“Microsoft has had two goals in the last 10 years. One was to copy the Mac, and the other was to copy Lotus’ success in the spreadsheet – basically, the applications business. And over the course of the last 10 years, Microsoft accomplished both of those goals. And now they are completely lost.”
- February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011
- American
- Entrepreneur, businessman, industrial designer
- He brought to the world revolutionary products that combined technology and design at a high level, such as the personal computer Macintosh, iPhone, and iPad, and also revolutionized the music industry with the iPod, iTunes, and iTunes Store.
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Quote
“Microsoft has had two goals in the last 10 years. One was to copy the Mac, and the other was to copy Lotus’ success in the spreadsheet – basically, the applications business. And over the course of the last 10 years, Microsoft accomplished both of those goals. And now they are completely lost.”
Explanation
In this quote, Steve Jobs critiques Microsoft’s strategy over the preceding decade, asserting that the company aimed to replicate two key aspects of Apple’s and Lotus’s successes. First, he suggests that Microsoft sought to emulate the Macintosh’s user interface and design principles. Second, he implies that Microsoft endeavored to mirror Lotus Development Corporation’s dominance in the spreadsheet market, particularly with products like Lotus 1-2-3, which was a leading spreadsheet application in the 1980s. Jobs contends that while Microsoft achieved these objectives, it ultimately led to a lack of clear direction or innovation, leaving the company “completely lost.”
This perspective highlights the competitive dynamics of the tech industry during that era. The Macintosh introduced a graphical user interface that was revolutionary at the time, influencing many subsequent operating systems. Similarly, Lotus 1-2-3 set a standard for spreadsheet applications, and its success was a significant factor in the early adoption of personal computers in business environments. Microsoft’s efforts to replicate these successes underscore the challenges companies face in balancing innovation with competition. Jobs’s critique reflects his belief in the importance of originality and vision in driving technological advancement, rather than merely imitating existing models.
