http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
[Long pause] We want to see a single...."

Anybody else wonder just how long the pause was?]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Fishes,
narco.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
They can keep fighting it as long as they want, but they will lose as they always have and their struggle will only make it bloodier.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Ha! I bet Bill is going to love that. Don't you mean playsforsurecast or something? :P]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/very well done interview]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
The second thing I take away from this is the non-customer centered point of view he has. He doesn't think, "let's make this work for the user," he thinks, "let's take over x, y, and z markets." It's also telling, as another comment pointed out that the first thing he mentions about a media-playing device is DRM, not usability or empowering the user -- DRM. I mean WTF? I think Apple is showing that good products will sell themselves, but MSFT still has this dated mentality of "they'll buy it because we tell them to."

Bleh, the reign of Microsoft better be coming to an end.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
DRM is going to come if you like it or not. The general public (not tech-geeks like us) won't buy into anything until they can get the content they want hassle-free through readily available sources. The content owners won't let that happen until there's DRM in place to ensure consumers can "use the media they acquire in non-infringing ways". The digital revolution (for want of a better term) needs DRM and I can't see it going well at all without it.

Remember that DRM isn't standardised yet - it's getting off to a shakey start, but once it is there shouldn't be any problems playing what you own anywhere you want. You sure you're not just unhappy you're gonna have to apply an exta hack to watch your downloaded movies?]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Buy a Media Center Longhorn and the rest of your life will be run by MSFT.

Give in to the "Dark" side.

]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/ Good interview, very interesting.

But is Mr. Gates manner of speaking really that disjointed? If so, now I know why Windows crashes so often, it's execution path is obviously modeled after Mr. Gates own thought process...

But enough Bill-Bashing. Yes! If any further interviews are done with Billy G some questions about Macs/iPods/MacOS would be appreciated.

But why not go a step further and have a Nightline style 3 way discussion between Gates, Jobs, and Linspire frontman Micheal Robertson? I'd probably pay a small bit of money to read/view/listen to that if required.

Thanks Peter!]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
strange.... interview of Mr Gates to be PODCASTED!]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/i look forward to the follow-up in 2 yrs when we'll know if tablets are 30% of the market...]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
As to Clint and the aspect that "we're not a hardware company".

Dude. Do you even understand the Xbox business model? Microsoft does not make Xbox to profit on the hardware. They actually sell the box at a loss. The profit is in the XDK (Xbox Dev. Kit), Xbox Live, and the Games Microsoft makes. The Xbox itself is a way for Microsoft to sell more software and extend the Windows reach into the living room. Take a look at Halo 2: $125M in the first day of sales.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Great, Peter, a lot of what makes good journalism is about asking the right questions. You did. You've made news. Congratulations.
Greetings Stefen]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Also, the fact that he things "DVD" will be the standard over then HD-DVD and Blu-Ray wars is like saying VHS will be the standard between the DVD and DIVX wars.

You've missed the boat again, Bill.

]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
give a break to Gates guys. Fine that microsoft miss many but they also hit some. All these fanatic attitudes against microsoft and bill gates are paranoid and don’t bring anything to the table.
]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
"First they have totally destroyed the computer industry(...)" - Yeah, it's totally destroyed! No one even makes computers anymore, cause no one is buying and using them everyday... :P

"This guy is clueless." - I think you should say that after you earn your first billion.

"As long as people can type better than they can write, which is 99.9% of the population (...)" - You would be write with buy population you mean "people reading this article". I think most people still feel much more comfortable with a pen than with a keyboard. I also don't think the tablet will reach the 30% of the market he says, but don't think this is the main reason.

Best comment yet: "is he wearing a toupee?" :P

Not defending Microsoft or Bill Gates specifically. They made some really agressive, and sometimes unfair, business moves, but to think that everything they do sucks and promote then as the devil on earth is just really, really dumb...

[]'s

]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/change "You would be write with buy population" to "You would be right if by population" ... righting several things at once sucks... :P]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/(OK, my own article, my own handwriting, from a MS press conference during Cebit fair in Hannover, Germany, this year.)

Take a look at it and you get an idea how useful a Tablet PC can be, e.g. for me as a journalist (, a little Tablet roundup in German) or e.g. a pupil, student etc...

Greetings Stefen]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Stefen
]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Even the fact that he wedged his way into the mix way back in the day by buying the rights to CP/M and reselling them to IBM proves the he “gets it”

Where would we be without M$? Communications need standards and M$ is as open with it’s tech standards as any capitalist company can be. The collection of talent working for Mr. Gates today is probably the best, most effective group of intelligent people since the framers of the US constitution.

Can you honestly say the world would be a better place if Apple/Jobs were dominant? Apple is totally closed loop, making both the hardware and the software, demanding a high price for each and suing the crap out of anyone who even thinks of crossing them.
From my point of view, they are way more concerned with style than substance and are more reactionary than innovative. I have never met Steve Jobs, but from what I can tell, He’s an asshole.

I love Linux, power to the people, but it isn’t even close to as easy to use as Windows, and I don’t think it will be anytime soon.

