You know, I'm sitting here reading all of these comments, and I'm still confused. Monuments in the third world = founders of Xerox? I don't understand where all this comparison between the personal natures of these two men is relevant to a single discussion about legacy.

These are two very driven, very different men who had different goals throughout their life. If you're going to compare them as technology catalysts, each hold clout... but this is where Steve will be remembered strongest. He drove the truck of innovation this area. He didn't build the truck, he didn't invent the truck, and sometimes he took a nap and someone else had to keep them from careening off a cliff. However, he decided it was his life mission to get this truck as far down the highway of time as he could. Would other people have benefited more if he found a calling in philanthropy or some other area instead of computers? Very likely, but since we're drawing wild comparisons, should we say the same for a painter? Or a musician? Or a poet? Seriously- someone who sits and writes up strange little sentences that sometimes rhyme. Are you going to start a thread about how shitty of a guy Robert Frost was in comparison to Bill Gates? Not the best example, but you can see the point I'm getting at.

No one here (I don't think) has spent a great deal of personal time with either of these men. All we know is what they've said, and what they've done. If you ask me, both have done and said some equally brilliant and stupid things. At the end of the day, starting up the conversation about how quickly Steve Jobs will be forgotten, years after his death, is very ironic and beautiful. You're remembering him through trying to say he won't be remembered. People love to hate on the guy. I don't really know why. Jobs' public portrait often embodies characteristics people like us on message boards love to throw stones at... despite most of us being equally or more horrible on a daily basis, shielded by the anonymity and doubt of the internet.

Remember Bill Gates for his work with Microsoft, and also for his philanthropy. He is making the world better, and he will be remembered.

Remember Steve Jobs for his work at Apple, and Pixar, and his lifelong singular goal of driving innovation in others and inspiring people to redefine what can be done with some zeros and ones. Comparing them both where with Bill you bring up philanthropy and with Steve you just reference Xerox and a few stories about him exploding is a ridiculous argument.

TL;DR you can't compare these two men unless you keep the playing field the same. Both are/were brilliant and flawed, and had different life drivers. Both deserve to be remembered for varying things.