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I have a love/hate relationship with Microsoft. Some of their products are exceptional. I consider Microsoft Visual Basic to be a work of genius. Microsoft Bookshelf has replaced every reference book in my house. And Windows 95 has done a nice job of handling a million different pieces of hardware and software.
At the same time, most of Microsoft's products seem to be slightly-improved versions of competitor's products. I see a "big for the sake of bigness" mentality. And I sense none of the passionate striving for creative excellence that has pushed forward so much of the computer industry: the original Apple team, Silicon Graphics, Netscape.
I know, they're just exceedingly good at doing business. You can't blame them for that. Tell it to the Justice Department.
But we in this business look up to Bill Gates as the pinnacle of success, as if money and bigness were the true measures of our worth. We hang on his every word, we try to get inside his mind. We should be ashamed! We are the Yuppies of the 90's, selling the junk bond of technology.
The reason we create is because we love what we do. It is not to be Bill Gates.
Feel free to read the ZUG flyer on this matter or return to the story.
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