'Microsoft makes third-rate products': Steve Jobs' 1995 jibe on firm goes viral amid outrage over outage

As Microsoft grappled with a massive global outage on Friday, an old interview of Steve Jobs criticizing the tech giant's products went viral. The late Apple co-founder’s candid remarks about Microsoft producing "third-rate products" resonated across social media, adding fuel to the fire of the already heated online discussions.

The severe technical breakdown, linked to a recent CrowdStrike update, disrupted numerous sectors worldwide, affecting flights, supermarkets, and banking operations. Amid the chaos, memes and reactions flooded social media, with Jobs' 1995 interview emerging as a focal point. In the interview with tech journalist Bob Cringely, Jobs had stated, "The only problem with Microsoft is that they just have no taste. They have absolutely no taste. And what that means is - I don't mean that in a small way. I mean that in a big way. They don't think of original ideas and don't bring much culture into their products."

Jobs didn't criticize Microsoft's success, acknowledging their accomplishments, but he lamented the quality of their products. "I have a problem with the fact that they just make really third-rate products," Jobs emphasized.

Approximately six hours after the initial reports of the outage, Microsoft updated users on X, stating, "Multiple services are continuing to see improvements in availability as our mitigation actions progress." Later, the company announced that the "underlying cause for the global outage has been fixed," though residual impacts continued to affect some Office 365 apps and services.

In India, the outage severely impacted flight operations, payment systems, and trading. Airlines like Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Airlines, and SpiceJet reverted to manual check-in and boarding processes, urging passengers to arrive at airports early. Stock exchanges in several countries also faced disruptions, highlighting the extensive reach of the outage.

As Microsoft worked to restore normalcy, the resurgence of Steve Jobs' critical comments served as a reminder of the long-standing rivalry and differing philosophies between two of the tech world's most influential figures.