DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Bill Gates Irate at Apple PC Guy Question, Storms Out of Interview

26 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/bill-gates-irate-at-apple-pc-guy-question-storms-out-of-interview.52661/

Third Eye
Third Eye Original post #1
Mar 17, 2007 at 7:45 PM
There is one subject that is taboo for Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. You can talk to Bill about a lot of things. You can talk to him about the fast pace at which Google is extending its search and advertising
Internet business while Microsoft is lagging behind. You can mention the muted adoption of Windows Vista. And you can even praise the piracy of Microsoft software products in his presence, just consider the example of Romanian President Traian Basescu.

However, there is one subject that is totally off limits. You cannot speak of it, comment on it and if possible, not even think about it in the presence of Bill Gates. What is it you ask? Well, the Mac ads of course.

It seems that Bill Gates is quite irate with Apple's PC guy vs. Mac guy video commercials that have flooded the Internet. So much so that he fails to retain the high level of diplomacy that characterizes him. At the beginning of February 2007, Gates simply smiled while the President of Romania applauded piracy. But when a journalist mentioned the Mac ads, Bill experienced something close to a blue screen.

Bob Garfield, a columnist with Advertising Age asked Bill Gates to comment on John Hodgman's character PC guy in the Mac ads. Bill Gates refused to answer the question, stating that he could not provide an opinion on Apple's ads. Garfield did not let Gates get off so easily and he raised the stake asking about the resemblance between Gates and PC guy. Gates simply left at this point, and barely managed to utter a “goodbye.”
Source
F
Mar 17, 2007 at 8:37 PM
Give me a break from Windows,Mac,Apple,Linux :D
Josan
Josan #3
Mar 17, 2007 at 9:21 PM
Apple Vs. Windows %%%%
Wat is this man,
cant u find a other better news to post in this tech section
iMav
iMav #4
Mar 17, 2007 at 10:09 PM
ya this shud go to random news
aryayush
Mar 18, 2007 at 2:16 PM
LOL! :lol:

Yeah, I'd read that a couple of days ago. Didn't think it was important enough to be posted on the forum though. And I did not want to get involved in another flame war either. :D

Reps to you anyway, just because I can. :p

BTW, reading gx_saurav's posts about Windows, someone might actually believe that Windows may be good (not me, though). It is only when you have to use it sometime after being used to a Mac, like I am having to do now, you realise the pain. God, does it suck!!

Anyway, funny post. Ciao!
Third Eye
Mar 18, 2007 at 3:11 PM
Thanks for the rep :p
gxsaurav
Mar 18, 2007 at 8:57 PM
BTW, reading gx_saurav's posts about Windows, someone might actually believe that Windows may be good (not me, though). It is only when you have to use it sometime after being used to a Mac, like I am having to do now, you realise the pain. God, does it suck!!

:confused: You are using Windows, OMG....How can that be, what happened to your Mac, I hope it didn't crashed after applying the 10.4.9 patch :D
tarey_g
tarey_g #9
Mar 18, 2007 at 10:45 PM
Simple reason the Microsoft does not reply the mac ads in any way is because if they do, they are recognizing a OS as their competitor which holds a very little market compared to them. Any such ad campaign will put mac os in the place it wants to be.

And yes Bill Gates did comment on MAC ads some time ago.

“I don't think the over 90 percent of the [population] who use Windows PCs think of themselves as dullards, or the kind of klutzes that somebody is trying to say they are,” he said.

“And I don't know why [Apple is] acting like it’s superior. I don't even get it. What are they trying to say?” Gates continues to express his disgust with the Apple ads: “Does honesty matter in these things, or if you're really cool, that means you get to be a lying person whenever you feel like it? There's not even the slightest shred of truth to it.
*www.dailytech.com/Article.aspx?newsid=5957
Josan
Josan #10
Mar 19, 2007 at 8:21 AM
This Post Must b moved to random news
Lucky_star
Mar 19, 2007 at 8:36 AM
Yah, some ads are really funny. Why is Bill silent over it? He should release a counter ad too.

