No Bull Bill: Gates' blunt legacy

News Type: Event — Seeded on Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:51 PM EDT

Article Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The message to top Microsoft Corp. executives wasn't that different from many others -- written by an aggravated Windows user who simply wanted to install a piece of the company's software on his computer.

Except that it was Bill Gates venting his frustrations.

First, it was a struggle just to unearth the Movie Maker program on the company's Web site, the Microsoft chairman wrote. Even after he found it, Gates complained, the process of downloading was "more like a puzzle that you get to solve" -- with instructions that seemed like "a bunch of incantations."

Finally, he was able to install the software. Or so he thought.

"I go to my add/remove programs place to make sure it is there. It is not there. What is there? The following garbage is there," he wrote, listing a series of confusing file names. "Someone decided to trash the one part of Windows that was usable?"

Published to:

Tedd Riggs's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Gates Foundation, GeekVine, Seattleites, uk-news, Viners In Real Life
Regions: Seattle/Tacoma

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{"commentId":2039532,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

This is one part of a series about Bill Gates that the Seattle P-I has going on this week. There is a great collection of photos (59 of them) if you look for the title marked "Bill Gates: A retrospective photo gallery"

{"commentId":2039532,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

4 votes

#1 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:51 PM EDT

{"commentId":2039778,"authorDomain":"mightyblogger"}

Pacific Northwest Blogger

A plethora of Bill Gates articles popping up lately. Thanks for this seed.
Now if you could dig one up on Gordon Letwin ;-)

{"commentId":2039778,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"mightyblogger"}

3 votes

#2 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:06 PM EDT

{"commentId":2039908,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Gordon Letwin ? Like as in Heathkit .....Yikes I have not heard that name is a few years....that dates back long long ago when Microsoft was a tiny little place.... Geez Redmond did not even have Town Center when he bailed out....Any idea where he is ?

{"commentId":2039908,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#2.1 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:13 PM EDT

{"commentId":2203072,"authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

Robert Blevins - AB of Seattle

I have a signed copy of his book 'The Road Ahead' and I wish I could tell you I stood in line to get it or something.

No.

One day I was at Goodwill and they had like twenty copies of the book with the disks on the shelf. I grabbed one at random, and it had his signature.

In the book, Gates got almost everything right. He wrote it in 1994. The only two things he missed on were: 1) He thought HDTV wouldn't go far, because the TV stations wouldn't pony up the bucks to make the switch. 2) He thought that thing Microsoft made that went on top of your TV for internet access would be a big hit. It wasn't.

He predicted pretty much what you're doing now with a computer, though. And that ain't bad.

{"commentId":2203072,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

2 votes

#2.2 - Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:01 AM EDT

{"commentId":2204859,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

I have a Signed Copy of Microsoft Bob, signed by Melinda (now Gates ) that is a program that Microsoft almost buries that never happened...or OS I mean..:-) ouch...

I just have a Regular old copy of The Road Ahead.

Hey for a kid out of New Mexico with a crappy haircut and a nerdy mugshot I'd say Bill hit the target pretty darn well. We would probably still be using some IBM mainframe,,,He is a sharp person

I have a couple signed trinkets along the road or so...Microsofts 25th Birthday Party we all got goodies signed.

So why did I buy a sailboat when I Microsoft went public ???? yikes....I could be a very very rich person..oh well..

{"commentId":2204859,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#2.3 - Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:24 AM EDT

{"commentId":2039939,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Microsoft at 25-Time Magazine

Here you go---Gordon Letwin, per your request...I knew I had it someplace

{"commentId":2039939,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#3 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:15 PM EDT

{"commentId":2040111,"authorDomain":"ffeineandsugar"}

ffeineandsugar

Fun stuff - Our little Bill has grown up and retired. I feel older now.

And speaking of older, Happy Birthday, Tedd! Stolat, as the Poles would say (may you live 100 years) ;:-)

{"commentId":2040111,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"ffeineandsugar"}

1 vote

#4 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:25 PM EDT

{"commentId":2041414,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Some days I feel 100....It was not that long ago I was at Microsofts 25th Birthday....Yikes they sure have changed this tiny town.....

{"commentId":2041414,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

1 vote

#4.1 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:56 PM EDT

{"commentId":2040574,"authorDomain":"b-shaughnessy"}

More Than Happy

IMO, Bill Gates is the model of how being in the right place at the right time trumps a superior product. The last thing Bill ever programmed was a version of BASIC in the late 70's, and since then it's all been half-hearted products that have been crippled accidentally and intentionally.

{"commentId":2040574,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"b-shaughnessy"}

3 votes

#5 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:52 PM EDT

{"commentId":2204216,"authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

Robert Blevins - AB of Seattle

(Probably Not) More Than Happy sez:

'The last thing Bill ever programmed was a version of BASIC in the late 70's, and since then it's all been half-hearted products that have been crippled accidentally and intentionally.'

You're referring to those half-hearted products that brought us into the Information Age and revolutionized the world?

A possible reply: "Oh...those products.'

{"commentId":2204216,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

2 votes

#5.1 - Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:14 AM EDT

{"commentId":2204965,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

"Oh...those products.'

