Bill Gates And Steve Jobs: Business Leaders

For the qualified revision of two booming entrepreneurs of the globe I am discussing about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. They are the two big business leaders of the computer commerce who had changed the way of information and communication technology of the world with their new huge view and modernization techniques. As far as, education is concerned of these two entrepreneurs they both don’t have an outstanding academic achievement, in fact both were dropouts. I will be investigating the relative study of these two entrepreneurs, considering the resources, techniques, skills and similarities as well as the role of these two famous entrepreneurs in the world of personal computing business.

Early days of Steve Jobs and success in his business

Steve Jobs was born on the February 24th 1955, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He is best accepted as the cofounder & CEO of Apple Computer and fairly less so far his guidance of Pixar Animation Studio which is computer animatronics studio. Steve Jobs was adopted by Justin Paul and Clara jobs of Mountain View, Santa Clara Country, and California who named him Steve Paul Jobs. (Steve jobs, 2007)

As far as study concerned, Steve jobs attended Cupertino Middle School and Homestead High school in Cupertino, California and after school lectures at the Hewlett-Package Company in Palo Alto, California. He was quickly hired there by the company and going ahead with Steve Wozniak as a summer employee (Incumbent, 2006). In 1972, after graduated from high school, Steve Jobs enrolled in Reed College in Portland, Oregon. After one semester he dropped out but he continued attending auditing classes at Reed, such as one in calligraphy. When he dropped out, he planned to for holidays in India and study eastern religion in the summer of 1974. In 1975, a group named Homebrew Computer Club is joined by the Steve Jobs. There is a one member of the group named Steve wozniak who was trying to build a little computer. Steve Jobs became fascinating with the marketing prospective of such a computer. In 1976 Steve Jobs and Wozniak decided to launch his individual company. They named it Apple Computer Company, in memory of a happy summer jobs had spent picking apples. They raised $13, 00 to start-up, selling Jobs microbus and Wozniak calculator. Firstly they sold circuit board, the board that hold the interior component of a computer while they worked on the computer prototype. (Petechuk & David, 2005)

After that job realized that there was a vast big hole in the computer market of the world. At that period almost all computers were mainframes. They were so big that one could fill a room and so costly that individual person could not afford to buy them. Due to advances in electronics, Steve jobs and warniak redesigned their computer, with the ideal of selling it to individual customer. The apple ll, launched in the market in the year 1977, has been noticed as a first sale of $2.7 million. Because of this computer, the sale of the company as well as business grew to $200 million within three years. (Book Rags, 2006).

Steve Jobs and Wozniak had opened a completely new market of personal computer. Apple was continually required to improve the superiority of its products to stay ahead because of the new competitors entered in the market.

Apple also introduced apple lll, but due to technological and promotion problem it was withdraw from the marketplace and was later reworked and reintroduced. Apples biggest competitors were international business machines (IBM). By 1983 it was estimated that apple had vanished half of its market share to IBM (Freiberger, Paul & Swaine, Michael (1999)). In 1984 apple introduced a new model of the computer called, the Macintosh. The onscreen display had tiny pictures called icon. To use the computer, the users pointed at an icon and click a button using a new appliance called mouse. This method made the Macintosh very easy to use. However this computer didn’t sell too much in the marketplace and the result is failure of this merchandise. The failure of Macintosh noticed the creation of Steve jobs demise at apple. Jobs submissive from apple in 1985 and he also preserve his name as chairman of its board of directors. (Deutschman, Alan, 2001)

After resignation job decided to open an own company named next. Then he starts to hire some of his previous employees to start a new computer company called next. Late in 1988 the next computer was launched by the company in the market at a large celebration event in San Francisco. Initially reactions were generally good. The product was very customer responsive, and had a fast processing speed, outstanding graphics and good quality sound system. Next computer was not the end of the Steve Jobs. In 1986 jobs purchased a little company called Pixar from film maker George Lucas. Pixar specified in computer graphics. Nine years later Pixar released Toy Story, huge box office hit. After that Pixar went on to compose Toy Story 2 and a bugs Life, which Disney circulated and monsters, Inc. All these animation films have been extremely successful. Monsters, Inc had the largest weekend ticket sales of any animated film in history. (Stross, Randall E, 1993)

In December 1996, Apple purchased next software for over $400 million. Steve Jobs again joined apple as a leisure adviser to the chief executive officer. Finally apple decides to do partnership with the competitor Microsoft.

