There are ideological battles in technology, of course. But it doesn't have much to do with a lack of vision. If someone lacks vision, and then you make something amazing, they will generally acknowledge it (though perhaps slowly) and everyone moves on. Sure, there are a few people still using DOS, but not very many.
Political conservatism often draws inspiration from the works of Edmund Burke. "Burkean conservatism" is a philosophy that accepts that society will inevitably grow and evolve, but is skeptical of the ability of human beings to understand and intelligently guide society as it changes.
A Burkean is therefore reluctant to embrace new social policies, new norms, and new ways of living. Burkean conservatives argue that things should stay as they are now, or at least that they should change slowly.
conservative, adjective.
1. adverse to change or innovation and holding traditional values: [...]
"In politics, the spectrum of belief is right on the surface: conservative/liberal, right/left. In tech, that same spectrum exists, but it’s rarely discussed."
He may have the OED definition in mind more than the political one, but that's irrelevant. As soon as you invoke it as a label, it twists the discussion into an ideological one.
And there's no real reason to do so. He could have just said something like: "Don't be too conservative or set in your ways when it comes to technology. When something new comes along and makes to uncomfortable, rather than try to revert, see if there's a new perspective that shows a better way of doing things." The difference is that is simply a suggestion about how everyone can improve personally, rather than an ideological battle.