Billionaire says something nice about other Billionaire, doesn't lose sleep because soft pillowy money cushions Billionaire from the drudgery of the world we plebes live in. I wish to enjoy such a financially orgasmic nirvana.
In all seriousness, gotta have respect for Gates. It's too bad he left Barney Rubble's Frankensteinian stand-in in charge.
The "war" between Apple and Microsoft is like some sort of esoteric sporting event and league for geeks.
The products they make are their athletes. We spend our time pouring over the stats. Arguing intangebles. Buying things that show our afiliation. We call the other side "fools" and talk trash.
And it's all for two teams that don't clash so decisively in reality. 90% of it is in our minds. #billgates
Unfortunately, Microsoft swiftly responded with a copy and paste from days before: "Unfortunately, this came from a Microsoft employee who was not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7. I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed." #billgates
@ossuary: It's weird seeing them being so civil with each other given how obnoxious fanboys can be. I love how Gates is laughing in like half those pictures though. I don't think I've ever seen Jobs laugh. #billgates
How about Bill Gates patting himself on the back for investing money in Apple to save it and gaining non-voting stock? Remember that keynote where Gates big noggin was up on the big screen and people started to boo? I remember it like it was yesterday. Macworld 97 was it? Some want to verify #billgates
@lostarchitect: Well I remember watching the keynote maybe a year ago, so maybe I'm a bit off. But I'll check and edit if need be.
edit-Well Bill Gates may not have been patting himself on the back during the keynote, but you know he was eating it up inside. Apple needed help (Steve says "For Apple to move forward and be healthy and prosperous again")...Jobs claimed that destructive relationships don't help anyone and that a joint venture with Microsoft would be beneficial for both companies (however the deal was more so for Apple being that they needed the help at the time). Microsoft purchases $150 million worth of non-voting stock and agreed not to sell for at least 3 years. And indeed when Gates was on screen there were boos that gradually became cheers and clapping. Where's the propaganda I used? No offense but I think I nailed it pretty well for not seeing it for a year.
If only Steve Jobs could say the same about Bill. I remember the press conference (video), when Jobs was on hees knees before Microsoft for biggest help compepitor might provide... Let's see what is next! #billgates
@thetickler: I could be reaching a bit here but I'm thinking that building a $40 billion dollar fortune required that Billy be a fairly decent businessman too. #billgates
@NorwoodIsMyHero: I was thinking the same after I wrote it. Damn you for calling me out! ha. I guess with Gates, I admire his philanthropic side more than his business savvy. #billgates
Not surprising. Remember from when they shared a stage together at All Things D, they don't exactly hate each other. (Their product users do.)
In fact, it was kind of a Love Fest between the two - especially with Steve Jobs waxing poetic over he and Bill's relationship with that quote by The Beatles and all :) #billgates
@Nathan Obbards: Because most people are ultra proud of what they like and choose to buy, and on each side, there are users that find weaknesses and faults with/in the competition.
Windows sucks, windows crashes all the time, windows runs on cheap, plastic computers, windows is a 200 'update', etc.
OSX sucks, macs are overpriced, you can't do as much on osx as on windows, it takes so long for apple to fix bugs, etc.
It's been back and forth for decades and it'll be back and forth for decades to come. #billgates
You're not the brightest colden. Does dell compete with Apple?
Hell yes. Dell's market share make's apple's look pitiful. You here so much about "Apple Fanboys" because people who DO use macs tend to live and die by them, where as PC users aren't so loyal to a specific brand. Dell makes cheap, affordable PCs, and to many people, thats the #1 factor in buying a computer.
No matter how much apple is worth, or how "awesome" you think they are, they still have less makeup than 4% of the computer market worldwide, and less than 8% in the US.
By comparison, HP's worldwide market share is over 18%, And Dell's is over 15%.
More than 4 to 5 times that of Apple's.
And in the last fiscal year, Apple lost 16% of it's 4% market share to ACER. Wow. Big company there. Overall it lost 23% of its market share to Acer, Dell, and HP.
So in business terms, Apple isn't really much of a threat to anyone in the PC market.
