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the screen name is just a joke :)

i hate no one

- these men clearly have contributed a lot - but i have to give it to my man Bill Gates as not only has he made the pc for the common man but has contributed to the welfare of millions who are suffering from poverty

But, Gates didn't make the PC for the "common man" rather he made software, which ran on the IBM-systems owned by many corporations. Eventually, the Windows OS trickled down into the home, but Apple was far more interested in getting computers into the hands of average people than Microsoft was. The home PC market was a benefit, but not Microsoft's intended aim.

Furthermore, this ignores companies like HP, Compaq, and a myriad of others who produced the hardware and helped drive down the price of components so people could buy a PC and take it home. Frankly, Microsoft added a significant tax to this movement.

I'd also argue that this was inevitable and Gates happened to be the best poker player at a particular table, but someone had to create the game in the first place. And that was IBM.
 
the screen name is just a joke :)

i hate no one

- these men clearly have contributed a lot - but i have to give it to my man Bill Gates as not only has he made the pc for the common man but has contributed to the welfare of millions who are suffering from poverty

Funny how we are supposed to remain impartial and you use the phrase "my man..." I imagine that if Steve had as much money he would likely do the same. One could argue that Warren Buffet's donations have been far more worthy.
 
Steve Wozinak. He designed the Apple I and II. Jobs was just the salesman. Ok, ok. So he isn't a choice. Of course, to be fair, Gates was basically a salesman. He suckered...err, convinced IBM to put his OS in their PCs. Since a Microsoft OS is running on 90% of the world's computers, I would have to vote for him. Not to mention his charity foundation.
 
Agree. BG an his wife have definitely done good with their foundation.

I wonder if SJ will create a foundation someday?

You do realize that the foundation is just a way to avoid paying taxes right? I mean sure he gives a lot to charity, but it is a lot better for him that paying 40% of his income to the federal government. Say he gives 10% of his income to charity...he SAVES 30%!!! I would have to say that neither is that important to the world. Microsoft can run without Gates and Apple can run without Jobs. At this point I would say Jobs is more important to Apple than Gates is to Microsoft just because Apple is still growing by leaps and bounds. To the world? I would think that Gates would be honored a lot more than Jobs if we dies, but neither's passing would actually have a significant effect on the world. The only thing that would change is the name on Forbes richest man in the world...it would become his son.
 
Steve Jobs in the computer world, he was the one who saved GUI from death. That made him more important.

In the real world, I think Bill Gates is better than our Steve-o even though I think he is awesome with Bill's foundation, it's good actually.
 
I'm going to have to say Bill Gates. He might not have the same "vision" and attention to detail that Steve Jobs does, but he did help revolutionize the personal computer industry.
There's an argument that says if it wasn't Microsoft then some other company would have done the same as the time was right for desktop computers (possibly CP/M or Apple, but we'll never know).

However, in common with a few others on this thread, my vote goes to Bill Gates because of what he's done with the money he's earned, not what he did to get it.
His work with the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is simply staggering and they give grants totaling billions of dollars to help the poor and needy both in the USA and abroad.
I'm not so keen on how Bill Gates amassed his wealth (shady monopolistic practices), but he is sure spending it in a good way and on that basis alone is far more "valuable" to the world than Steve Jobs.
 
He may have already. It needn't be eponymous or announced :).
Good point.

There's an argument that says if it wasn't Microsoft then some other company would have done the same as the time was right for desktop computers (possibly CP/M or Apple, but we'll never know).
That's an interesting comment.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's, it was a free for all for a lack of a better term. Many companies were involved with making proprietary computers. Nothing worked together or was compatible for the most part.

The fact that Microsoft, Apple, and other companies survived is quite an accomplishment in itself.
 
Bill Gates.......

I think for a good majority of the people even on this forum, their first experience with a computer was on a windows based machine. I didn't say all.. but I think a good majority. Especially in the age group of say those that are in there teens or young adults.
 
More of an impact to the world?? Obviously Bill Gates.

If you would have said to the tech world or technology and its advances, it'd be a tough call, but probably still Bill as well. Steve Jobs did a lot for computers, and I think that Apple is a more influential company than Microsoft. But if not for Bill and his aggressive tactics, we would not be using personal computers as we know them today.

But to the world: Bill Gates made computers something people have to have, and his operating system which is installed on around 90% of all computers worldwide is the proof. But the long term impact he will have - donating BILLIONS to his foundation and other charities - is just something most people, let alone Steve Jobs, can economically achieve.
 
I could have survived without Apple products, but hundreds or thousands of children might not have without Bill Gates' wonderful foundation. So, I'd say, my answer is Mr. Bill Gates.
 
Steve Jobs of course.
If it wasn't for him, there would be no Windows, and there would either not be any OS with a GUI or there would be but with a much less sophisticated than they are nowadays.

Bill Gates is so stupid. He wasted money with charity instead of actually using it to make some decent OS.
 
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