Gates and Jobs set to make history on stage

Gates and Jobs set to make history on stage
Since the dawn of the personal computer, no two figures have been more iconic in the world of technology than Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Whether partners, bitter rivals or both, Apple and Microsoft have always represented two differing approaches to technology. Practicality vs. design. An open ecosystem vs. a closed one. Business savvy vs. creative flair. Somehow, the two companies always end up at opposite ends of the spectrum and despite their often symbiotic relationship, these two boy-genius CEOs have traded quite a few barbs over the years.

It's amazing then, to realize that in the last 30 years or so, Gates and Jobs have never shared the stage for a public conversation. Sure, they've appeared together a few times to read off some canned comments (most famously at Apple events in 1983 and 1997) but they've never publicly conversed.

Which is why the fifth annual "D -- All Things Digital" conference in Carlsbad, CA is set to be such a historic event. On May 30th, Gates and Jobs are set to sit down for an unscripted interview with Wall Street Journal tech columnists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. Will it be an enlightening discussion? A childish bickering session? A solid hour of "yo momma" jokes? No one knows for sure, but at the very least, it will be interesting. It's not often that you get to see two giants conversing publicly like this and considering that these two have been in this multi-billion dollar industry from the start, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone else with a real appreciation for how far we've come. I, for one, can't wait to watch the feathers fly.

By the way, DailyTechRag won't be publishing this Monday, in observation of the Memorial Day holiday. Here's hoping that you have an enjoyable long weekend celebrating either Memorial Day or this weekend's geekier milestone, the 30th anniversary of Star Wars. I certainly won't be spending the weekend watching all six Star Wars movies in a row. Honest. -Mehan