Bill Gates Losing It

[mac-er]

First after Bill Gates' weird rant about Windows being first, best and most secure, comes this exchange with AdAge:

GARFIELD: This is based on pretty much zero data, but it doesn't seem to me that either Vista's or Zune's campaign has so far generated a whole lot of buzz. Are they generating any business?

GATES: Vista's doing extremely well. Zune has gained a great No. 2 position as a product that's completely new for us. Vista's the most-used piece of software there is in the world, and so it has this incredible impact as people talk about how it simplifies things that they've done.

(my emphasis)

Then after the interviewer says PC in the 'Get a Mac' ads is basically Bill G, Bill G loses it totally:

GARFIELD: I want to ask you one more thing: Those Mac ads -- how do you feel about the John Hodgman character?

GATES: I can't comment on someone else's ad.

GARFIELD: OK ... but he's you.

GATES: Yeah, I'm not gonna comment on someone else's ad.

GARFIELD: OK, well, Bill Gates, thank you so much for joining us.

(Silence)

GARFIELD: Can I just have a clean goodbye?

(Silence)

GARFIELD: OK, can you just say goodbye? Thank you or goodbye or something like that?

GATES: Goodbye.

Full interview:
http://adage.com/article?article_id=115481

 

[DeSnousa]

What a rebel Bill Gates is

 

[nateDEEZY]

What do you mean? OMG! Are you saying Vista isn't the most used piece of software in the world?

Lol.

 

[Peace]

"GATES: Vista's doing extremely well. Zune has gained a great No. 2 position as a product that's completely new for us"

Where's he get his numbers from ?

 

[mattscott306]

"GATES: Vista's doing extremely well. Zune has gained a great No. 2 position as a product that's completely new for us"

Where's he get his numbers from ?

Same place Zune came from... the ****hole.

 

[FF_productions]

Ouch I just listened to the audio.

Bill does get pissed when the guy mentions the Mac Ads. Don't worry Bill, Windows owns 95 percent of the market even though its the worst ****ing OS I've ever touched.

 

[yg17]

So even if Zune is the #2 player in terms of market share (which I doubt, I thought I heard the Sandisk Sansa ones are), does being #2 mean much when the #1 player is so far ahead of you?

 

[WildCowboy]

"GATES: Vista's doing extremely well. Zune has gained a great No. 2 position as a product that's completely new for us"

Where's he get his numbers from ?

It was #2 among hard drive players in its launch week.

Linky

 

[ReanimationLP]

Wow, what an ass.

Seriously.

Vistas the most used piece of software ever?

LOL.

I get so many customers who want machines with Windows XP because they dont want to be test dummies for Microsofts' new stuff. Of course, we have none, and no other stores really have it anymore. Microsoft is just forcing Vista down their customers' throats.

When people come in for an XP computer, they either have 3 choices.

1) Deal with Vista.
2) Buy a copy of XP, and downgrade.
3) Buy a Mac, and not have to deal with Windows' crap anymore.

 

[ghall]

Is Bill Gates losing it? He never had it.

 

[Bill Gates]

Just looking at it from a 3rd-party perspective, my guess is that he meant to say that Microsoft Windows is the most-used piece of software in the world, whether or not that's true.

 

[Zwhaler]

I wish after the many moments of silence, Gates would just have yelled F*CK OFF! That'd be classic!

 

[WillMak]

So even if Zune is the #2 player in terms of market share (which I doubt, I thought I heard the Sandisk Sansa ones are), does being #2 mean much when the #1 player is so far ahead of you?

I would hope so since Mac OS is the #2 to windows' #1

 

[Bill Gates]

Ouch I just listened to the audio.

Bill does get pissed when the guy mentions the Mac Ads. Don't worry Bill, Windows owns 95 percent of the market even though its the worst ****ing OS I've ever touched.

I really don't think he got pissed. Call me the devil's advocate, but I think he remained calm. He sounded a tad annoyed, but I don't think he was pissed. Furthermore, the fact that he did not say anything to conclude the interview is not indicative of him being in a foul mood. Rather, the interview was so informal, especially with respect to the tone of the interviewer, that he may have felt that it wasn't necessary. As a side note, Windows is not a bad product. No, I don't find it to be as good as Mac OS X, but it's not the worst OS. I cite BeOS as an example, and depending on what aspect of the OS is most important to you, other operating systems can be cited as better or worse.