One more thing, I have seen that where there is Gx-saurav, there pops Arya and where there is Arya, Gx-Saurav's presence is felt. What is the matter?
Where you enemies at previous births?:D
But one thing I find is that both of your posts are really funny to read, especially, Gx's comments. That fight club session was great...!:D
aryayush
aryayush #12
Mar 21, 2007 at 8:51 PM
gx_saurav said:
:confused: You are using Windows, OMG....How can that be, what happened to your Mac, I hope it didn't crashed after applying the 10.4.9 patch :D
I am in Kolkata and am having to torture myself in stupid cyber cafes. :yuck:
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #13
Mar 21, 2007 at 10:09 PM
aryayush said:
I am in Kolkata and am having to torture myself in stupid cyber cafes. :yuck:

Macbook pro worth Rs 1.47 lakh is a portable computer also known as Laptop which you can take with you & use anywhere. :rolleyes:
faraaz
faraaz #14
Mar 22, 2007 at 12:07 AM
*www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20060513

That kind of sums up Microsoft's stance on the Mac OS!! And mine too...:D
kirangp
kirangp #15
Mar 22, 2007 at 12:09 AM
^^ funny man..hehe...
eddie
eddie #16
Mar 22, 2007 at 1:42 AM
@faraaz: ROFL! You should really post it in aryayush's comic thread :p
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48120
tarey_g
tarey_g #17
Mar 22, 2007 at 10:34 AM
eddie said:
@faraaz: ROFL! You should really post it in aryayush's comic thread :p
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48120

eddie , it has already been posted in this forum , in one of the billion windows/mac threads here :D .

here *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47868&page=2&highlight=comic
aryayush
aryayush #18
Mar 23, 2007 at 1:03 PM
faraaz said:
*www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20060513

That kind of sums up Microsoft's stance on the Mac OS!! And mine too...:D
I was searching for this one. It is funny. Thanks! :lol:
Josan
Josan #19
Mar 24, 2007 at 1:50 PM
Its is very easy to find a new news related to Window and apple War ,,,,,
there is allways new out their related to the windows Vs apple
nitish_mythology
Mar 26, 2007 at 2:55 PM
Even if Apple feels tht Mac is superior to Windows..(I too favour them)
Still launching such ads are nt required!
This wont help them and I feel tht being a Mac fan I never appretiated such a move by them!
aryayush
aryayush #21
Mar 26, 2007 at 5:56 PM
Well, it surely seems to be helping them. Mac sales are continuously on the rise and these ads have become immensely popular. There are spoofs and knock-offs all over YouTube. Microsoft, Sony and Novell have made their own versions too.

They are very creative and most of them are laugh-out-loud funny. The latest one, titled 'Security', is the best of the lot.

When they were launched, I too thought that they would do more harm than good to the company. But they are very successful. :)
tarey_g
tarey_g #22
Mar 26, 2007 at 9:13 PM
aryayush said:
Microsoft, Sony and Novell have made their own versions too.

Correction , Sony, novell have made such ads but not Microsoft. The ones with MS taste are fan made. As i wrote before "because if they do, they are recognizing a OS as their competitor which holds a very little market compared to them. Any such ad campaign will put mac os in the place it wants to be."

Although , An ad, originally uploaded by ZuneBoards but 'allegedly' created by Microsoft itself, gently but openly praises the Zune over the iPod (not mac vs pc), criticizing the Apple player for its lack of WiFi music sharing and its easily-scratched front face.
So there is no official MS spoof ad out yet.

I suppose you have watched this ad already and criticized it . but still here is the link if you have not..
*www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQg0JNaKeVM
aryayush
aryayush #23
Mar 26, 2007 at 9:26 PM
It has been made by Microsoft. And I never criticised it, I just mentioned it to show you that the 'Get a Mac' ads have been garnering a lot of attention, which is precisely what they are intended to do. :)
tarey_g
tarey_g #24
Mar 26, 2007 at 9:46 PM
How do you know it has been made by ms for sure? There is no official proof of it. Not even MS ever admitted making one. Sites use the words ' 'allegedly' created by Microsoft ' , means there was no official MS release of the ad. It may have come from MS or may be not , no one can be sure of neither should be you or me.
aryayush
aryayush #25
Mar 26, 2007 at 11:22 PM
Maybe I am mistaken but most sites I have read the news on have stated it matter-of-factly that it has been made by people at Microsoft and was played at an internal meeting.

Anyway, whether it has been made by Microsoft or not has little to do with the main point. The 'Get a Mac' campaign has indeed made an impact.
tarey_g
tarey_g #26
Mar 27, 2007 at 10:38 AM
*www.macnn.com/articles/06/12/14/microsoft.get.a.mac.spoof/