Apple's Jobs: Microsoft and Dell copy us but won't beat the iPod

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has hit out at fellow tech heavyweights Dell and Microsoft, claiming they have been copying Apple, and put the company's tight-lipped strategy down to a refusal to give its rivals a roadmap ahead of time.

Speaking yesterday at Apple's annual European conference, Apple Expo in Paris, he said: "Microsoft is copying us with its operating system... Dell's trying to copy us with its hardware. That's fine but we'd like to not give them a map and show them where we're going to go. At least they can follow our taillights."

Despite bringing Windows users into the fold with an iTunes for the PC, Jobs rebuffed the idea of making all Mac apps compatible with the Redmond giant's OS. "We put iTunes on Windows and kind of helped them out there. Microsoft has to earn a living too - we'll leave some software for them to write," he said.

Jobs also touted Mac vs PC models as one of the key reasons behind the success of the iPod, despite a number of tech's highest profile companies trying to assail Apple's MP3 player lead.

"It's why we have lots of competitors for [the iPod Nano]. Some people we think got really lucky - sure, we did, but that's not why we're number one," he said. "We have world class competitors trying to kill us - like Sony, they're a good company."

According to the Apple boss, splitting technology into hardware, operating system and applications, and having three separate companies do each of the parts is not a recipe for a good piece of kit.

"It doesn't work for consumer electronics, it doesn't work for videogames - that's why Microsoft had to do the hardware," he said.

He did, however, tip his cap to the PC for being responsible for the iPod to Mac 'halo effect', saying that iPod owners "maybe on Friday they get their 30th virus of the week on their PC and they decide to go check out a Mac".

The other scourge of the Windows world - hackers - is not quite as popular with Jobs though.

Asked if he appreciated any Apple source code being hacked, he responded: "You're asking me whether I think theft is a good idea... You're asking me if people steal your software, is it OK?" he said. "We might choose to give it away, we might choose not to give it away - it's our choice as the owner."

"You don't want to burn in hell, right?," he added jokingly of hackers.