The Mac Observer

Skip navigational links

You're viewing an article in TMO's historic archive vault. Here, we've preserved the comments and how the site looked along with the article. Use this link to view the article on our current site:
Steve Jobs #2 Top IT Influencer -- Bill Gates #1

Steve Jobs #2 Top IT Influencer -- Bill Gates #1

by , 2:10 PM EST, November 7th, 2007

The Computing Technology Industry Association has named Apple CEO Steve Jobs one of the top most influential personalities over the past 25 years in the IT industry. Mr. Jobs took second place on the list behind Microsoft's Bill Gates.

The list was comprised from a poll of IT industry professionals. 73 percent of the 473 respondents named Mr. Jobs as the most influential, while 84 percent named Mr. Gates. PC maker Michael Dell came in third, and Linux creator Linus Torvalds took fourth place.

Mr. Jobs is credited with revolutionizing the PC market first with the Apple II, and then later with the Macintosh. He has also been seen as the driving force behind Apple's growth and innovative product line since his return to the company.

The Apple II took made computers affordable and accessible to average people, and he Macintosh introduced computer users to the graphic interface and also to the mouse. Apple's trend-leading product decisions have helped to shape the PC industry in many ways including mainstream use of USB and FireWire, easy to implement wireless networking, and the demise of the floppy disk drive.

Apple is also the company behind the iconic iPod and the still-new iPhone. The iPod has become the most popular portable digital media player in the market, and Apple's iTunes Store is the single largest legit music download service.

Mr. Jobs and Apple's influence in the technology arena can be seen in competitor products, to, ranging from operating system interfaces to media players, and even industrial designs outside of the computer and electronics industries.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:Guest
Subject: 73 percent plus 84 percent?

how can you have 73 percent vote for one and then 84 percent vote for the other?

Close Name:Bryan -   TMO Staff Posts: 7340 Joined: 11 Jun 2001
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
how can you have 73 percent vote for one and then 84 percent vote for the other?


It would seem that respondents could name more than one top influencer.

Bryan
Editor
TMO

Close Name:Steve Ballmer Guest
Subject: Complete RUBBISH!

[spam/trolling expunged]

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Not bad...

the fact that the Computing Technology Industry Association even gave Steve Jobs credit amazes me! Afterall most IT people are educated and trained on Microsoft systems. Apple is forgotten in any of the IT Dept.s I've been in. Unix and DOS have been too.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Please....

Sweet bleeding christ, will you PLEASE stop?! WE GET THE JOKE. OK? You are copying the Fake Steve Jobs. Ha ha. (Not) very funny!

Now go away and stop pasting your dumb comments and URL on what seems like every frakking site I read.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: 15 Years?

Has it been that long since the lawsuit when Bill gave the reins over to Ballmer? I don't know, when the head of marketing (no offense Steve O) runs a company, usally the competition surpasses them completely within 15 years.

Close Name:xmattingly Posts: 266 Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Subject: That list is a farce

What does CTIA consider to be "influence"? Innovation, and the ability to shape the industry based on practices? Or by market share, and number of units shipped? I'm having a hard time swallowing how Michael Dell could be placed ahead of Torvalds.

Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3149 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

He commoditized the PC.

Close Name:mhikl Posts: 15 Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Subject: Re: Complete RUBBISH!

naughty, naughty, Steve Ballmer. The article is on the top most influential personalities over the past 25 years in the IT industry and says nothing about positive or negative influences. If it only referenced positive accords then your Billy would never have made the mark, the titty-boy he is. And Steve B didn't make it cause he has no influence either way what with his foot engineered in his mouth most of the time. But our Man Steve doesn't need to pump weights to keep sand out of his specs. He's a for-seer who never talks the cant while titty-boy Bill is a profiteer who can't see the future past the dollar. Let's see now... influence, influence, influence. A world without Bill vs a world without Steve. Well, one gave us the iPod and the other the Zune. One gave us six successful regal beasts in a row and the other a not so pleasant view in the mangled world of OS. Oh, and the other guy, that Steve B? Why Bill keeps him round to pontificate cause he's so dorky he makes Bill look slightly less dorky.

And Steve Ballmer; This is a democratic forum. No one has any right to deface your posts (post49). I hope you have informed Mac Observer. Keep commenting.

Cheers,
mhikl

Close Name:xmattingly Posts: 266 Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Subject:

Quote
Intruder wrote:
He commoditized the PC.

I guess that would lend itself towards the other definition of influence, being "number of units shipped." Not really a positive contribution to the industry, if you ask me.

Comment on this Article


You cannot edit your comments.   You cannot delete your comments.

Comments are currently closed. Please email the author instead.


Recent Headlines - Updated November 21st

Fri, 7:07 PM
Games - Soccer Sim Championship Manager 2010 Released for Mac
6:47 PM
Games - EA Publishes Original Monopoly for iPhone
6:15 PM
News - Original Apple I on Ebay for $50K, w/Letter from Steve Jobs
6:11 PM
Games - New iPhone Games: Secret of the Lost Cavern Ep 1, New DJ Nights, More
5:47 PM
Games - Star Trek D-A-C Game Headed to the Mac Next Month
4:57 PM
Product News - TidBITS Releases “Take Control of Syncing Data in Snow Leopard”
4:26 PM
John Martellaro's Blog - Particle Debris (week ending 11/20) Stationery Pads Go Poof
2:59 PM
Free on iTunes - Musée du Louvre, Art Lite, SketchBook Mobile X and More.
1:50 PM
Deal Brothers - Acer P215H bmid 21.5” Widescreen LCD Monitor:  $139.99
11:24 AM
TMO Appearances - Jeff Gamet Shares More Holiday Gift Ideas on MacJury
10:43 AM
Product News - Cocktail 4.5 for Leopard Adds QuickLook Cache Clearing
10:06 AM
News - Hack Enables Mac OS X 10.6.2 on Netbooks

The Mac Observer Reader Specials

  • __________
  • Buy Stuff, Support TMO!
  • Podcast: Mac Geek Gab
  • Podcast: Apple Weekly Report
  • TMO on Twitter!