The new tech rivalry: Facebook's Zuckerberg vs. Google's Page

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Larry Page, the next generation Steve Jobs and Bill Gates

/ Getty Images

With the Facebook IPO coming soon, the growing battle better Google and the social networking giant will escalate. ZDNet's Larry Dignan suggests that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Larry Page are destined to have a rivalry like two other tech titans--Apple's Steve Jobs and Microsoft's CEO Bill Gates. 

It's like going from StarTrek to StarTrek Next Generation. The story lines are similar but the actors are different, time has moved forward and the technology is improved.

Dignan wrote:

Google and Facebook are competing for your time and ultimately a better ad mousetrap. In this new world order, Page is more like Gates. He has a dominant position, enters multiple markets and may spread Google too thin. Facebook's Zuckerberg is focused, evangelistic about sharing and a bit of a tech messiah to some. Zuckerberg may be Jobsian over time.

One can only hope that the Zuckerberg-Page rivalry spurs as much competition, innovation and fireworks as the Jobs-Gates rivalry did over the past 35 years.

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at All Things D

/ Dan Farber

See also:

Facebook prepares for life in public

[pwgrant]

Their products are entirely different. There is no comparison.

[train99]

If OWS were to mention names of the filthy rich, they would never mention these two moguls. 'Cause they love young techies and entertainers.
Phonies.

[ccfsdca]

which kid would you rather spend 10 seconds with? case closed.

[venusvegasvada]

HEY CBS

HOW ABOUT YOU STOP DROPPING US ON YOUR @#$@ING CBS MORNING SHOW?

IT TOTALLY SUCKS GETTING LIED TOO. WE COME HERE FOR NEWS. WE CLICK ON A NEWS STORY LINK THEN BOOM. NO MORE CBS NEWS. WE ARE THE MORNING SHOW. IT'S BS.

[Samlv]

BIG difference: The first pair made actual things. You know, products, things which are hard to do. Remember those?