Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were rivals who founded major tech companies, Microsoft and Apple, respectively. While competing in the same market, their relationship was complex and alternated between collaboration and bitterness. Their rivalry pushed both to continuously improve their products and pushed innovation forward in the industry.

1. Bill Gates Vs.
Steve Jobs
Peer Group Three
Professor Lane
College Writing II
October 15th 2014

2. “He and I, in a sense, grew up together. We were
within a year of the same age, and we were kind of
naively optimistic and built big companies. And every
fantasy we had about creating products and learning
new things – we achieved all of it. And most of it as
rivals. But we always retained a certain respect and
communication, including even when he was sick.”
Bill Gates

4. What brought these two artists together? What about
their work or their backgrounds connects them?

5. Steve Jobs was the founder of an organization that
revolutionized the concept of a personal computer.
Steve, from a business perspective, wanted to deliver
a complete package within the design of the
personal computer. He wanted a phenomenal
software solution to be complimented by a unique
hardware design all within a beautiful exterior
package. Steve lacked the resources to produce
what he had imagined within a software design and
eventually contacted Bill Gates CEO of Microsoft to
assist in the development of the Apple II.

6. Bill Gates in 1975 founded the software organization
that has dominated the market share since, known as
Microsoft. Software was and always has been Bill’s
main focus. Bill’s development team at Microsoft
surpassed the skillset present within Apple’s
organization at the time. Steve Jobs was aware of
this, which prompted him to make a trip up to
Washington to contract Microsoft’s services. Microsoft
was contracted to create a version of BASIC (an easy
to use programming language), a word processor
called Word, and a spreadsheet program called
Excel.

7. Both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were in charge of large
scale technologically driven firms. While competing
for the same market share their relationship became
more and more bitter. Although both had resentful
feelings towards each other due to the nature of their
business, each companies success can to some
extent be contributed to the other. Apple helped
Microsoft to achieve what they currently are within
their beginning phases. On the other hand in the late
90s when Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy,
Microsoft helped them succeed by developing an
office suite of applications specifically designed for
Apple machines.

8. “For two decades, the race between the two went
according to script, with the hare jumping out to a
huge early lead, before falling hopelessly behind.
Apple Computer appeared to be headed for
bankruptcy in 1997 when Gates and Microsoft came
to the rescue with a $150 million investment. While
appearing as the noble competitor, Gates could not
hide his contempt for his longtime rival. In a Vanity
Fair article in 1998, Gates said sneeringly -- "What I
can't figure out is why he is even trying. He knows he
can't win." Bill Gates

9. How might you use these two artists to develop your
own explanation of the role of rivalry in inspiring
people who work in creative fields? What details
about their work or their relationship to each other
leads you to your conclusion?

10. What Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have implemented
within the everyday lives of average individuals is truly
amazing! Without either of these individuals its
questionable as to where technology would be
today. The rivalry between the two allowed for rapid
technological advancements stemmed from each of
the firms headed by these individuals. Although these
two individuals were in fact rivals for some time they
both managed to keep one and other close in their
lives.

11. When Jobs and Gates split, the rivalry between the
two pushed them to keep developing new products
while improving existing ones. They kept each other
on their toes, they kept thinking their product was
better than the others’ as seen from all the trash
talking done in the media between the two.

13. The most profound aspect of their relationship is the
fact that they did not have intense feelings of hatred
in any sense towards each other. While Steve Jobs
was terminal he invited Bill to his home because of the
profound influence Bill had within his life.

15. In your opinion, to what extent does defining these
two people as rivals blind us to their collaborations?
To seeing them as working with each other instead of
against each other?

16. The rivalry present between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs
is one that leaves the average individual completely
oblivious to the fact they have had partnerships
amongst there businesses at various points in time.
Typically individuals will have the dispute of which
operating system is better, Windows or OS X but rarely
is the topic of conversation about how Apple assisted
Microsoft in becoming what they are today and in
retrospect how Apple is only still in existence due to
Microsoft’s help.

17. When comparing the work of the two individuals the
products can seem similar but its important to note
from a technological perspective just how unique the
work stemmed from each actually is.

18. Work Cited
• http://mentalfloss.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_640x430
/public/gates-jobs_6.jpg
• http://d35gi4nnx3zt2j.cloudfront.net/wp-content/
uploads/2014/01/shutterstock_155863793.jpg
• http://www.webdesignshock.com/wp-content/
uploads/2011/09/steve-jobs-vs-bill-gates1.png
• Skovgar, Andrew B. Wilson and Robert O. The American
Spectator. December 2012.
http://spectator.org/articles/36514/steve-jobs-vs-bill-gates
• http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-and-bill-gates-quotes-
2013-5?op=1
• http://everystevejobsvideo.com/steve-jobs-bill-gates-and-microsoft-
its-complicated/
• http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bill-gates-on-steve-jobs-we-grew-
up-together/