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Deal with it, Gates contributed nothing to the success of the IBM personal computer. He just purchased an OS from a third party, then sold it to IBM. IBM put a great deal of money into marketing those personal computers. Before the IBM systems, there were lots of small business and home computers on the market. Companies were mostly using CP/M based systems while home users were running Apple II or TRS-80.

I don't think the IBM systems increased the total number of systems sold, they just cannibalized the market from other vendors.

Or, he bought something and made it work (the Apple argument). Regardless, it was Gates, not Jobs, that had the vision of placing a computer in every mans home, and it was Gates, not Jobs, who succeeded in making that vision come true.

Not IBM, not Apple. Gates, and Microsoft. Stop revising history to fit your personal bias towards your legend, Jobs.

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I think most of the people who want to see him win, don't view it as being about 2011, but more as a lifetime achievement award dating back to what he and the Waz did in the 1970's.

Which would mean they had a point if it werent for the fact that this isnt what the Person of the YEAR is about.

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Actually, neither of them. That honor goes to one Jack Tramiel, the founder of Commodore. The Commodore 64 sold 17 million, most of them to ordinary households while Apple and IBM PC were largely confined to offices and businesses. Also, Sir Clive Sinclair, to a lesser extent.

17M != 1BN. But yes, the Commadore and the team behind it certainly deserves credit.
 
You guys need a reality check. The guy sold consumer products. Get a grip. He didn't change the world, though he did have an impact on the way we engage with media.

What about the vendor who set himself on fire igniting the Arab Spring?

Steve Jobs' legacy = relentless consumerism, trashing of the environment, slave wages. That's it.

Quite true, but many here don't like the truth or reality. They'd rather continue worshiping Jobs like he was some deity.

I used to enjoy reading macrumors FP and the forums. Of late, particularly over the past six months, IMHO it has just begun to deteriorate in value with all the biased reporting. Not to mention the grandstand attitude of some of the users on the forums who are just full of themselves and are sounding like blind salesmen in car dealership.

You hit the nail on the head. It's all egos now, just like their leader.

Gates, not Jobs, is the man who placed a computer in every mans home. Deal with it.

Another fact that Appleonians can't seem to deal with.

Some of the delusional comments in this thread make me embarrassed to be a fan of Apple and their products. I think even Steve Jobs would be annoyed with some of them.

If people actually believe that Steve Jobs had the greatest impact on the world as a whole this year, then they are either ignorant of current events or so far gone in bias and denial that nothing they say can be taken seriously.

If Steve Jobs is the Person of the Year, then Time magazine has become even more of a farce than it already was. I didn't agree with Zuckerberg getting it last year, but naming Steve Jobs this year isn't going to remedy it. If anything it will likely make it worse.

Excellent post. But some here would rather worship Steve and give him credit for their very existence. If not for the iPhone or iPad, the would be living on the streets. Quite pathetic actually.

As far as I can tell, Time's Person of the Year is someone who made the most of that impact of that particular year. I agree, Steve Jobs made amazing contributions over the past 20 or 30 years. But I'm questioning 'What if he didn't die this year, would you have given the award to him?' As far as this year is concerned, I'm thinking someone else.
www.geekchoice.com

Job's didn't do squat this year. The poor man was fighting for his life. He shouldn't receive the award since it's about 2011, not the past. But I'm sure he'll win since the media has made him out to be the second coming of Christ.
 
Things invented or brought to the mainstream masses by S. Jobs:

- Personal computers (Apple II)
- GUI interface (Mac)
- Movie computer animation (Pixar)
- Legal music and movie digital purchasing (iTunes)
- Personal music players (iPod)
- Smartphone (iPhone)
- Tablet device (iPad)

Also, the WWW was invented by T. Berners-Lee on a NeXT workstation, another one of his creations.

None of that was done in 2011. And we talking about 2011 achievements here. This is a person of the year and not a lifetime achievement award.
 
At first I disagreed because it would seem like a "pity prize" because he died prematurely. There were other years where he surely would have deserved it.

But with some more thought: his personality, his products, and the amplification of his personality and his impact in the public consciousness because of his death, made me reconsider. Also consider the popularity and iconicity of his products and his image, especially around the world--all points towards this honour (that is if Time Magazine still has such cultural capital). I am sure his face has become one of the most recognizable in the world.

