Reading 1 - Truc Le

After reading Neal Stephenson’s “In the Beginning was the Command Line”, I think the author covered a great deal of detail about the development and organization of two rival companies – Microsoft Corporation and Apple Inc. The article started with Jobs and Wozniak’s unorthodox success by selling information operating systems; then came a more uncommon triumph made by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who tried to sell people computer operating systems.

At first, the competition between Microsoft and Apple seemed irrelevant to me, as one is a software company while the other is a hardware one, and both companies use the same programming language – telegrams – to build their operating systems. Although Windows and Mac are somewhat similar in functions, people take sides when it comes to discussing the “Windows versus Mac” question. But as I kept reading, I realized that the source of debate between Microsoft and Apple fans lied mostly in these companies’ interfaces and management; this brought me to my questions: how many percentages do a product’s appearance account in consumers’ mind when they make their purchase? Why do consumers have the  “I want to believe” feeling, which eventually lead them to the fall into the business “traps” of either Microsoft or Apple?

I am not sure about the latter question, but I agree that the modern look of Macs excite me. However, when I actually used a Mac, I really felt its human-centered design, in which Apple surpasses Microsoft. For example, the Mac’s touchpad allow users to navigate through the interface by making different finger movements. Most of the author’s arguments were around the command line interface of Microsoft and the graphical user interface of Apple. Besides, he also noted that Apple has a more effective advertising campaign, allowing them to “plant the image of them being rebellious free thinkers.” In my opinion, this feature really adds up to Apple’s success because consumers see Apple as an energetic, technologically driven company that has more potential in the future high tech world. In short, I second the author’s opinion about Apple, whose computers are more aesthetically pleasing and a “superb piece of engineering.”

Reading 1- Kristin Martin

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In the Beginning Was The Command Line by Neal Stephenson covers a large amount of topics that have shaped the technology world and more importantly the computer world into what it is today. The beginning of the computer development phenomenon started with Jobs and Wozniak's creation of Apple; based on selling info processing machines for home use. Then the computer world developed even further when Gates and Allen had the idea to sell computer operating systems. From these innovators was born a rivalry that largely divides the technological community but it also brings great benefit.

I personally am a Apple user because of the Mac's ease of use and the general enjoyment I get from using it but there are plenty of people in the world that would disagree with me. I’m in the ITAP program and we had an argument over Mac vs. Windows within the first hour of our institute. People feel very passionately about their computer and it is almost as if they joined a team (similar to high school and college sports teams). I think it is funny because people create such a pride and love for their machines that they are willing to argue for hours about how their computer is better than your computer. Why does it matter about the type of the computer you use when they essentially do the same thing? This rivalry has become so prominent in today's culture that it has created a huge media buzz. 

Both companies created smear commercials against the other trying to persuade the consumer that their product is better than the other. This first example is a Apple commercial, Get A Mac, trying to persuade the consumer that Apple is cooler, more reliable, and trustworthy than it's competitor, Windows. The Get A Mac campaign ran for four years, from May 2006 to October 2009, and it had sixty-six total ads, which covered a large range of topics from Viruses to the commercial below entitled Broken Promises (Nudd).

In April of 2013, Windows fought back at Apple focusing of their popular smart phone, the iPhone, and other phone rival Samsung. The commercial was used to poke fun at the rivalry between iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy, and Window's new phone release, the Lumia 1020. This commercial bashes Apple users for being old school by saying, "Aren't you a little young to be using an iPhone?" This specific bash is directed at Apple's many campaigns for being the latest and coolest phone for young people and gets back at them for their previous bashing with the commercial campaign against Windows shown above. Their commercial called Don't Fight has reached over 6.25 million views and premiered at the MTV Music Video Awards (Rubino).

Over the years Apple and Windows have been fighting, there have come many benefits for their rivalry. These companies' competition drives them to create new and more innovative technology to stay in the competition. Without the rivalry I don't think that the world would have gotten this far in advanced computer technology. We might not have the iPhone, iPad, Lumia, or even laptops. I know the world gains a great benefit from Apple and Windows' competition and it wouldn't be the same without it.