Now that doesn't really matter because the markup on their products is so ridiculously high.
But fanboy's like you are more than willing to pay for whatever the benevolent Apple God's choose to provide you with.
I have nothing against mac, I think they make a great product, but it is extremely overpriced and contrary to what anyone thinks, they are still, at best, a minor force in the PC market.
@jfordland: OK, I’m going to try to explain this for the last time so please pay attention.
Looking at just absolute market share is meaningless. As a profit making business it’s important to look at what market share you have of the most profitable segment of your market share. Only a dumb ass would be in the business to break even or lose money.
As far as I know, Apple has the highest share of the most profitable segment of personal computers. If I had to guess I would say it’s well in excess of 50%. Ditto for the smartphone segment.
Now, some would argue that having volume is beneficial in that it reduces costs in that your fixed costs are then spread over more units. But that’s just dumb. Dell, HP, ACER, and whoeverthehell else would not be able to compete with Apple overtime because their businesses are flawed. Do you know why?
I’ll tell you. They own their own production. This day and age it no longer makes sense to own such fixed plants and equipment. Apple is the IP business. They’re competitive advantage is in design. Someone like Foxconn’s competitive advantage is in production. You cannot compete against companies like Foxconn in production because they will kill you.
Companies like HP and Dell are drowning in their own fixed production costs. The management team not only has to worry about designing the best computers but also becoming the most efficient low cost producers of computers. That’s way too much for any single company to handle. Overtime, they will lose. That’s why their margins are way lower than Apple. They’re bottom feeding in the low margin business. Jobs has already said thanks but no thanks to that and he’s absolutely correct.
So, if you think about the 80/20 rule you can think about how 20% of the PC business derive 80% of the profits and Apple’s share of that 20% is way over 50%. What does it matter that they don’t have the other 90% of the low margin business? #chartoftheday
@Noobs-R-Us: Except, as you say, you picked 50% out of the air, likewise 80/20, that doesn't apply to all situations. Do some research before making up figures, otherwise what you say sounds like drivvle.
Profit is profit, compared to Nokia, SE and RIM apple still has quite a small % of the smartphone market, they're building, but they're still small. I'd go on, but I doubt I'd reach you, just look up figures before making them up, it just makes sense. #chartoftheday
@Noobs-R-Us: Odd, that article doesn't seem to mention 50% market share anywhere. I don't mind though, you make up your figures if you like :) #chartoftheday
@trstn: Actually, there was an analysis done on that with the iphone but not the Mac but i don't recall where i read it. But the idea works even for the Mac. #chartoftheday
11/13/09
11/13/09
In all seriousness, gotta have respect for Gates. It's too bad he left Barney Rubble's Frankensteinian stand-in in charge.
11/13/09
Will you please start using a hanging quote? You're killing me.
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Disaster averted. #billgates
11/13/09
The products they make are their athletes. We spend our time pouring over the stats. Arguing intangebles. Buying things that show our afiliation. We call the other side "fools" and talk trash.
And it's all for two teams that don't clash so decisively in reality. 90% of it is in our minds. #billgates
11/13/09
11/13/09
11/13/09
11/13/09
11/13/09
[d.smugmug.com] #billgates
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11/14/09
1st picture
Bill: "I'm gonna back-hand this b*tch if she don't make me a sammich!"
Steve: "Hey Bill, it's kinda blurry. I'm gonna take off my glasses." "Much better."
2nd picture
Steve: "There's a box... and it's about thiiiis big. It has my entire porn collection in it. I seem to have lost it."
Bill: "Oh, this big, you say? Nope, haven't seen it."
Steve: "Bill, why is your other hand under the table?"
3rd picture
Bill: "D'oh, I guess you caught me. We can still laugh about it, right?"
Steve: "Yeah... NO."
Bill: "Well, this is embarrassing."
