MaximumPC 2007 04

O

ne’s been the enfant terrible of the tech industry for the bet-

ter part of 30 years. The other’s the richest man in the world.

Together, they’re two of the most influential names in business, and

they’re no strangers to both sparring as bitter rivals and working

together in reluctant partnerships.

Since the prospects for a Bill Gates–Steve Jobs reality TV show

(let’s call it Reality... Distorted! ) just don’t seem to be in our favor, we

decided to take an exceedingly serious look at how the two leaders

match up when it comes to a few key criteria. No, we don’t mean

net worth or company stock price, we’re talking about cutting to the

issues that really make the man. You know... like pants.

Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs

FASHION SENSE

Good lord, how to choose

between two so very stylish

men? Bill Gates is typically

seen attired in a button-

down dress shirt, with

or without a contrasting

sweater, a semi-functioning

Microsoft product in hand,

and the occasional pie to

the face. Steve Jobs, on the

other hand, is rarely seen

in anything other than blue

jeans, his signature black

mock turtleneck, and a

little surprise stowed in his

pocket. (You know: “And

one more thing....”)

But how do the fellas

do out on the catwalk?

While Jobs really owns the

outfit, strutting on stage

like he’s Heidi Klum, Gates

gets enveloped in his comfy

duds like he’s Mr. Rogers

finally retiring after a long

game of cribbage. It’s

not just a more comfort-

able look, the Midwestern

grandpa thing never gets

old. But Jobs’s black-and-

denim affair, yikes, that

went out of style in 1989.

WINNER: GATES

BILL GATES

Chairman, Microsoft

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Bill Gates attended Harvard University but quit in order to found a company known as

“Micro-Soft” in 1975. He’s worked there ever since, a remarkable tenure. Steve Jobs attended Reed

College for one semester but also dropped out, though he credited a course in calligraphy with inspiring

the idea of offering multiple fonts on the Mac. Jobs and pal Steve Wozniak launched Apple Computer in

1976, but in 1985, in one of the tech industry’s most bitter management fights, he was forced out of the

company he founded. Jobs went on to found NeXT and purchase Pixar in the late 1980s, then man-

aged an amazing coup: He convinced Apple to buy NeXT for over $400 million and bring him back as

CEO after a 12-year exile. Now that’s a trick you don’t see very often.

WINNER: JOBS

head 2 head TWO TECHNOLOGIES ENTER, ONE TECHNOLOGY LEAVES

round 1

round 2

BY CHRISTOPHER NULL

16 MAXIMUMPC APRIL 2007

HIGH-TECH BIG SHOTS

ILLUSTRATION BY MARTIN ABEL