Man, who could have predicted back in 1978 that this collection of nerds, dweebs, and hippies would come to rule the desktop? A time when a PC in every home was just a vision and 640KB of memory ought to be enough for anybody. That's the original Microsoft "family" re-photographed 30 years later (minus Bob Wallace who died in 2002) in preparation for Bill Gates to slip into tomorrow's smoking jacket of retirement. It's better than a gold watch we guess. Who's who after the break.
Back row (left to right): Steve Wood, Bob Wallace, Jim Lane
Center row: Bob O'Rear, Bob Greenberg, Marc McDonald, Gordon Letwin
Front row: Bill Gates, Andrea Lewis, Marla Wood, Paul Allen
posted June 26th 2008 6:11AM
Dang. Engadget, please fix your comment system. Pretty please??
And I'm glad to see Highest Ranked back, by the way.
Interesting that they hired a better photographer in 1978 than today. Some of the people in the new photo are hard to see due to shadows! They should be able to afford it.
But at least, they look happier.
The photographer wasn't so much the problem as the fact it was handled by the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. :D
That's what I was thinking also. How hard would it be to use a good flash and a real photographer?
I would also like to see how much money they are worth next to them...
Apple and them advanced computing much faster than it would have gone if they weren't around though.
It looks like a photo of a Serial Killers Annonymous meeting!
Strangely, I'm gonna miss Bill - Microsoft just wont be the same without him. Ballmer is just kinda awkward.
I don't think "awkward" even begins to describe what Balmer is.
The best part of the original is that Microsoft didn't even pay for it, one of the guys in the photo(I can't remember who) won a free potrait at the Glamour Shots esque place in their local mall. So everyone at Microsoft decided to head on down for a nice little photo of themselves.
I bet it was like that scene with Deb and Uncle Rico.
@Bob
Well somebody died in 2002 the article says
http://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/wallace_bob/wallace_bob.shtml
So are they all billionaires (not asking what they make now) and do they still own stock from back them (continuously from the start)?
Even with Billions of Dollars you can't buy style.
The guy in the bottom right of the 1978 photo scares me.
I wonder what the NET worth of this group is now? Its amazing how they all dress like normal folk. Makes me feel real POOR.
For a sec. I thought that woman was Ozzy Osbourne.
Mac Crew:
http://folklore.org/ProjectView.py?project=Macintosh&gallery=1
http://folklore.org/ProjectView.py?project=Macintosh&index=6&sortOrder=Sort%20by%20Date&detail=medium&gallery=1
Wow. Was Jobs the inspiration for Mr. Burns' "excellent" pose? (second large picture on the page)
Paul Allen looked like he was part of the Manson Family.
Yikes!
So you're a multi-billion dollar company looking for a group portrait for a somewhat historic "then and now" company picture...and you hire some guy with a single light to line you up against a black backdrop and take one of the most poorly lit photographs ever?
Bravo, Microsoft.
God, the 21st century is boring.
agreed
1978 = the year I was born. Wow.. Just... Wow!
Hey how come in 1978 there is 11 people in the photo and today there's only 10 people in the photo?
Cuz one died...
Also, you are a genius, and can obviously read really well.
One of them died, i think it says that in the paragraph under the photo im not sure.
uhhh.. uhhh... apple.. steve jobs.. iphone!
sorry, there was no apple reference yet.
Wait, so is Bill Gates still wearing the same colored shirt? :) No dis Bill. You sir are my hero!
Hey, this picture would've been more interesting had everyone wore the same color clothes as the original.
Wow - the lady in blue definitely porked up from the time of her 1978 picture. Must be all that cubicle snacking she's done over the years when no one was looking (you know, going and hitting the vending machine like a lab rat hitting the lever for a fix).
The little pork chop became a big pork chop!
Those pictures illustrate why I only sleep with black people.
And guess what folks, your sisters/daughters/gay brothers feel exactly the same way.
You are the trolling for dollars winner of the day!
Wow time flies when your dominating the computer world....
Bill Gates's nose hasn't changed
Anybody could be Bill only if he/she believe in himself/herself completely
Wow, I get an awesome birthday gift. Bill Gates retires the day of my birthday! June 27!
The guy in the bottom right of the 1978 seems to have decreased in age over the years.