Steve: "Hey, look everybody, I'm going to karate chop the table. With my hand." #billgates
11/13/09
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11/13/09
....Proving that only the fanboys make wars, and that the wars are only "marketing." #billgates
11/13/09
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11/13/09
edit-Well Bill Gates may not have been patting himself on the back during the keynote, but you know he was eating it up inside. Apple needed help (Steve says "For Apple to move forward and be healthy and prosperous again")...Jobs claimed that destructive relationships don't help anyone and that a joint venture with Microsoft would be beneficial for both companies (however the deal was more so for Apple being that they needed the help at the time). Microsoft purchases $150 million worth of non-voting stock and agreed not to sell for at least 3 years. And indeed when Gates was on screen there were boos that gradually became cheers and clapping. Where's the propaganda I used? No offense but I think I nailed it pretty well for not seeing it for a year.
11/13/09
11/13/09
11/13/09
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In fact, it was kind of a Love Fest between the two - especially with Steve Jobs waxing poetic over he and Bill's relationship with that quote by The Beatles and all :) #billgates
11/13/09
Sorry for that mental image, just the waxing on love, well, you know... #billgates
11/13/09
11/13/09
Windows sucks, windows crashes all the time, windows runs on cheap, plastic computers, windows is a 200 'update', etc.
OSX sucks, macs are overpriced, you can't do as much on osx as on windows, it takes so long for apple to fix bugs, etc.
It's been back and forth for decades and it'll be back and forth for decades to come. #billgates
11/12/09
Hell yes. Dell's market share make's apple's look pitiful. You here so much about "Apple Fanboys" because people who DO use macs tend to live and die by them, where as PC users aren't so loyal to a specific brand. Dell makes cheap, affordable PCs, and to many people, thats the #1 factor in buying a computer.
No matter how much apple is worth, or how "awesome" you think they are, they still have less makeup than 4% of the computer market worldwide, and less than 8% in the US.
By comparison, HP's worldwide market share is over 18%, And Dell's is over 15%.
More than 4 to 5 times that of Apple's.
And in the last fiscal year, Apple lost 16% of it's 4% market share to ACER. Wow. Big company there. Overall it lost 23% of its market share to Acer, Dell, and HP.
So in business terms, Apple isn't really much of a threat to anyone in the PC market.
Now that doesn't really matter because the markup on their products is so ridiculously high.
But fanboy's like you are more than willing to pay for whatever the benevolent Apple God's choose to provide you with.
I have nothing against mac, I think they make a great product, but it is extremely overpriced and contrary to what anyone thinks, they are still, at best, a minor force in the PC market.
11/12/09
Looking at just absolute market share is meaningless. As a profit making business it’s important to look at what market share you have of the most profitable segment of your market share. Only a dumb ass would be in the business to break even or lose money.
As far as I know, Apple has the highest share of the most profitable segment of personal computers. If I had to guess I would say it’s well in excess of 50%. Ditto for the smartphone segment.
Now, some would argue that having volume is beneficial in that it reduces costs in that your fixed costs are then spread over more units. But that’s just dumb. Dell, HP, ACER, and whoeverthehell else would not be able to compete with Apple overtime because their businesses are flawed. Do you know why?
I’ll tell you. They own their own production. This day and age it no longer makes sense to own such fixed plants and equipment. Apple is the IP business. They’re competitive advantage is in design. Someone like Foxconn’s competitive advantage is in production. You cannot compete against companies like Foxconn in production because they will kill you.
Companies like HP and Dell are drowning in their own fixed production costs. The management team not only has to worry about designing the best computers but also becoming the most efficient low cost producers of computers. That’s way too much for any single company to handle. Overtime, they will lose. That’s why their margins are way lower than Apple. They’re bottom feeding in the low margin business. Jobs has already said thanks but no thanks to that and he’s absolutely correct.
So, if you think about the 80/20 rule you can think about how 20% of the PC business derive 80% of the profits and Apple’s share of that 20% is way over 50%. What does it matter that they don’t have the other 90% of the low margin business? #chartoftheday
11/12/09
Profit is profit, compared to Nokia, SE and RIM apple still has quite a small % of the smartphone market, they're building, but they're still small. I'd go on, but I doubt I'd reach you, just look up figures before making them up, it just makes sense. #chartoftheday
11/12/09
[arstechnica.com] #chartoftheday
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