This award often does not go to the person who has (practically) contributed most to humanity, but who has loomed large in the public imagination--which in many ways does make a huge impact.

Who might the other candidate(s) be?

Good post, but 2011 is not Steve. (Hey, maybe person of the century, OK?) Makes me ask, if not Steve, who? As a Democrat, I come up with Herman Cain - he and the other Republicans show how good our dear President Obama actually is!
 
Things invented or brought to the mainstream masses by S. Jobs:

- Personal computers (Apple II)
- GUI interface (Mac)
- Movie computer animation (Pixar)
- Legal music and movie digital purchasing (iTunes)
- Personal music players (iPod)
- Smartphone (iPhone)
- Tablet device (iPad)

Also, the WWW was invented by T. Berners-Lee on a NeXT workstation, another one of his creations.

Oh, please, this is getting ridiculous. The first iPhone couldn't even run 3rd party apps, so it wasn't a smarthpone at all.
 
Or, he bought something and made it work (the Apple argument). Regardless, it was Gates, not Jobs, that had the vision of placing a computer in every mans home, and it was Gates, not Jobs, who succeeded in making that vision come true.

Not IBM, not Apple. Gates, and Microsoft. .

I think its more accurate to say Gates had the vision of putting a computer in every business. The idea of putting a dos-powered PC in consumers' hands came to Microsoft relatively late in the game. And arguably it was the Macintosh, which showed how an "affordably"-priced GUI computer could be used by the typical consumer that showed them the way.

When Bill Gates dies, I'm sure he will be remembered and mourned for much more than his fortune and Microsoft. He'll also be remembered for his unprecedented philanthropy, something that Steve Jobs didn't seem to have much in the way of time or inclination (at least not publicly.)

Gates' great achievements were a) recognizing the vital role the Operating system would play in the coming PC revolution; b) having the business smarts to get IBM to sign a deal letting Micro-Soft (as it was then known) retain the right to sell their own version of PC-DOS; and c) having the relentless drive the get every independent computer company to buy into the DOS model. He had a leg up by being able to sell MS-DOS as "100% IBM Compatible" (see B above) - but a lesser businessman would have let that opportunity slip away.

The recent relative decline Microsoft has suffered was, IMHO, all but inevitable. Microsoft was lucky to be able to catch up in the Internet era. But the mobile revolution (where a billion people are walking around with more computing power in their pocket than NASA had in 1969) has put them - most probably permanently - playing catch-up.

I'm still mixed about Steve Jobs as Time's MOTY.
 
Things invented or brought to the mainstream masses by S. Jobs:

- Personal computers (Apple II)
- GUI interface (Mac)
- Movie computer animation (Pixar)
- Legal music and movie digital purchasing (iTunes)
- Personal music players (iPod)
- Smartphone (iPhone)
- Tablet device (iPad)

Also, the WWW was invented by T. Berners-Lee on a NeXT workstation, another one of his creations.

- Personal computers, Commadore** - brought to mainstream masses by Gates.
- GUI interface, PARC - brought to mainstream masses by Gates (Win 95)
- Personal music players, Sony (and Sony). Walkman-line.
- Smartphone, not Apple. Ill give you a point for "multi-touch based feature-phone that through serendipitous events became a smart-phone", though. That, it was certainly first to do.
- Tablet device - ill give you a point for this (massmarketing, not inventing). Cant say im impressed by it though. It's been in the making since the days of PARC (in fact, even prior to that).

(As far as the rest goes, i know too little to have anything to say).


p.s.

ironically, if we go by the first criteria "invented", Jobs gets _0_ points. Yes, Zero. Deal with it. Great marketer*, not so great inventor.

* marketing in its nice SD-L interpretation, rather than something negative. I certainly envy that aspect of his person. he had a nice gut.

** Ok, Commadore could be questioned too - but v. Apple, Commadore takes the point.
 
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I think its more accurate to say Gates had the vision of putting a computer in every business. The idea of putting a dos-powered PC in consumers' hands came to Microsoft relatively late in the game. And arguably it was the Macintosh, which showed how an "affordably"-priced GUI computer could be used by the typical consumer that showed them the way.

When Bill Gates dies, I'm sure he will be remembered and mourned for much more than his fortune and Microsoft. He'll also be remembered for his unprecedented philanthropy, something that Steve Jobs didn't seem to have much in the way of time or inclination (at least not publicly.)

