“Apple is the best-managed computer company on Earth.” Apple is not a computer company anymore and it never made money from selling computers until this ipod and itunes craze propelled the company to profitability. That distinction has to be made. I covered this company for years and it was a sad tale. Life and business is about timing (and tipping points, to borrow from Malcolm Gladwell’s book). Apple’s time came 25 years too late, but better late than ever I suppose. And it was due to inertia rather than the creative force of one tech God. But we humans like to create myths.

As to Gates, the only guy who thinks the competition continues is Steve Jobs. That race was over long ago. Bill has moved on to others things beyond the narrow scope and realm of business. Jobs is like Janet Jackson—always two steps behind Madonna. Gates is a philanthropist who once had an interest in dominating the world, but was he achieved that ridiculous goal he figure there had to be more to life. I hope Jobs gets to that point some day, but I doubt it.

this guy is the best week after week, has a huge following, has seen it all, writes great, speculates about the future in broad strokes intelligently, gets a gazillion comments… yet i almost never see him linked to by arrington or om.

u gotta love cringely…

The media is doing the media usually does and giddily hyping up this little controversy like a gossipy schoolgirl. The Apple fanboys will complain but in the end it will be just talk. They really don’t have any leverage, they can’t walk away from Apple so all they can do is spew their rage and get their face-saving $100 store credit. The article is right: Steve Jobs really CAN do this and he did. Yikes.

I personally am rooting against Apple. While I admire them and understand what they’ve done for consumer electronics I just hate juggernauts with large arrogant fanbases (e.g. Yankee, Lakers). Hopefully some company will step up and become a counterweight to the Apple iDeathStar.