Looking back, it appears that it was actually Bill Gates who had a clearer version of the future of technology, as for Steve Jobs, the man was still coming to grips with the power of the desktop computer. And that is how it went about three years ago when Wall Street Journal brought together the two tech geniuses for a full interview in their WSJ’s “D: All Things Digital” conference.
In retrospect, one cannot imagine how epic this interview is without actually understanding what the current state of the tech industry is. Both men were asked regarding their opinion on the future trends of computing devices; ironically, it was actually Bill Gates who stated that he saw a future in tech that made use of a tablet form factor which will serve as the primary screen for users. He also stated that the pocket gadget, such as a phone will soon be packed with plenty of features.
On an even more ironic note, it was actually Steve Jobs who stated that he strongly believed that personal computers were the way to go.
Now, we have the Apple iPad completely dominating (and monopolizing the Tablet industry) and the Apple iPhone is now the established icon of smart phones all over the world. Meanwhile Microsoft is still playing catch up in the smart phone department (it took them forever to let go of the older WinMo OS) and they have yet to announce any actual tablet projects coming up –they might even be overtaken by the Android tablet.
Of course, many would be wise to remember that Bill Gates did not stay to man the helm for Microsoft. Bill put aside his CEO position and focused his efforts on humanitarian needs. Considering what he stated in that interview 3 years ago, one can easily say that the tech industry would be significantly different had he not quit.
Tags: Apple, Apple-iPad, AppleiPhone, Microsoft