Sure. From what I’ve heard, Steve Jobs insists on absolute quality and pushes his teams to create the products you and I enjoy so much. He definitely seems to have a tight hold on Apple. But I’m fine with that as long as Apple continues to move in the directions they are.

And, I think that sometimes the level of control they exert goes a little beyond what’s needed for system integrity, and into artistic control issues.

Steve Jobs can be as extreme as Bill Gates, in his own way. Microsoft has faced anti-trust suits for trying to control everything. I’m thinking that is mirrored in Steve Jobs as well.

I’m not an engineer, and I have no idea where the line lies between quality control and the tight-grip of over-control. I just suspect Apple is sometimes a little over the line.

And, I’m extremely grateful as I sit here happily using my iMac.

In some ways I agree. But for Apple to be Apple and create what’s quite literally the best GUI OS in the world, they need proprietary control over both hardware and software.

Not being able to have control over what hardware their software goes on is much of the reason Microsoft has to ship inferior products – at least from the OS perspective.

Remember, Apple is writing an OS for a small, specific set of hardware which they’ve chosen for manufacturing and have thoroughly tested.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has to create an operating system that sits on, quite literally, an infinite combination of hardware (motherboards, processors, graphics cards, hard drives, controllers, etc…). That means the parameters they face are far and way more complex than Apple. Which is why Windows falters again and again.

There are other reasons. I think the interview clearly illustrates the difference in each’s philosophy. Microsoft is a software house, while Apple designs user experiences. Ultimately, I don’t see how one could do business differently without changing their business focus.

I’m just happy that Apple is Apple.

I just mention that to say that I’ve watched both Apple and Microsoft grow up over the years, and I’ve been repeatedly frustrated by both: frustrated by Microsoft for the reasons you mention, and frustrated with Apple that they don’t get ‘business model.’

Apple has repeatedly released some of the most innovative hardware designs over the last 2-3 decades. And yet, because they think ‘artist’ and not ‘business’ in many cases, they hold onto proprietary rights, and miss the chance to create more love with third party creators that could’ve helped Microsoft and Apple share from each other more.

They started to get it with iTunes, but I’m afraid they are going to try to hold onto the whole bag still, and lose it in this increasingly open-source world we’re living in.

Ah well. On most days, I have room for my own imperfections. I guess I do for Bill and Steve, too.

Thanks again for letting my take a little retrospective tour.

Sure. Can you believe I’ve watched the video three times???

I really think it’s the user experience that separates Apple from Microsoft. Are Macs better? I don’t know. They are for me. But for someone else???

I can tell you that the days of having no software for the Mac or compatibility problems between Mac and Windows is far over. They are almost fully compatible. Macs will even find and auto mount a Windows network. Pretty amazing.

Great observation. That’s the crux of it right there, and why I so happily switched back to Mac a few years ago (from a dell-laden gulag… oh, don’t take me back there…)

I just downloaded the video, and will give it a look-see asap.

Oh, and Lyle — do it, man, switch back! It’s easy, and you’ll be amazed you stayed away for so long. There’s really no reason, if your heart’s in Macland.

(and hey, for pc-lovers, don’t get me wrong; if your heart is there, enjoy yourself. The world’s big enough for us all to have our own tribe…)