In November 1997, jobs decided to sell all computers straight to users over the internet and by phone. The apple shop became a runway success. Within a week apples site is the third largest e commerce site of the world. In September 1997, a job was named acting CEO of apple. In 1998 job announced the launching of iMac, which featured powerful computing at a reasonable and cheap price. In July 1999, a clam shaped laptop is launched by the apple and after that in January 2000; apples new internet strategy is unveiled. And finally jobs announced as a permanent CEO of apple.

(Young, Jeffrey S. 1988)

Early days of Bill gates and success in his business

On the other hand, Bill Gates was born on 28th of October, 1955. He and his two sisters grew up in Seattle, Washington. Their father, William H. Gates, is a Seattle attorney and his late mother, Marry Gates was a school teacher, University of Washington regent and chair women of United Way International. Bill Gates is married to Melinda French Gates and has three kids. (Nathan Myhevrold and Peter Rinearson, 1995)

Bill Gates was introduced to computers in Lakeside Private School. In this school Bill Gates met with Paul Allen, who is the co-founder as well as lifelong partner of Microsoft and business. Bill Gates was the hard worker and brilliant student in his school. In 1973, he joined Harvard University where in addition studies he found interest in software development and programming work. He went to develop an edition of the programming language called Basic for MITS Altair. After that, Bill Gates achievement directly linked to Microsoft. The company Microsoft was authoritatively registered on 26th November, 1976 with USPTO. It was a hard work and devotion of both Bill Gates and Paul Allen, a lifelong partner as well as school friend. Initially company was positioned at Albuquerque but on 1st January 1979, it was shifted to Bellevue, Washington. (ILL G ATES, 2008)

One of the greatest and most important opportunity indoors in 1980, when IBM approached him to assist with their project name Project Chess. Microsoft Operating System is also developed by Bill Gates. Not only did he put on the market IBM on the recent operating system, but also strained the computer giants to allow others to write software’s for the machine. The result was the speedy increase of licenses for MS-DOS, as software developer rapidly stimulated to become able to work with IBM (Petechuk, David. (2005) In early 1990s Microsoft had sold more than one hundred million copies of MS- DOS, making the operating system the all time leader. Because of this big success in science and technology, Bill gates are honoured by Howard Vollum Award in 1984 from Reed College in Portland, oregano. Then, Bill Gates became the chairman and chief architect of Microsoft on 20th of November, 1985. (Waterloo, Ontario (October 13, 2005)

After this, Bill Gates took over the whole responsibility of all Microsoft products like software’s and computers. . Since then, he has played a significant and important role in strengthening the company. Now, Bill Gates has been approximately in every region of Microsoft, as a manager in a management level for making decisions or a software developer for developing software’s. Thus, it can be said that Microsoft is imperfect without Bill Gates. (Ichbiah, Daniel, and Susan L. Knepper, 1991)

Asides from the most famous and richest business man of the late 1990s, Gates also distinguished himself in philanthropist. Gates and wife Melinda established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on helping to recover the physical condition and teaching for poor children’s around the world.

A Steve job is a true innovative philosopher and hi-tech leader while Bill Gates is the opportunity hunter. The opposition and bad feeling between Bill gates and Steve jobs has become one of the most permanent and interesting in the American commerce. In the end both big businessman are celebrated and idolized by many.

