Bill Gates
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Celebrate Bill Gates Day with us here at Engadget
The end of an era; a fresh beginning; good riddance -- whatever you think of Bill's final day at Microsoft, it's impossible to deny that his tenure there helped forever re-shape not just technology, but the world as we know it. So we're declaring June 27th Bill Gates Day here at Engadget and hopefully you'll forgive us for, like, totally tearing up now that he's finally stepping out of his role as nerd-baron and into the shoes of full-blown immortal philanthropist. Hey, it's Sir William Henry Gates III's world, we just live in it -- that means you, too, Steve.We'll miss you big guy.P.S. -Keep this on the DL, but we heard this rumor he's thinking of returning to uni for his post-post-post-doc, and it won't even be honorary. We'll keep you posted. In the mean time today, expect plenty more Bill.
Microsoft, then and now
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.
2003 Bill Gates email reveals frustrations with Windows XP
While Bill Gates' imminent retirement from Microsoft is understandably a cause for some quiet moments of reflection for some, it's also given folks an excuse to dig up some tidbits from Gates' tenure that have somehow gone unnoticed or unheralded in the past few years, one of the juiciest of which comes in the form of a 2003 email that Todd Bishop of the Seattle Post-Intelligence has thankfully given fresh light. In it, Gates rips into "how Windows Usability has been going backwards" as he details his long, arduous attempts to download Moviemaker and buy the then new Digital Plus pack. While there's far to many gems to include here, a few of Gates' stand-out observations include how "crazy" it is that it took six minutes to install "a bunch of controls" before he was able to install Moviemaker, and his disappointment that he had to reboot his machine even though he reboots it every night. Eventually, after (apparently) getting Moviemaker installed, Gates decided to go digging in the add/remove program options to ensure that it was installed, only to find it missing, which prompted him to declare that, "someone decided to trash the one part of Windows that was usable," adding that, "this program listing was one sane place but now it is all crapped up." Needless to say, we'd recommend hitting the read link below to check out the full must-read email.
Steve Ballmer retirement: 2018, if Bill doesn't get in the way
As you're undoubtably aware, Bill Gates is set to retire on June 27th at the ripe old age of 52. Bill's Harvard bud, Mr. Dancin' Steve Ballmer, also 52 and a notable fan of the developers, has been itching to take over since his appointment as CEO back in 2000. Speaking at an event on Tuesday, we now know that he intends to remain in command, "for another nine or 10 years... until my last kid goes away to college." Still, as easy-going as the relationship appeared at D, the transition was forged in fire. In fact, the power conflict was reportedly so severe, according to the Wall Street Journal, that it "paralyzed business strategy decision that the company still wrestles with today." The tension at least once unravelled into a public shouting match (no really, from Ballmer?) between the two. The struggle was apparently resolved in 2001 when Bill finally accepted that he was number 2, "I had to change," says Gates. Keep in mind that Bill will continue "working" for Microsoft one day a week and serve as the chairman of the board after his so-called retirement. And with Ballmer packing up Gates with a parting quote like, "I'm not going to need him for anything. That's the principle. Use him, yes, need him, no," well, let's just say things don't seem 100% resolved. Read -- RetirementRead -- Conflict
Live from D: Gates and Ballmer debut Windows 7
We're reporting live from D to see Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher chat it up with Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer about all things Microsoft. Live coverage after the break!
Windows 7 to be revealed tonight by Gates and Ballmer, we'll be there
Gates and Ballmer are down at the WSJ's All Things Digital conference to talk tech with Mossberg and Swisher, and it looks like tonight they'll be unveiling the first (official) glimpses of Vista's successor, currently known as Windows 7. We'll be posting live from the event, so be sure to check back at 6:15pm PT (9:15 Eastern) as things kick off.
Holographic Bill Gates terrorizes Kuala Lumpur tech conference
See that 15-foot beam of glowing manhood? That's Bill Gates. While cohort Steve Ballmer was being pelted with eggs by angry Hungarians, Microsoft Chairman Gates was making a virtual appearance at the World Congress on Information Technology 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. The crowd cheered -- or screamed in terror -- as the giant 4.6-meter holographic specter assured them that technology is, in fact, the future. Said the chairman, "There are one billion people who have a personal computer each but there are five billion others who don't. Microsoft also wants to reach these people." We're hoping that Bill has recorded several hundred holographic speeches and will continue to grace conventions' presences for years, and years, and years to come.[Thanks, alma]
Bill Gates gives mother of pearl-clad Xbox 360 to South Korean President
Apparently not one to let a tacky trend pass him by, Bill Gates has commissioned 100 mother of pearl-clad Xbox 360s to be used as extra special gifts, the first of which was given to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak earlier this month, prompting a response that we can only imagine to be, "gee, thanks." To be fair, the design by Korean artisan Kim Young-jun is a bit classier than most of the crystal-encrusted gadgets we come across, but the same can't quite be said for the move of bringing a bit of thinly disguised self-promotion to a visit with a head of state. We can also only assume that Gates is dreading the day that the President calls him up and asks him what the red rings on his Xbox mean.