Gates' great achievements were a) recognizing the vital role the Operating system would play in the coming PC revolution; b) having the business smarts to get IBM to sign a deal letting Micro-Soft (as it was then known) retain the right to sell their own version of PC-DOS; and c) having the relentless drive the get every independent computer company to buy into the DOS model. He had a leg up by being able to sell MS-DOS as "100% IBM Compatible" (see B above) - but a lesser businessman would have let that opportunity slip away.

The recent relative decline Microsoft has suffered was, IMHO, all but inevitable. Microsoft was lucky to be able to catch up in the Internet era. But the mobile revolution (where a billion people are walking around with more computing power in their pocket than NASA had in 1969) has put them - most probably permanently - playing catch-up.

I'm still mixed about Steve Jobs as Time's MOTY.

Actually, i never said when he had that vision. But it is a vision he did in fact have. Read up on your tech. history. He also predicted when tablets would become mainstream, and pretty much hit the spot too (2012). Ironically, the same year W8 will be launched (which i doubt was certain at that point). Gates rarely get enough credit. He may not have been as charismatic, and certainly did not have Jobs "touch", but he certainly knew and understood tech., in some respects in ways Jobs, as a non-engineer, never could.

As for Apple leading the way, others did too. Jobs werent the only person in the world who thought "Hey, computers are awesome - for everyone". Yes, Apple are part of MSFTs trajectory, but remember - Apple too were part of a shared trajectory, a trajectory that affected many others than just Jobs.

--
also, just remembered. have to give Ballmer some praise too. i may not like him, but apparently he can sell like no other, and i'm sure that means he played a significant part in the story that is the success of Windows.

p.s.

Personally, i think MSFT has pretty much caught up already. Not so much thanks to MSFT itself (large organizations are slow more or less by default), but rather due to the shift in competition towards a) tablets and b) ecosystems. MSFT might be playing catch up as far as mobile goes, but that is not the case in the field in which the trajectory is currently heading.

Im sure Apple will continue to do fine though. Google on the other hand, well... i doubt it.

Addendum:

Found a quote of Gates on "his vision".

“When Paul Allen and I started Microsoft over 30 years ago, we had big dreams about software,” recalls Gates. “We had dreams about the impact it could have. We talked about a computer on every desk and in every home. It’s been amazing to see so much of that dream become a reality and touch so many lives. I never imagined what an incredible and important company would spring from those original ideas.”


(and, i actually dont think Gates would even consider lying about something like that. He's not Jobs after all ;- D)
 
Many times he could have been PotY.

Now that he is dead, there is no expectation of greater things from him in future, so instead a look back at what he did.

Given the phenomenal success of Apple in 2011, despite the economy and competition, SJ would probably win PotY even if alive.

He deserves it, a crowning achievement for a brilliant tyrant. :)
 
I would say, the year he got the idea of selling pre-built computers instead of selling a set of plans, then asking the purchaser to go out and try to find the parts. The year he got the idea, computers would be a good thing to have in a classroom would also be high on the list.

But that year wasn't 2011. Fail.


No one deserve more respect or attention than him...at least in 2011

RIP Steve

Attention for making shiny toys for the conspicuous consumption class? Which, of course, came out in 2010....


I just finished reading Steve's autobiography. An epic reminder of what he accomplished much of it based on other people but led by him. We have the book ... and all the technology available ... I don't see person of the year for 2011.

+1


And Eric Schmidt can watch from the sidelines.. he should be used to that by now.

You should work on your issues.


He won't.

+1


Brian Williams is the man! Not just for the nomination, but he's an overall awesome person and newscaster.

Until this nonsense broke, I loved the giant head of Brian Williams. Now he's just an Apple fanboi with a megaphone.


None of that was done in 2011. And we talking about 2011 achievements here. This is a person of the year and not a lifetime achievement award.

+1 - The fans have trouble with the concept - some of them feel that it's an attack against the temple of Apple to say that it would be silly to give the POY nod to Jobs.


He deserves it, a crowning achievement for a brilliant tyrant. :)

-10 - What did he do in the year 2011 other than pass on?
 
What a fitting response to OWS, after all their angst to see a one percenter named as man of the year. Amazing, on one hand we demagogue wealth and on the other we worship one who never shared his.

He was a great innovator but nothing I have read leads to believe he was a great man.

