June 28th, 2008
As Gates Logs Off, Says Yahoo! Deal Unlikely
By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews
As nearly everyone in the world knows, Bill Gates last full-time day at Microsoft is Friday, June 27th. Gates will continue to serve as Microsoft’s Chairman, but most of his time will be spent working at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
As everyone in the world is likely writing about this day, I wanted to find a different angle. How about Gates’ statements about Yahoo!, given in one of his last interviews, one with Tom Brokaw?
But first …
No matter what you think of Microsoft, it can arguably be said that Microsoft (and IBM; let’s face it, the IBM PC started the real PC revolution) were instrumental in getting us to the point we are at now: one billion PCs in use worldwide, according to Gartner.
A small amount of “credit” should be given to Digital Research, who blew their change to get their DOS on the first IBM PC, and gave Microsoft the opening it needed.
Whild MS- and PC-DOS were the first stepping stones to Microsoft’s near-monopoly, it was Windows that really revolutionized things, with a consistent user interface across applications. Not to say that Windows 1.0 was a wonder: it sucked. But that was a combination of a lack of horsepower CPU-wise and immature software.
Despite Linux and Apple’s inroads, and they’ve made plenty, Windows is still the dominant OS in the world. Whether we curse Microsoft, or thank them, Bill Gates and his company have had a major impact on computing. And he will be missed.
As far as any potential deal with Yahoo!, Gates was honest, at least. As repored by CNBC, when asked by Brokaw about any deal, he said “I don’t think that one is likely.” He added that, however, that he believes Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will find “plenty of other opportunities.”
Perhaps, but compare Microsoft’s performance with Gates at the helm vs. Ballmer’s time at the top, and you’ll see a huge difference, and not in a positive way. Microsoft’s not going anywhere, but we’ll see how things shake out now.
Microsoft closed down 0.12 (0.43%) at $27.63 on Friday.
Micro$ux Blows Chunks (so does Bill)! says:
Adios to a little dictator!!! He NEVER had an original idea of his own, only surrounded himself with smart people and let them do the design & implementation… or he simply stole the idea from somebody else (Apple) or bought out the companies that were in his way!
Bill Gates will not be missed one iota in the technical world, only the stockholders of M$ will miss him!
June 28th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Papa Smurf says:
Thanks for the article Michael, I liked it. It’s a shame some feel the need to bash everything and everyone who has a different view from their own.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Micro$ux Blows Chunks (so does Bill)! says:
Hey Papa Smurf -
I challenge you to provide any PROOF that my previous statements are not 100% true! After spending 25 years in the IT Industry (I started on punch cards), I have lived & died attempting to support the crap that comes out of Redmond…. I have NEVER worked on such poorly designed software (I supported NT & WP) outside of M$ products… Office included. All of their products are released to the public as done, when in fact, they needed at least another year of testing. But why should they bother??? The sheep will not only tolerate crap like this, they pay them money for it! Don’t forget, that when Windows 3.1 was released, PC manufacturers found it necessary to put RESET buttons on the front of the case so the PC could be re-booted easily, because it was something that was required hourly! Remember the 3 finger salute? BSOD??? Are you really going to try to tell me Vista is an improvement?
The points I made are well documented in the Media (and Courts) and will stand up to any “evidence” you think you may have to the contrary!
“It’s a shame some feel the need to bash everything and everyone who has a different view from their own. ”
This difference in my view is I would never release incomplete, poorly tested Software to the general user population. I wouldn’t release it UNTIL IT IS FULLY TESTED!!! Nor would I try to strongarm the rest of the Software Industry as M$ has… Do you know how many small (and some not so small!) Software companies M$ has put out of business??? Talk about stifling innovation (or as Bill sees it, HE is the only one who can innovate!) by squashing small companies that had good ideas, because he saw them as a threat to his total control of the Marketplace!!!
I guess you can get after me for having morals and caring about the users of the software I develop & support.
Obviously, you are M$ stockholder and worship his Royal HighnASS!!!!
June 28th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
同传设备 says:
Yahoo’s CEO Yang will have his best nights recently. Gates have given a best chance to him.
June 29th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Papa Smurf says:
“Bill Gates will not be missed one iota in the technical world, only the stockholders of M$ will miss him!”
The previous statement is an opinion, and therefore your own view. At what point did I challenge your facts? Never. I prefer to be objective, and not waste my time coming up with long responses on the internet. Because arguing on the internet gets us so far . . .
June 30th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Not PC! says:
Hey Papa Smurf -
Obviously you are a tree hugger, loves Priuses, CFLs and Hillary!
July 1st, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I hope He Crawls Into A Deep Hole! says:
Adios, Amoeba!!!!
July 1st, 2008 at 9:36 pm