Microsoft's historic first
"Once again we are poised to make history for Microsoft by holding the first ever full-fledged Launch event in Second Life." -- MSDN blog. In order for this statement to be in any way factual, we'd have to assume that they are redefining 'first', or 'full-fledged' or perhaps the mysteriously capitalized 'Launch' for marketing effect. The other possibility is that the historical part is that it's Microsoft's first time doing such a thing in Second Life -- in which case the statement isn't actively false, only highly misleading.
Windows 7 still slated for 2010 says Microsoft, Bill Gates just crazy-talking
If your pants / panties were in a "bunch" upon hearing news that Windows 7 would be headed into your ever-loving arms "next year," you might just want to hold off on those party invites for a little bit. Sure, Bill Gates just happened to mention that we'd see a new version of the OS "Sometime in the next year or so," but it's looking like that "or so" makes a world of difference. Microsoft wants to chill everyone out with the somber news that its got no plans to introduce Windows 7 any earlier than January 2010 (three years from the launch of Vista), and reassure us that crazy old Gates may have just been talkin' developer speak. "As is standard with the release of a new product, we will be releasing early builds of Windows 7 prior to its general availability as a means to gain tester feedback," a spokesman for Microsoft said, downplaying Gates' statement. Of course, this means that XP's cutoff will suddenly move even further down the line, which makes us wonder what the point of setting that June 2010 date was in the first place. Why are you toying with us like this, Microsoft?[Thanks, Tony]
Windows 7 to arrive next year, says Bill Gates
You know, we should have paid a little closer attention to Microsoft's decision yesterday to extend Windows XP sales to "June 2010 or one year after the general availability of Windows 7" -- if the company was really planning on shipping Windows 7 in 2010, that first date doesn't make a lot of sense unless the plan is to ship Windows 7 much, much earlier. And hey -- what's Bill Gates doing telling investors this afternoon that Windows 7 will come "in the next year" and that he's "super-enthused" about it? As far as we know, the official Windows 7 timeline hasn't changed, so Bill might just talking about beta versions, but something's clearly up Windows-wise in Redmond -- perhaps Vista's wow is not long for this now.[Thanks, Jon]
Even happier ending for "cleaned" Xbox 360 owner: Gates-signed console arrives
Remember that dude Nathaniel whose highly sentimental autographed Xbox 360 console was sent in for repairs and returned maddeningly clean? Turns out he didn't just get a signed Halo 3 care package. Even more swag arrived this week, including (among other things) an Xbox 360 with signatures from the 360 team and Bungie, and even Bill G himself. Yeah, that Bill G. And we can tell you exactly how damned hard it is to get the man to autograph stuff, the last few times we saw him we asked him sign our chests -- no dice. The G-man's infamous signature after the break. Us? We're closing the book on this one -- well played, Microsoft.
Macs at Microsoft fail to shock
Let's all point and laugh: the folks at Microsoft use Macs! Because, you know, they make Windows, and Macs aren't Windows, and Microsoft and Apple are competitors, and isn't it funny and aren't cats and dogs different?Actually, let's not do this. Let's realize that Microsoft is a company and Apple is a company, and while yes, in some fields they are competitors, let's just put the whole Apple vs. PC idea to bed. Guess what: a Mac actually is a PC. It's a very, very well-made PC (in fact, the best made, in this blog's humble opinion). And why wouldn't the folks at Microsoft want to use the best PC out there to develop and run their programs?The battle between Mac and PC was cute back during the PowerPC age, when there were major differences between the two platforms. But things have changed: Macs run Windows, dogs and cats are lol-ing together, and the war's just not worth fighting any more. Of course Microsoft employees use Macs -- who wouldn't?[Via FSJ]
Did Bill Gates find a job?
Not that we were too worried, but Bill Gates may have found that job he was looking for. Patty Stonesifer, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and former Microsoft VP, said that she would vacate her position on January 1st, 2009 but will remain with the organization. Perhaps the move has something to do with her giving away $16 billion of Bill's hard-earned stash? The obvious successor of course, is Mr. Gates who chairs the foundation and vacates his position at Microsoft this summer. However, the foundation's new CEO has not been officially named. That leaves direct control over its $38.7 billion endowment up for grabs. Don't let the fact that Chinese women want him and Americans want to be him deter you from applying.
