The battle between Microsoft and Apple is about more than market share. It is about ideas, strategies and ultimately, personalities, with both companies led by larger-than-life chief executives.
Often, the broader public sees it as a small and trendy underdog mounting a low-intensity, high-profile campaign against the dominant mainstream. In the technology world, it is viewed as a tightly controlled, closely integrated "ecosystem" of software and hardware challenging a broad industry coalition.
Both Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and chief executive, and Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, who replaced the company's founder Bill Gates in 2000, released company-wide memorandums in the past month. They reveal a stark difference in how the two leaders - and their companies - approach their businesses.
When Mr Jobs returned to the company in 1998, he found a business that had retained its essence but lost its drive and energy. But he was, in corporate terms, on a hot streak, having executed a masterstroke of entrepreneurship during his time away from Apple.
During his decade in the wilderness, he invested US$218.9 million (Dh220m) to acquire Pixar, which was at the time a small animation company. He grew it into the most profitable Hollywood studio in history, and would later sell it to Disney for $7.4 billion, earning him a seat on the Disney board and becoming the entertainment giant's largest shareholder.
On rejoining Apple, Mr Jobs worked a similar transformation, driving the company to release a string of iconic products, from the colourful, futuristic iMac desktop computers to the iPhone.
From the beginning of his second act, he announced a clear strategy - that Apple computers would become the centre of their users' digital lives, incorporating their music, photos and home movies. In the late 1990s - the pre-iPod years when digital cameras were a luxury - the strategy seemed questionable; today it is conventional wisdom.
At Microsoft a different operating reality created a different type of leader. The company gained a virtual monopoly in computer operating systems and office software, generating a flood of revenue that made its founders and early employees some of the world's richest people.
Its dominance of these two key markets gave the company enormous power. Any time it incorporated a new program into its offerings, it inevitably flattened independent producers of similar products. From spreadsheets to instant messaging and web browsing, the company has mastered the art of swallowing entire market segments.
It is this difference that is clearly spelt out in the memos send out by the two bosses last month. Both were leaked to the technology media, and both are revealing of the differences between the two companies and leaders.
In the memo sent by Mr Jobs, Apple's weak performance in launching MobileMe, a new web-based personal information service, is treated as an opportunity for reflection and refocusing. The botched launch "clearly demonstrates that we have more to learn about internet services", said Mr Jobs. "And learn we will."
MobileMe was launched simultaneously with the new iPhone and the associated software and online application store that came with it. "It was a mistake," said Mr Jobs, to launch so many new products at once, because "we all had more than enough to do, and MobileMe could have been delayed without consequence".
The whole service, he said, "was simply not up to Apple's standards".
This is Apple in a nutshell: a small, focused business that works to gain new ground by launching products leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.
In entering digital music, it went from offering nothing to launching first the iPod, the world's most successful music player, then the iTunes Music Store, the world's most popular digital music retailer. It has had massive success with the iPhone as well.
In contrast, Microsoft views almost every single commercial market associated with computers as its natural territory - land that it must conquer.
In his memo to the company, sent at the end of July, Mr Ballmer said Microsoft would, among other things, out-innovate Google in search, build a tighter software-hardware ecosystem than Apple, make the best mobile phone operating system and become the number one enterprise software company, eclipsing businesses like Oracle and SAP.
Mr Ballmer dismisses the results of Google's famously minimal search system as "a white page with 10 blue links", saying Microsoft will outshine the market leader by providing "customers with a customised view of their world".
It is this kind of ambition that helped Microsoft become the giant it is today. But it also led to the bloated Windows Vista operating system, which took five years to develop, was released in six different configurations and could barely work on anything but the most powerful new machines.
Both companies have huge roles to play. Microsoft is home to many of the world's brightest software engineers, and remains responsible for how the majority of the world experiences personal computers. Apple redefines industries and brings early-adopter technologies into the mainstream.
But as computing becomes a more fragmented, customised, web-based experience, with new markets emerging on a monthly basis, who would you place your bets on: a perfectionist firm that apologises for - and learns from - their errors, or an overreaching empire?
@Email:tgara@thenational.ae
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: RB Money To Burn, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m, Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m, Winner: Secret Protector, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.50pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m, Winner: Motafaawit, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
Company%20Profile
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
england euro squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Background: Chemical Weapons
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
British Grand Prix free practice times in the third and final session at Silverstone on Saturday (top five):
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:28.063 (18 laps)
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:28.095 (14)
3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:28.137 (20)
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:28.732 (15)
5. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:29.480 (14)
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
Match info
Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)