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[Shake Your Rump]

August 1998

Next Generation magazine published an interview with GT Interactive president Ron Chaimowitz. He had the following opinion regarding mass acquisitions of independent studios that seems relevant to Microsoft's business strategy and their current predicament:

So money in and of itself is not the ingredient to be successful. It takes a certain mind-set, a certain ability to deal with creative talent, and a certain intuitive feel for creative product, and the ability to develop an infrastructure and management team that can lead you to success.

Spoiler: Source

 

[diffusionx]

Steve Jobs also once said "The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have absolutely no taste. And I don't mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don't think of original ideas, and they don't bring much culture into their products...". So when you pair it up with that quote, it all starts to come together.

I feel like a lot of us thought MS would struggle to manage all these studios and that ended up being the case. GT Interactive didn't do so hot either IIRC.

 

[hybrid_birth]

At least Sega at the time, knew how to make quality exclusives for their console.

 

[Topher]

"certain mind-set, a certain ability to deal with creative talent, and a certain intuitive feel for creative product"

Microsoft seems to lacks all of that. That's why they need new people in charge.

 

[Crayon]

More advice from the 20th century:

 

[SJRB]

Steve Jobs also once said "The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have absolutely no taste. And I don't mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don't think of original ideas, and they don't bring much culture into their products...". So when you pair it up with that quote, it all starts to come together.

I feel like a lot of us thought MS would struggle to manage all these studios and that ended up being the case. GT Interactive didn't do so hot either IIRC.

One of my all-time favorite Jobs moments. This is a devastating takedown by Jobs but packaged wonderfully.

I think about this quote a lot.

 

[adamsapple]

Steve Jobs also once said "The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have absolutely no taste. And I don't mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don't think of original ideas, and they don't bring much culture into their products...". So when you pair it up with that quote, it all starts to come together.

I feel like a lot of us thought MS would struggle to manage all these studios and that ended up being the case. GT Interactive didn't do so hot either IIRC.

eh ... he also needed MS to keep Apple from bankruptcy.

 

[German Hops]

Once MS lost its vision with Halo, the entire Xbox brand was doomed .

 

[GHG]

Steve Jobs also once said "The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have absolutely no taste. And I don't mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don't think of original ideas, and they don't bring much culture into their products...". So when you pair it up with that quote, it all starts to come together.

I feel like a lot of us thought MS would struggle to manage all these studios and that ended up being the case. GT Interactive didn't do so hot either IIRC.

This is also relevant:

 

[Davevil]

Steve Jobs also once said "The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste.

it's better to screw consumers with overpriced products

 

[adamsapple]

This is also relevant:

When you sell a stand for $999 and people lap that shit up, you really are only competing with yourself. MS / Samsung / Sony wouldn't get away with shit like that for their consumer products.

 

[Dane]

eh ... he also needed MS to keep Apple from bankruptcy.

Cool Kids are the first to crawl to the "basement money nerds" when shit hits the fan and then talk shit when they don't need them anymore.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

One of the ugliest and dullest companies in the world. Sucking since 1975.

 

[GHG]

When you sell a stand for $999 and people lap that shit up, you really are only competing with yourself. MS / Samsung / Sony wouldn't get away with shit like that for their consumer products.

You don't get to that position without having and executing on that mindset for decades.

In order to achieve that level of blind trust and loyalty from a customer base it requires a very long time of consistent delivery at a very high level.

Microsoft tend to want to get blind trust and loyalty from people (often times even through artifical means) without consistently delivering high quality products.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Steve jobs should be the last one to talk since he got fired from Apple in the 90s and needed MS investing a ton of money into Apple or else they were on the brink of going under. This was before Apple hit it big with iPod to get them on track. If it wasn’t for no taste boring MS, Apple might not even exist right now. And when Apple scooped up tons of iPod and iPhone sales, Apple ditched their innovation too. It’s baby steps.

As for MS anyone criticizing one of the most successful companies in the world is just jealous. Success doesn’t need to be extravagant or the coolest kid on the block. It just has to be successful executing what customers want at a profitable price.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

"It's baby steps"

Someone tell that to Microsoft and their handling of Xbox.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

it's better to screw consumers with overpriced products

Steve jobs even screwed over his pal Woz when they were developing stuff. He lied about a payout saying he’d split it 50/50 or something. I think Woz got $500 and Jobs banked $5000.

 

[IDKFA]

Why couldn't the title be 'words of advice from 1998' or the 90s?

Saying 20th century makes me feel fucking ancient

 

[StreetsofBeige]

it's better to screw consumers with overpriced products

Steve jobs even screwed over his pal Woz when they were developing stuff. He lied about a payout saying he’d split it 50/50 or something. I think Woz got $500 and Jobs banked $5000.

MS at heart is a corporate enterprise kind of company. Apple is a consumer goods company. So of course MS is going to be more boring.

That’s like saying IBM, SAP and Cisco are boring too.

The thing about Jobs is he isn’t the smartest guy in the world. He’s just stubborn who sticks to what he says.

Just like when he got cancer and docs said he needs meds and surgery, but instead did his own fruits and vegetables diet and died.

 

[Badlucktroll]

 

[Radical_3d]

Form the XX century. The audacity…

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Steve jobs should be the last one to talk since he got fired from Apple in the 90s and needed MS investing a ton of money into Apple or else they were on the brink of going under. This was before Apple hit it big with iPod to get them on track. If it wasn’t for no taste boring MS, Apple might not even exist right now. And when Apple scooped up tons of iPod and iPhone sales, Apple ditched their innovation too. It’s baby steps.

As for MS anyone criticizing one of the most successful companies in the world is just jealous. Success doesn’t need to be extravagant or the coolest kid on the block. It just has to be successful executing what customers want at a profitable price.

This is an interesting bit of revisionist history but sure whatever you say

 

[Loomy]

Steve jobs should be the last one to talk since he got fired from Apple in the 90s and needed MS investing a ton of money into Apple or else they were on the brink of going under. This was before Apple hit it big with iPod to get them on track. If it wasn’t for no taste boring MS, Apple might not even exist right now. And when Apple scooped up tons of iPod and iPhone sales, Apple ditched their innovation too. It’s baby steps.

As for MS anyone criticizing one of the most successful companies in the world is just jealous. Success doesn’t need to be extravagant or the coolest kid on the block. It just has to be successful executing what customers want at a profitable price.

Apple's board forced Steve Jobs out because they did not think he an effective leader. A couple failed product launches didn't help. Worth pointing out that the CEO of the board who fired him has since announced that he regrets it.

Both Apple, and Job's new company(NeXT) were losing money, and Apple purchased NeXT. Jobs came back and was given the CEO job after the Apple CEO was fired. That was in 1997. The iPod came out in 2001. Jobs directed his team(Rubenstein) to hire the people and buy the components to make the first one.

Also, to say Apple has stopped innovating is ridiculous. I agree with you that generally criticizing Microsoft is ridiculous, but to say they have no taste or had no taste is not exactly wrong either.

Having said all that, if anyone cares about the relationship of Gates and Jobs beyond that video that was posted, here's one from 2007.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

One of my all-time favorite Jobs moments. This is a devastating takedown by Jobs but packaged wonderfully.

I think about this quote a lot.

This escapade ages like a fine wine. To my own surprise, never was a big fan of Jobs.