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I sense... a disturbance in the Force...

Oh yeah. Bill Gates didn't go to work today.

He doesn't work for Microsoft anymore.

...

Even if you're not a Microsoft fan, you have to admit, without Mr. Gates, where would the computer industry be? Where would we be?

Flash back time:

Ah, yes, I remember my very first personal computer... It was a Hewlett-Packard (not an "hp" ;-) with a MONSTER-sized monitor that took up a good 3/4 of my desk, a clunky keyboard and a "ball" mouse. It was running the latest OS: Windows 95. And get this: we were the first people on our street to get this new thing called the "World Wide Web" - whatever that meant. Our Service Provider? MSN, of course! Man, with my new computer (okay, in truth, it was a hand-me-down from Dad), I was the coolest 6-year-old in kindergarten. I had it made.

Yeah, MS has made a a few mistakes...*cough*Vista*cough* (doesn't that go without being said?), but Gates and his company really did shift the industry into gear, and they aren't stopping any time soon.

So, gentlemen, I ask you to join me as I tip my hat to Mr. Gates. Without him, I don't know who I would be.

Bill_Gates_in_Poland_cropped.jpg
sort by: active | newest | oldest
8
ll.13 says: Jun 28, 2008. 5:16 AM
But Steve is still there. :-|
7
Derin in reply to ll.13Jul 30, 2008. 2:16 PM
go out steve jobs nobody wants u
8
ll.13 in reply to DerinJul 31, 2008. 12:21 AM
Steve Ballmer, not Jobs
7
Derin in reply to ll.13Jul 31, 2008. 2:26 AM
oh
4
whatsisface in reply to DerinJul 30, 2008. 2:21 PM
Steve Jobs doesn't work for Microsoft.
7
Derin in reply to whatsisfaceJul 31, 2008. 2:28 AM
I know,he works for APPLE

APPLE!APPLE!APPLE!APPLE!APPLE!!!!!

4
whatsisface in reply to DerinJul 31, 2008. 9:41 AM
...
4
whatsisface in reply to ll.13Jun 28, 2008. 5:48 AM
Yeah, when Balmer goes, i'll be happy.
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to whatsisfaceJun 28, 2008. 6:01 AM
Why's that?
8
ll.13 in reply to Labot2001Jun 28, 2008. 7:00 AM
I believe he is responsible for making MS's image, (read: evil) and poor Bill wasn't the right stuff to stop him?
16
Lithium Rain in reply to ll.13Jun 30, 2008. 9:12 AM
I'll believe that!
26
LinuxH4x0r in reply to Lithium RainJun 30, 2008. 3:05 PM
Yeah, balmer screwed it up pretty badly
4
whatsisface in reply to Labot2001Jun 28, 2008. 6:07 AM
From Wikipedia "Ballmer is also known as a vocal critic of competing companies and their products. He has referred to the free Linux software system as a "[…] cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches." Ballmer was trying to articulate his concern that the GNU GPL license employed by such software requires that all derivative software be made open source."
4
whatsisface in reply to whatsisfaceJun 28, 2008. 6:12 AM
He's also quoted as saying "I'm going to ******* kill Google" as well as this:

26
LinuxH4x0r in reply to whatsisfaceJun 30, 2008. 3:10 PM
I'm scared! *runs for closet*
4
xACIDITYx in reply to whatsisfaceJun 28, 2008. 8:27 AM
I will kill google too...
*Googles how to kill google*
7
Derin in reply to xACIDITYxJul 30, 2008. 2:16 PM
lol
9
chooseausername in reply to whatsisfaceJun 28, 2008. 7:56 AM
Xo]
32
=SMART= in reply to whatsisfaceJun 28, 2008. 7:51 AM
Theres something wrong with him.......
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to whatsisfaceJun 28, 2008. 6:12 AM
Ouch. I can see why.
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to ll.13Jun 28, 2008. 5:18 AM
What? You don't like Steve? Or are you just reminding me? ;-)
12
Firebert010 says: Jul 30, 2008. 3:12 PM
It's all good.
steve-jobs.jpg
50
gmjhowe says: Jun 30, 2008. 7:29 AM
Thats a nice little story, about your first computer and all, and yes he is responsible for many steps forward, and his charity work is amazing. My first computer was an Amiga 1200, great bit of kit. Shame that microsoft has pretty much stamped out most of the competition, though there is that one magical fruit thats is still holding on.....
9
crestind says: Jun 30, 2008. 7:24 AM
Great person. Definitely changed the world with his company. Best wishes to him. First computer- Packard Bell. 3GB HDD. Windows 95 with Free Encarta and loads of other awesome MS software.
22
KentsOkay says: Jun 29, 2008. 8:09 PM
I'ma tipping... Same story here as far as the computer goes, just we had a 98, and I didn't learn how to use the internet properly until 2 years ago cuz we had dial up until then.
10
TechnoGeek95 says: Jun 28, 2008. 7:38 AM
Well actually, Bill still works for Microsoft, just part-time. He'll spend most of his time working on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to TechnoGeek95Jun 28, 2008. 7:43 AM
I thought that he's no longer an employee, but he still has the most shares, which makes him the chairman.
16
Lithium Rain in reply to Labot2001Jun 29, 2008. 11:57 AM
He agreed to work two hours a week and be the chairman for meetings.
8
ll.13 in reply to Labot2001Jun 28, 2008. 10:08 AM
You just made a politically incorrect statement.
which makes him the chairman.
should be: which makes him the chair.

