What Does Bill Gates Really Think Of Apple?

It doesn’t take much of a Google effort to find quotes from Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Some quotes criticize Apple, ancient quotes laud the Mac maker. What does Gates really think of Apple?

Microsoft’s corporate motto is probably, “Only the paranoid survive.” That’s a tip of the hat to Andy Grove of Intel, but seems to personify the world’s richest man.

Great rivalries exist throughout the world. Politics. Sports. Religion. Technology. Gates vs. Jobs. Apple vs. Microsoft.

Today’s technology for recording everything at any time, and the rise of the citizen journalist provide us with a more detailed record of great rivalries.

As noted, quotes from Bill Gates are not difficult to obtain, yet reveal more about the man’s character than hours of interviews.

For example, Gates is quoted as saying, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Based on so many unhappy customers, Microsoft must be a company of great knowledge.

One of my favorite quotes has to do with Gates’ sense of history, sense of customer, and sense of priorities, all rolled up into one statement:

Remember paranoia? How about this view of it from Gates?

Bill Gates is essentially gone, elevated to over the top at Microsoft, but that hasn’t stopped his sense of revisionist history. Take this one, for example.

“Microsoft is not about greed. It’s about innovation and fairness.” Oh, the humanity!!

Don’t tell me that’s not about revising history. As noted, quotes are available everywhere. All you need do is click. What does Bill Gates think of his company’s competition?

“Whether it’s Google or Apple or free software, we’ve got some fantastic competitors and it keeps us on our toes.”

It’s time for a little memory lane walk. Let me take you back to pre-Windows 95, and a more youthful Bill Gates on his so-called “committment to the Mac” speech.

Based on events since Windows ‘95, do you think Microsoft and Bill Gates want Apple to succeed (either as an iPod maker or Mac maker)? I don’t think so.

Does Microsoft need a healthy competitor, such as Apple on the desktop, or Linux in the server market? It doesn’t matter. Both are healthy and growing.

When praising, Gates uses the faint model. Faint praise. Such as the “fantastic job” Apple has done with music.

One of my favorites was Gates’ belief that any change in Microsoft Office would “drive up world productivity.” Tell that to the billion Windows users watching a virus scan on their PCs.

Based on the generous number of quotes and interviews available on the web, it should be obvious that Gates doesn’t care about Apple, or Linux, or Google. Based on how his own company has performed in recent years, perhaps Gates doesn’t even care about Microsoft.