I just watched the 1999 movie release "Pirates of Silicon Valley" last night. It summarizes the beginnings of Apple and Microsoft, with lead actors portraying Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak, founders of Apple, and Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen for Microsoft.
It was a great movie and really helped me understand the foundings of these two tech giants. The similarities and differences between the companies accent the film.
It was clear that both had pushers and doers. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were both the pushers and leaders of the pact, and needless to say, were not always characterized in a positive light.
Wozniak and Allen were both doers and helped shaped each company. Both eventually left Apple and Microsoft in order to pursue other interests.
Both companies flat out stole technology from Xerox, who continues to invent brialliant technologies, only to be pillaged by other companies.
A few of the key differences meanwhile, were the lack of a Steve Ballmer like character in Apple's company culture. From how the movie characterizes Jobs, he has an extremely strong personality, and could have used a right hand man with Ballmer's business like reasoning.
Apple also began as a counterculture company, and began drifting towards a religious type movement for many. That same culture permeates through Apple's users today, and helped spur the Ipod's coolness factor.
Job's always seems on a revolutionary crusade like mission against difference industries. This played largely to his favor in the case of iTunes and Pixar.
Gates seems more interested in maintaining access or control of an industry through any means necessary. It was interesting to note his love of poker shown early in the movie.
Overall it was a great movie and I recommend it for anyone interested in tech culture, or simply how to start a business.
