Steve Jobs Cast 'Spells' And Had Everyone Else 'Mesmerized'

Bill Gates
Co-founder of Microsoft Corporation

The rivalry between Microsoft and Apple can be dated back to the early days the two companies were founded.

The two walked different paths, with the former creating products that cheap and abundance, the later opt for richly engineered, but expensive experience.

But the differences between the two companies didn't stop there, as they were also reflected by the complex relationship between the late co-founder of Apple Steve Jobs and co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates.

The relationship between the two tech icons began in the late 1970s, when Microsoft was making most of its money writing software for the Apple II.

Over the course of decades, the relationship between Jobs and Gates went from cautious allies to bitter rivals, to then something almost approaching friends.

When Apple was at the brink of bankruptcy, it was Gates that helped Apple from sinking. And at that time, when Apple was "on a path to die", Jobs successfully turned to the ruined Apple into one of the most valuable company.

Part of which was because Jobs was a famous innovator. Another thing, according to Gates, was because Jobs was so good at "casting spells."

Bill Gates

Speaking of Jobs on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, Gates said that:

"I was like a minor wizard because he would be casting spells, and I would see people mesmerized, but because I’m a minor wizard, the spells don’t work on me."

When Jobs failed, he succeeded, said Gates that cited the 1988 introduction of NeXT, the computer that "completely failed, it was such nonsense, and yet he mesmerized those people."

Gates admitted that Jobs could be an “asshole” and was occasionally difficult, but said “he brought some incredibly positive things along with that toughness."

Gates noted that Jobs was not only good at impressing others with his own ideas but also exceptionally good in sniffing out skills in others, and motivating those people to produce good work for him.

“I have yet to meet any person who [could rival Jobs] in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent, and having a sense of design of, ‘Oh, this is good. This is not good'."

On the broadcast, Gates thinks that Jobs did what he did best, and helped engineered one of the greatest companies to be written in history.

Gates acknowledged Jobs abilities and saw through them all, despite he admitted that he couldn't recreate the magic to the same degree.

Here, Gates expressed admiration for Jobs' talent.

When Microsoft was still focusing on personal computers and their quirks, Jobs was able to pioneer the mobile revolution with iPhones. This was something that Gates failed to see.

Microsoft was lagging far behind Apple in terms of conquering the mobile market. Gates even acknowledged that his biggest mistake is his failure to invent Android.

"It’s amazing to me that having made one of the greatest mistakes of all time, and there was this antitrust lawsuit and various things, that our other assets like Windows and Office are still very strong, so we are a leading company,” Gates once said.

"If we had gotten that one right, we would be the leading company, but oh well."