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I wouldn't bet on that...

(Though, if TIME puts down the "youths" as their PotY, that's prolly going to piss more peeps off)

I would not mind the youths of the REAL Arab Spring getting the nomination, but those privileged wimps in American cities deserve no part in the award. Those protesting here aren't risking anything.
 
No disrespect towards the man but I'm kind of tired of hearing about SJ already. There are thousands of people overseas away from their families, some deployed for over their 10th time putting their lives at risk who get little to no recognition for the work they do, just so we can live each day enjoying our iPhones, iPads, iMacs and MBP/MBA's.

Tired of reading about SJ's on the front page when we have good people dying for all our sakes, being put right next to the latest sports scores and daily coupon deals.
 
Oh, please, this is getting ridiculous. The first iPhone couldn't even run 3rd party apps, so it wasn't a smarthpone at all.

Reminds me when Ballmer laughed at the iPhone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eywi0h_Y5_U

Steve Ballmer: "...and it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not a very good email machine."

Yup, my iPhone 4 sucks for staying in touch with my clients via email. :rolleyes:

I'll never forget the time I was at MSP and the Android user in front of me couldn't get his boarding pass to scan at the TSA checkpoint. He tried unsuccessfully several times to scan his Android (placing it at different angles and distances in front of the scanner) while the long line of travelers, TSA's, and myself grew frustrated. I calmly stepped in front of him, reached over his arm, placed my iPhone (with the Apple logo visible to all) in front of the scanner and immediately heard the beep of a successful read. I proceeded forward. The frustrated TSA agent motioned the Android user toward a kiosk to print his boarding pass. The embarrassed look on his face was priceless. LOL!!
 
Commadore
COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE COMMODORE

Write it a thousand times, you got 24 hours.

:D:apple:
 
I'll never forget the time I was at MSP and the Android user in front of me couldn't get his boarding pass to scan at the TSA checkpoint. He tried unsuccessfully several times to scan his Android (placing it at different angles and distances in front of the scanner) while the long line of travelers, TSA's, and myself grew frustrated. I calmly stepped in front of him, reached over his arm, placed my iPhone (with the Apple logo visible to all) in front of the scanner and immediately heard the beep of a successful read. I proceeded forward. The frustrated TSA agent motioned the Android user toward a kiosk to print his boarding pass. The embarrassed look on his face was priceless. LOL!!

I really don't understand why there's a common stereotype that many Apple users are arrogant, self-centered ******s.

;)

It's also a bit odd - but I'm never had TSA scan my boarding pass. It's always the airline employees at the gate who scan it - not the TSA people at the security station.

And the airlines that I fly use downward-facing scanners, so that the checkers can see the laser scan across the bar code. That would put the Apple logo facing downward, where no one could see it.

Don't want to ruin a good story with facts, though.

Of course, I always fly with paper boarding passes - I've never tried to do it "all LCD". If my hotel doesn't have a free print station for boarding passes (fairly common now), I'll print one at the kiosk in the departure area before security.

And yes, I've had to wait in the boarding line while someone with a fruit-flavored phone repeatedly gets scan errors. I think that it's more the variation in the scanners than some inherent superiority of phones with fruit logos.
 
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it's also a bit odd - but i'm never had tsa scan my boarding pass. It's always the airline employees at the gate who scan it - not the tsa people at the security station.

And the airlines that i fly use downward-facing scanners, so that the checkers can see the laser scan across the bar code. That would put the apple logo facing downward, where no one could see it.

Don't want to ruin a good story with facts, though.

http://www.timesunion.com/business/...ere-s-an-app-for-that-902290.php#photo-477654
tsa-checkpoint.jpg

http://terrywhite.com/techblog/archives/1359
tsascanner.jpg
 
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I can vouch for that option having now used my iPhone to get through the TSAs and gate agents at Minneapolis, too, as well as Chicago O'Hare, Chicago Midway, Baltimore Washington, Seattle, Washington Dulles, and the usually hyper-secure Washington Reagan. Very convenient, as it is much easier to find my cell phone than one piece of paper. Thanks, :apple:.
 
+1 for Steve Jobs.

BUT, having said that, the criteria specifically states "events of the previous year". I see Jobs as a nominee for some kind of lifetime award (person of the decade?) as his achievements run long over a lifetime of commitment to innovation. He hasn't done anything particularly special this year.
 
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