</sarcasm>
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to ll.13Jun 28, 2008. 10:20 AM
*confusion*
38
Goodhart in reply to Labot2001Jun 29, 2008. 12:59 PM
chairman is considered sexist by the terminally politically correct police.
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to GoodhartJun 29, 2008. 4:45 PM
Oh. Well, I'm pretty sure Bill Gates is a man, so I said chairman. If it's a male, I'll say "nounman" and if it's a female, I'll say either "nounwoman" or "nounperson". Make sense?
38
Goodhart in reply to Labot2001Jun 29, 2008. 7:56 PM
Just explaining II.13's post.....I didn't say I agreed with Political correctness ;-) Don't shoot the messenger ! LOL
8
ll.13 in reply to GoodhartJun 30, 2008. 1:22 AM
actually, thanks for explaining. =)
38
Goodhart in reply to ll.13Jun 30, 2008. 3:21 AM
YW :-)
5
skunkbait in reply to ll.13Jun 30, 2008. 1:47 AM
But it is annoying to neuter perfectly good words. I'm afraid if I were the "chair", I'd have all kinds of people sitting on me (in a BAD way).
38
Goodhart in reply to skunkbaitJun 30, 2008. 3:20 AM
Yes, and it becomes even harder when speaking as someone might misunderstand "mailman" as male-man, and require one to say a person-person LOL
5
skunkbait in reply to GoodhartJun 30, 2008. 5:30 AM
My mother ran a post office. She hated it when people called her post-mistress. She thought it sounded like an after-harlot harlot!
20
PKM in reply to skunkbaitJun 30, 2008. 6:11 AM
She thought it sounded like an after-harlot harlot!

That's fantastic- I am officially stealing the phrase "after-harlot harlot". George Carlin did a great routine about "the person in the moon and the bogeyperson", and the crowning irony is now I think feminists would prefer we just used "chairman" even when referring to women, rather than butcher a perfectly good word out of some misguided notion of equality.
38
Goodhart in reply to skunkbaitJun 30, 2008. 5:51 AM
Ah yes, but then, that is not "gender neutral" as some fanatics are into :-)
32
=SMART= says: Jun 28, 2008. 5:20 AM
I tip my hat to him, People allways talk about the bad things and what windows Dosent do, but just think, without Gates's drive we wouldn't be where we are today. Although im an Apple guy myself, unlike many other Apple lovers i respect Mr Gates and his company, and thank him for what he has achieved.
10
gmoon in reply to =SMART=Jun 28, 2008. 5:37 AM
without Gates's drive we wouldn't be where we are today.

Yeah, we wouldn't have Commodore 64 BASIC V2.0.
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to gmoonJun 28, 2008. 5:43 AM
Oh, wherever would we be without that??
7
Keith-Kid in reply to Labot2001Jun 28, 2008. 2:05 PM
ROFL!!!!!
16
Lithium Rain says: Jun 28, 2008. 1:35 PM
Yeah, I already saw this. But he still deserves applause:

Bill Gates, you are an awesome guy, and an absolute genius. I greatly admire you, especially for your humanitarian efforts.
237
jessyratfink says: Jun 28, 2008. 8:15 AM
I heard about this yesterday on NPR. I sorta curious to see where the company goes without him. I do think it's a good thing that he's going to be spending more time working with his foundation, though. :)
4
xACIDITYx in reply to jessyratfinkJun 28, 2008. 8:18 AM
Yeah. I saw it yesterday on Loaded (cNet) Better to be helping the world than... Vista...
4
xACIDITYx says: Jun 28, 2008. 8:09 AM
He's still working there. Just not full time. I take my... *puts on hat*... hat off to you bill. *takes off hat*.
9
chooseausername says: Jun 28, 2008. 7:43 AM
Without Bill Gates, instead of Microsoft product everywhere, we would probably have Digital Research products everywhere.

Instead of MSDOS, we would had CP/M.

Instead of Windows Vista, we would have an evolution of GEM ...

69
Tool Using Animal says: Jun 28, 2008. 5:34 AM
*cough*blank*cough* That meme needs to DIE.

Anyways, here's my first computer the $5000 Hyperion
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to Tool Using AnimalJun 28, 2008. 5:45 AM
You consider the *cough*---*cough* to be a meme?

And nice computer. But my Hewlett-Packard ate floppy discs for breakfast!

...at a rate of 37bytes/second...
69
Tool Using Animal in reply to Labot2001Jun 28, 2008. 5:57 AM
In the internet phenomena sense, yes, not the Dawkins genetic sense.
18
Labot2001 (author) in reply to Tool Using AnimalJun 28, 2008. 6:01 AM
Hmm. I've never considered it a meme (in either sense) before.
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