laundry list of crap that Steve Jobs has done for and for that, I'm not going to give him any sympathy just because he died.
12. ghost__uwi posted on 30 Jan 2012, 18:56 1
I am sure you and me will be dead some day so I guess death will have the last laugh
13. ivanko34 posted on 30 Jan 2012, 20:24 4
Two bad people
Two ideas stealers
Two small companies killers
Two hated men
Two monopolistic managers
There are for sure to be friends
19. alpinejason posted on 31 Jan 2012, 00:38 3
actually 2.no wait a minute 3 4 5 oh hell i lost count now.
15. rex1213 posted on 30 Jan 2012, 20:55 0
I actually enjoy reading how these two tech titans describe one another. I've always had a good laugh reading them.
22. Venkat_5.uni posted on 31 Jan 2012, 09:10 0
At the business level they had their differences but in their personal life they were good friends....no one knows whether it is true or not....but personally i agree...good story...
23. jmoita2 posted on 31 Jan 2012, 09:43 2
Historic paralel;
"Hitler and Mussolini became close in the end".