Need a new 360? Email Bill Gates
Let's face it, the Xbox 360 is hardly the most reliable console on the block. Seemingly destroyed by so much as a stiff breeze, older models weren't exactly made to last. Thus, 360 owners everywhere are intimately familiar with the replacement process that begins with a call to Xbox customer service. The Consumerist is reporting a new twist on that process: emailing Bill Gates directly. When the 360 originally launched, a Consumerist reader named Jon spent weeks dealing with Microsoft customer service before finally being handed to the escalation department which finally fixed his problem. Two years later (i.e now) Jon is experiencing 360 problems again. However, instead of calling customer service, Jon dug up Bill Gates' email address and wrote him an email. Within a day he was called by the escalation department and informed that his new console had been shipped. We'd like to know exactly what Jon's problem was though. After all, Microsoft replaces Red Ring of Death consoles with no questions asked these days. Still, Jon's story is impressive, but it would have be even more impressive if he had gotten Bill to throw in a free Surface.
"Study" finds half of Americans want to be Bill Gates
According to a highly dubious study recently released by a maker of paper-shredders, 47-percent of Americans said they would "like to be Bill Gates." The other 53-percent said they preferred being powerless, poor, and not knowing what to do with Visual Basic.
Gates: Microsoft isn't going head-to-head with the iPhone
In a recent interview with a German daily, dead retired man walking Bill Gates chatted up the iPhone a bit, and either did a very good job of concealing his displeasure with its success in the American market, or genuinely doesn't give a flip about it. The key takeaway from the interview seems to be that Microsoft will not be launching an iPhone competitor, instead focusing its efforts on improving Windows Mobile and leaving the manufacturing of desirable hardware to its licensees. As the::unwired mentions, this seems to put a few more nails in the coffin of the long-rumored Zune phone, though we suppose it's remotely possible that Billy somehow doesn't see the Zune phone as a direct competitor to the iPhone. Given the way Windows Mobile has stagnated the past couple years, though, we're totally cool with these guys keeping everybody focused on developing a revolutionary new platform and staying out of the hardware biz -- for now, anyway.[Via the::unwired]
Video: Bill Gates is looking for a job -- fruitlessly
Would you hire a 52 year old college dropout who's only had one job his entire life? Ok, but what if the college he dropped out of was Harvard, and the one job he's is as founder and chairman of the world's most powerful software company? No, not even then? If you haven't already seen it, watch as our man Bill flounders in the hunt for a new gig, as shown at his final CES keynote a couple of days ago. Good luck out there, man -- and don't forget, if you're looking for a few extra bucks we'd love your help covering Macworld next week.
Today's Guitar Hero-as-a-prop video: Bill Gates Keynote
If you saw our coverage -- don't click yet if you didn't -- you know the Guitar Hero-related jokes from the final* Bill Gates CES keynote. But even if you know the premise, these videos are worth watching as a study in tradeshow comedy. Is humor in the timing or the delivery?See the keynote comedy after the break.*As Microsoft chairman, that is.
Bill Gates: the exit interview
We've been fortunate enough to sit down with Sir Bill a number of times over the years -- and even been lucky enough to call him a fan. While we're certainly hoping this won't be our last run-in, we couldn't help but feel a little sentimental knowing that chances are the next time we see him, he'll no longer be in charge of Microsoft. This time around we talked a little about his historic 2007 sit-down with Steve Jobs, his plans for the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, and even a bit about what he'll be up to in his new part-time gig at Microsoft.Thanks so much for meeting with us. I appreciate it. So I was at the keynote last night and I saw the video that you did. Being that you're looking for a job, I just wanted to let you know we're always hiring-- Excellent --... looking for editors anytime. I know you've written some stuff for the Guardian recently--Well I love your stuff.You know where to find me.Ok.[Laughter]So I was at D this year and obviously you and Jobs were at it as well. And you guys got up on stage together, I think that was -- besides being a really historic moment -- very emotional for a lot of people in the audience. I want to know what it was like for you personally. I think a lot of people were confused as to whether or it was truly bittersweet, or just bitter. I felt it was really bittersweet.Oh, I like Steve. And I've always been extremely complimentary of the impact he's had on the industry. Part of it, in terms of that whole crowd though, is that the personal computer industry was started by people who were very young and there was a set of people who believed in it and all kind of grew up together. So Steve and I are virtually the same age -- he's a little bit older, he got into it about three years after we had done the original personal computer stuff -- and he was my sixteenth customer for the BASIC interpreter. I had done the Commodore six months before, if you remember that, I had done the TRS-80 eight months before, and then they needed the floating point basic. I came out and I actually worked more with Woz -- Steve wasn't a hands-on engineer involved in that thing -- because Woz had been trying to do his own BASIC but just couldn't get it done. So we've always worked together on various things. When Steve did the Mac, that was our closest relationship. That was about thirty people at Microsoft, twenty people at Apple betting on moving the graphical interface into the mainstream. That was a phenomenal experience because we did the only 3rd party software that was on that machine the day that it shipped. And when they went 512 [kilobytes of memory], we did some stuff. They thought [Lotus] Jazz was going to the breakthrough product, but we showed them that Excel was the breakthrough product. So there's always been good back and forth. I am very sincere that Steve has unique skills that I just don't have at all and it's been phenomenal to see how he has been able to make a difference with what he's done.