 

[GFLPraxis]

I would hope so since Mac OS is the #2 to windows' #1

Depends how you look at it. If you look at hardware manufacturers instead of software, Apple is really high in the list (just behind Dell and HP).

Regardless, Macs = profitable. Zune = loss leader that's not leading.

 

[Lixivial]

When people come in for an XP computer, they either have 3 choices.

Don't they have four options? Whatever happened to Linux? Unless you meant pre-installed, but if that were the case then XP would not be an option. Or they could order online directly from the same OEM (Dell and HP for sure, I don't know about Gateway) and not have to pay any Windows tax, and then run Linux.

Anyroad, it doesn't help that the interviewer was confused through three quarters of the interview. And I really don't see how this constitutes "losing it." He's probably getting annoyed with being asked about an ad campaign that's totally irrelevant to the topic at hand. Even still, I've never once thought of the Hodgman character as Bill Gates, but rather the Windows-based machine. Bob Garfield was fishing, and all he received was a "Goodbye," it may be more than he'd received had he interviewed Jobs and jumped him with a similar question.

 

[ReanimationLP]

The area I live in is an area where mainly people only buy the sale computers with them Celeron processors. Most have never heard of Linux.

They'd probably think its some kind of cookie.

Besides, I dont think its a good idea to mention Linux. Seems that MS is sweeping in. We used to sell Linux, but not anymore from what I can see.

Ever since we got Vista, boom, no more Linux.

 

[clevin]

I think Linux is doing better now, comparing my experience with Linux last year and 4 years ago, Linux distros support many, many more hardwares, and the installation processes are very sleek, the whole system works much better also.

Mr. ReanimationLP
Since u work in the situation., would u give some data (like %) about
1. how many ppl who bought a Vista machine went back to your store looking for an XP?
2. how many ppl actually bought a downgraded XP?
3. How many ppl actually returned their vista machine and got a Mac?

 

[SMM]

I really don't think he got pissed. Call me the devil's advocate, but I think he remained calm. He sounded a tad annoyed, but I don't think he was pissed. Furthermore, the fact that he did not say anything to conclude the interview is not indicative of him being in a foul mood. Rather, the interview was so informal, especially with respect to the tone of the interviewer, that he may have felt that it wasn't necessary. As a side note, Windows is not a bad product. No, I don't find it to be as good as Mac OS X, but it's not the worst OS. I cite BeOS as an example, and depending on what aspect of the OS is most important to you, other operating systems can be cited as better or worse.

When Bill gets pissed, he wants to throw a temper tantrum. But, he has to remain constrained; net result, silence. This based on many years of observation.

 

[calculus]

When Bill gets pissed, he wants to throw a temper tantrum.

How long has he been drinking?

(oh the joy of a common language!)

 

[Cybergypsy]

He is losing it, but Vista is not bad at all

 

[MartyMoe]

When Bill gets pissed, he wants to throw a temper tantrum. But, he has to remain constrained; net result, silence. This based on many years of observation.

He also may just need to work on some social graces- when he was on the Daily Show and the interview ended he just stood right up and walked out. Traditionally, on any interview show, you do the interview, then chat (or pretend to chat) quietly for a minute while they zoom out, play the music/ cut to the next segment, or whatever.

He might have also had somewhere to go next-- Vista had just come out when he did the above show, so he probably needed to get to the the next event...

</ Benefit of the doubt>

 

[WildCowboy]

He also may just need to work on some social graces- when he was on the Daily Show and the interview ended he just stood right up and walked out. Traditionally, on any interview show, you do the interview, then chat (or pretend to chat) quietly for a minute while they zoom out, play the music/ cut to the next segment, or whatever.

Give the guy a break...he's only had about 30 years as a prominent public figure in which to hone those skills. He just needs some more time.

 

[MartyMoe]

Give the guy a break...he's only had about 30 years as a prominent public figure in which to hone those skills. He just needs some more time.

To quote Emeril, "....BAM!!!" You got me.

 

[QuarterSwede]

When Bill gets pissed, he wants to throw a temper tantrum. But, he has to remain constrained; net result, silence. This based on many years of observation.

I don't think he lost it. It sounds to me like he was annoyed (I would be) and was getting up to leave because the interview is obviously over (which is why he's hard to hear at the end).