Bill Gates name will be remembered a thousand years from now.
]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Linux is indeed more hard to use than Windows, with the exception of Linspire.

Spyvie: "Apple is totally closed loop, making both the hardware and the software, demanding a high price for each"

Microsoft has even fined people for selling non-Microsoft products, so shut up.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
And for the record, I own multiple PCs and Macs and use them both happily.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
IMO you are not seeing what is happening in the tablet space. The best tablets out there are slim laptops that let you switch between the keyboard and the pen with no fuss. This gives you the best of both worlds. We have a few people where I work that got tablets and did not even know they were tablets. Even the the nay-sayers have ended up using the pen over the keyboard in many situations. The convertables are going to take over the market. Not that I think keyboard-only or table-only systems are going away, but I think the convertables are going to win once the cost comes down.


"Also, the fact that he things "DVD" will be the standard over then HD-DVD and Blu-Ray wars is like saying VHS will be the standard between the DVD and DIVX wars."

I think you missed the context. Read it again. What he said is that if there is a stalemate between the two new standards, DVD will *win* in the sense that it will remain the most popular choice because many consumers will wait for one of the new standards to pull ahead before switching. Your analogy is flawed because DVD had already become a standard and started suplanting VHS before DIVX was even in the picture. It would be better to compare it to the battle between DVD+R and DVD-R. But that analogy supports Mr. G's statment because the battle between DVD+R and DVD-R did extended reign CD-R.

To bad Mr. G's skill as a public speaker is only on par with George Jr.'s. :)

Jorgie
]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Engadget we would like to talk to you about the Tiger Os.
Bill Gates: The what I have no idea what that is it's not made by MICROSOFT therefore I don't care. (as he stands to leave he puts back on the Dark black helmet and begins his VADER laugh) YOU ALL BELONG TO ME WA HA HA HA!!!!!]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/IMO Tablets will only take off if they overcome hardware limitations. Laptops and Desktops are still more powerful than tablets. And Desktops are customizable and expandable. I don't think you cannot play high-end games, run super simulations, create complex CAD drawings, etc. on the current tablets.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Will the podcast have the edited out endin?...

Bill: I had a good time talking with you. You’ve got a fun job!

Peter: Well, I like your job too. We can swap if you like!

Bill: [short pause] No.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Just like Wal-Mart people are getting tired of Microsofts heavy handedness.Apple and the Linux community both need to rally support with more low priced,easy to use,impressive operatating systems.I dual boot between windows and linux as there are still a few apps that won't run on linux.That list just keeps getting shorter daily.

One of the biggest things that non-windows platforms needs is support from major hardware/software manufacturers and developers.

As for DRM.The French just concluded that's it's illegal in thier soviern(sp?)nation.Microsoft,big government,RIAA,MPAA etc all want to rule YOUR computer.I say it's high time to fight back.No future microsoft products for myself or my family!]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/just want to clear something you said. Comparing the apple exchange with xerox and the apple exchange with MS is not a proper comparison. If i recall it correctly, apple was invited by xerox, apple hired members of xerox parc team, and i think even some money was exchanged. Later, Apple invited MS to view the macintosh and afterward MS went out an started windows. That was why apple was pissed at MS and xerox was not pissed at Apple. I scratch your back if you scratch mine is quite different from "Hey, nice idea. yoink!"
That being said, i agree. There is no point in getting so rabid about this stuff. It is just computers. Get rabid about something like genocide or the like, not one OS over another.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/I disagree with your statement saying that Tablets have to overcome limitations. A lot of labtops have the Dothan (Centrino) processor which is a lot cooler, about as fast if not faster, and has a MUCH better battery life than the current P4s. Look at any Dothan vs. P4 benchmarks and you'll see that it is comparable. In fact, if it weren't for that fact that the motherboard and processor for the Centrino cost an arm and leg, I would be building a desktop based on that. And of course, desktops are usually more powerful than labtops because you're sacrificing power for portability although that is changing rapidly.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
Regarding tablets, I reckon the main problem is price. They're perfect for browsing the web/email/etc. on the sofa (like smart displays but god knows what happened to *them*) but who's gonna pay the prices they're asking at the moment to do that? And pen input just makes sense for so many reasons I can't be bothered to list them.

I think the whole next-gen DVD thing wouldn't have caused such a debate if you read what Bill actually said: "I think basically the winner of [any stalemate] will be called DVD." I'll repeat that last bit for anyone who missed it: "_called_ DVD". Isn't he commenting on the fact that consumers will probably go for the product with 'DVD' written on it (in whatever form; HD-DVD, DVD2, ultimaDVD, whatever...) since they recognise the name?]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/03/the-engadget-interview-bill-gates-part-2/
And to everyone that's mad at Microsoft for stealing ideas: everyone steals ideas. It's one thing to have a good idea - it's something else entirely to take that idea and put it into the hands of millions. Anyone that has ever tried to invent anything and market it has to agree that the hardest part about making something new is making it marketable. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there's more to just having an idea - taking that idea and turning it into something great is a major part of the development process, and MS is good at it.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM