Favorite Quotes

Every so often, I’ll see a quote that really strikes my fancy. Whenever that happens, I’ll be sure to put the quote here, so you can enjoy it, too.


In other words–and this is the rock solid principle on which the whole of the Corporation’s Galaxywide success is founded–their fundamental design flaws are completely hidden by their superficial design flaws.

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

[Commentary: He might as well be talking about Microsoft!]


It really is coming down to just Apple and IBM. If, for some reason, we make some giant mistake and IBM wins, my personal feeling is that we are going to enter a sort of computer dark ages for about 20 years.

Steve Jobs, February 1985

You’d think it’s a conspiracy by the networks to put bad shows on TV. But the shows are there because that’s what people want. I think people are happy using Windows, and that’s an extremely depressing thought.

Steve Jobs, January 1996

[Commentary: Do I even need to say anything?]


Never ask a man what computer he uses. If it’s a Mac, he’ll tell you. If it’s not, why embarrass him?

Tom Clancy, email signature line


But since any reasonable person would choose a Mac over a PC, Apple’s market share does provide us with an accurate reading of the percentage of reasonable people in our society

Roger Ebert, Macworld, February 2004


[Regarding the lawsuit against Napster] The judgment marks a key victory for the recording industry in its aggressive battle against poor high school students and fun.

[About an increase in college crime rates] This is what happens when you take away Napster.

Jon Stewart, The Daily Show


I invented the term Object-Oriented, and I can tell you I did not have C++ in mind.

Alan Kay


I’ve come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:

  1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
  2. Anything that’s invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
  3. Anything invented after you’re thirty-five is against the natural order of things.

Douglas Adams, included in the Quintessential Phase radio shows