Philosophies Followed by Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

Each company has its own viewpoint, there is a little different between Microsoft’s and apple’s philosophies because each philosophy has a different aim and goals. Microsoft philosophy is “A computer on every disk in every house, running Microsoft software” which is more focused and concerned about running their own software in every computer. The philosophy of Microsoft is more focused on software rather than hardware so in every house or in offices they use these software’s and trying to learn more from these new software’s which were developed by the company. (Wallace, James. Hard Drive, 1992)

As for apple’s philosophy it is “Make computer accessible to everyone and make it very easy to use” and that is more concerned about making their computers being easy to access and making it as easy as they can for everyone else to use. The philosophy of Apple is more focused on hardware rather than the software. They make a machine that is easy to use and handle by everyone in the world. (Gil Amelio. 2006).

First Achievement of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

Both Bill gates and Steve Jobs recognized and co-founded their companies along with another partners (co-founder). Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Alien who dropped out of Washington State University to follow his and Bill Gates dream of writing computer software commercially for the new personal computer. However, Alien resigned from his position on the Microsoft Board in November 2000. As for Apple, it was co-founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who is endorsed with initiating the entrance of computers into private homes and also develop most of the software applications that apple run. (Rehan Aktar. (2009).

The first success of Bill Gates was the programming language called BASIC which is used for the Altair computer, is the first commercially flourishing personal computer. Apple ll was the first achievement by Steve Jobs, which was the most admired and best buying personal computer of its time. The difference between in their first achievements is that Microsoft First Development was Software and Apple’s first product was Hardware. (Rehan Aktar. (2009).)

Management Style of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

The management style of both Bill gates and Steve Jobs is unique because they are very good in implementing high-quality ideas, and starts to work on those ideas and converting those ideas into a successful product. Secondly, the most important thing is that they decide to take any risks without any tensions and try very hard to reach their goal. MS-DOS for Microsoft would be a good example and Lisa and the page maker are the example for apple. (Gates, Bill (1996)

The management style of Steve jobs is too aggressive because of a forceful and demanding personality. Aspirations of Steve jobs are to place Apple and its merchandise at the front position in the information technology Industry. Modernization and style are the two key words that he used to set the trend in this global world.

Bill Gates happily performed both the roles of an executive which mean he participate in the development team as well as in management section. Before, Bill Gates was a software developer who always trying to develop new software using new technologies but slowly he push himself to the management role and he became a successful manger of his company. Under his management role, he tries to place the company long term goal at risks and trying to resolve all problems that are running in the business. The primary responsibility of the Bill Gates for the company is to take proper concentration on products strategies. He aggressively contributed in the company board range of products and he achieved a main position for Microsoft. (Ichbiah, Daniel, and Susan L. Knepper, 1991)

Leadership style of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

Bill gates always looking for the accomplishment of Microsoft and software industry and tries his best to make his dream true. He spend much of his time in meeting with the clients and also Staying in contact with the Microsoft employees around the world by email. Under his leadership, Microsoft’s mission is always to go forward and get better software skill by using new techniques, and to make a computer easier, more cost effective and more enjoyable for people so they can easily exploit and appreciate it. The leadership qualities of bill gates are a mix of dependable, delegate and participative. He always careful in his decisions, judgements and organize every aspects. (DR. Swati Agrawal, 2007).

Steve jobs is a transformational leader, meaning he is ardent and excited about what he does, Steve Jobs always trying to inject energy and motivates his group members. He is a big example of encouraging leader, when he wrap the CEO from Pepsi by asking him, “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?” being moving means screening people the huge picture and helping them to see the outside a narrow hub and appreciate how their parts fits into the huge picture. He is one of the most amazing speakers in business America. (DR. Swati Agrawal, 2007).

Books published by Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

Bill gates have two exquisite books written about him. The books are called ‘Business @ The Speed of thought’ and the ‘Road Ahead’. To conclude he has books that have been written by other people for him such as “Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire”. On the other sides of things, Steve Jobs does not have any books published by himself but has books published by other people for him such as ‘ The Second Coming Of Steve Jobs’ also the book ‘Steve jobs and the next big thing’.