Bill GatesWhen one thinks of computer software, one must think of Microsoft.
Infact if you use a computer, chances are that you will have some type of programon there that is developed by Microsoft. The CEO, chairman, cofounder, andowner of 147 billion shares of Microsoft is Bill Gates. William Henry Gates III was born in the midst of a scenic Seattle onThursday, October 28, 1995 to his parents Mary and William Henry Gates Jr. Hischildhood was uneventful and was well raised. He went to Sunday school at theCongregational church and sang in the choir.
He was a Boy Scout but nevershowed interest for either of these activities. Gates was an unusual child whospent long periods in his room in deep thought. He loved science and showedgreat skill in the area of math. In fact he scored a perfect on the mathsection of the SAT. His high school English teacher Anne Stephens was amazed atGates’ memory. She commented on how Gates had remembered a 3-page soliloquy fora school play in one reading.
He read often, tried to take up the trombone, hadno interest in philosophy but rather thought of himself as a “scientist. ” Hisscience teacher, William Dougall, remembers if the teacher wasn’t going fastenough, “Bill always seemed on the verge of saying, ‘But that’s obvious. ‘” Gatesonce said to a teacher that some day he would be a millionaire. A grosslyunderestimated statement. Today Gates is one of the richest men in the world. In the fall of 1968, Bill Gates was entering the 8th grade at lakeside School,and his best friend Paul Allen, entered the 10th grade.
Lakeside invested $3,000into a Teletype machine which could connect to the business computer via a phoneline. When the computer courses began in January 1969, both Gates and Allendiscovered their passion for programming. Since very few teachers knew anythingabout computers, the boys taught themselves with every manual they could gettheir hands on. Some days both would cut gym to gain extra time on the terminal.
Gates first program was a ticktacktoe game. Gates and Allen would soon berestricted to time on the terminal because the school’s electric bill was everincreasing. In a long series of mishaps Gates and Allen would soon beprogramming away at Lakeside. The math teacher that had been assigned to doclass scheduling, manually, died in an airplane accident.
Gates and Allen wereoffered $2,400 worth of computer time in exchange for a class scheduling program. The boys (Gates now 16 and Allen already graduating high school) worked day andnight. Gates soon found out that he could put himself in an all girls classesin every period. Soon Gates and Allen would found a company called Traf-O-Data. The two made a program that would regulate traffic data generated by the grayboxes on Seattle streets. After entering Harvard with a major in law, Gates andAllen contemplated the idea of starting a company.
Their vision soon expandedinto the multi-billion dollar empire. “Gates is to the software what Edison wasto the light bulb- part innovator, part entrepreneur, part salesman and full-time genius. ” Gates is the “Edison” of software. If it wasn’t for him wewouldn’t have Windows 95, Winword, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or countlessothers. In August, 24, 1995, Microsoft announces the availability of MicrosoftWindows 95, worldwide.
This new operating system would change the world’s viewof computers drastically. The computer would become a toy and using it would bemuch easier than before. Four days after the release, Microsoft announces thatit estimates that more than 1 million copies of Microsoft Windows 95 wereobtained by customers at retail stores in North America. By October, 17, 1995,7 million copies were purchased. That means at least 7 million people werebecoming more computer literate. Although the practices of Microsoft have beeninvestigated by the Justice Department for monopolistic practices, it has beenthe leading company for new ventures.
On November 20, 1995, Microsoft announcedthat MSN: The Microsoft Network, has enrolled more than 525,000 members in itsfirst three months of service. With the majority of members using MSN’s fullInternet access, this makes it one of the largest Internet service providers. With this development, half a million people were connect on-line and into thenew era of computers. Recently Microsoft as tried to eliminate Netscape, theleading developer of Internet exploration tools.
I do not believe in this movethat Microsoft is trying to implement because smaller companies might have afresh outlook on the world than the weathered Microsoft. I consider Bill Gates a genius. I don’t believe in his companiespractices like eating small software companies for lunch, but I do believe thatit has effected society as a whole. Gates’ vision of “A personal computer onevery desk, in every home” was the foundation of Microsoft and I believe shouldbe the foundation of the future. I predict that Microsoft will be the leadingsoftware developer going into the 21st century.
I believe by the year 2005,that there will be a computer in every house and that Microsoft software will berunning on that computer. With Gates’ leadership, Microsoft is on a mission isto continually advance and improve software technology and they make it easierand more enjoyable for people to use software. That is The Gates Bill. Bibliography1. Microsoft History, Microsoft, http://library. microsoft.
com/msinfo/mshist/histdoc. htm?2. William H. Gates: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Microsofthttp://www.
microsoft. com/corpinfo/bill-g. htm3. Ichbiah, Daniel and Knepper, Susan L.
. The making of Microsoft: HowBill Gates and His Team Created the World’s Most Successful SoftwareCompany. Rockline, CA: Prima Publishing.