Yeah those really dumb products....that he is most likely using on a MSNBC Network, Run my Microsoft SQL Server technology, pushed hard by Bill Gates

And that "Crippled BASIC" started the whole ball rolling...anyone that is in the business has worked on one of the outgrowths of that one. Update your very outdated information

Microsoft BASIC

Variants and derivatives of Microsoft BASIC

Altair BASIC (MITS Altair and other S-100 computers)
Amiga BASIC (Commodore Amiga family)
Applesoft BASIC (Apple II family)
Atari Microsoft BASIC I and II (Atari 8-bit family)
BASICA ("BASIC Advanced") (PC-DOS, on IBM PC)
Color BASIC (TRS-80 Color Computer)
Commodore BASIC (Commodore 8-bit family, incl C64)
Extended Color BASIC (TRS-80 Color Computer and Dragon 32/64)
IBM Cassette BASIC (PC-DOS, on original IBM PC)
Galaksija BASIC (Galaksija home computer)
GW-BASIC (BASICA for MS-DOS, on PC compatibles)
Microsoft Level III BASIC (Tandy/Radio-Shack TRS-80)
MBASIC (CP/M, on 8080/85 and Z80 based computers)
MS BASIC for Macintosh (Mac OS on Apple Macintosh)
MSX BASIC (MSX standard home computers)
N88-BASIC (NEC PC8801/9801)
N82-BASIC (NEC PC8201/8201A)
QBasic (PC-DOS/MS-DOS on IBM PC and compatibles)
QuickBASIC (PC-DOS/MS-DOS on IBM PC and compatibles))
TRS-80 Level II BASIC (Tandy/Radio-Shack TRS-80)
Visual Basic (PC-DOS/MS-DOS/MS Windows on IBM PC and compatibles)
WordBasic (pre-VBA) (MS Windows)
HP2640 HP2647 Programmable Terminal with AGL graphics extensions
FreeBASIC - a free clone of the QuickBasic system.

{"commentId":2204965,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

1 vote

#5.2 - Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:37 AM EDT

{"commentId":2220540,"authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

Robert Blevins - AB of Seattle

I try to look at the higher purpose of Gates, rather than the business practices of Microsoft itself. Let's face it. Love or hate the guy, he and Paul Allen share a great deal of the credit for the launch of the Information Age.

And unlike some of the super-rich, the Gates' spend a lot of time trying to figure out ways to give back some of the money in ways that will do the most good...globally. Don't ask me to analyze Gates and company. All I know is that he made a lot of things possible.

Hey, no one's perfect but he did okay for a skinny, geeky-looking kid.

{"commentId":2220540,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

2 votes

#5.3 - Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:40 AM EDT

{"commentId":2220985,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

And now that he has left Microsoft he did not go and blow all that money of wasted toys, but set up the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which will provide help to millions of people for years to come so I think he did a pretty darn good job. Way better then the average "Bill" or Tom, or Joe....

{"commentId":2220985,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#5.4 - Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:23 AM EDT

{"commentId":2042178,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

Happy Birthday To You!

Happy Birthday Dear Teddy-Bear!

Happy Birthday To You!

Since I can't give you your birthday spankings,

******WHOOOOOOMP!!!*******

Love Squeeeshy

{"commentId":2042178,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"attreau"}

3 votes

#6 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":2042219,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

whoa.....a personal visit from Andrea ! So cool !! Ok, thank you, now I feel much better (except my sore butt...)

{"commentId":2042219,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#6.1 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:06 PM EDT

{"commentId":2042252,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

Well Who Doesn't Appreciate a good case of the red A$$ once in a while anyhow aye...

{"commentId":2042252,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"attreau"}

3 votes

#6.2 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:12 PM EDT

{"commentId":2042331,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Mine is pretty hard to miss also,,,,,Large Target Area.

{"commentId":2042331,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#6.3 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:23 PM EDT

{"commentId":2042370,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

You Wanna talk large!! Baby, Mine has an area code to mach the circumference!

{"commentId":2042370,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"attreau"}

2 votes

#6.4 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:28 PM EDT

{"commentId":2042457,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

ya wanna compare baby ?

O ☜ Big Tedd @ss

o ☜ cute Andrea @ss

anything else you want to talk about ? ☺

{"commentId":2042457,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#6.5 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:40 PM EDT

{"commentId":2042568,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

Let me see......Lets start a new group, how about something in the forum of hatred.....all I can seem to muster these days...Oh.septin for the few of you I can actually stomach...lol

{"commentId":2042568,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"attreau"}

3 votes

#6.6 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:58 PM EDT

{"commentId":2042623,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

A butt haters group ? Now that would be different.....

{"commentId":2042623,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#6.7 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:10 PM EDT

{"commentId":2042652,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

Yeah yeah, I hate your butt because

*insert reason here*

I love It!!

Think it would take right off and make flight!!

{"commentId":2042652,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"attreau"}

2 votes

#6.8 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:16 PM EDT

{"commentId":2043134,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

I e-mailed you!! did you get it?

{"commentId":2043134,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"attreau"}

3 votes

#6.9 - Wed Jun 25, 2008 1:00 AM EDT

{"commentId":2043163,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

just did about 1 min ago...just caught me before bed.

{"commentId":2043163,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#6.10 - Wed Jun 25, 2008 1:04 AM EDT

{"commentId":2043241,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

Sorry, night night b-day boy...ttyl

{"commentId":2043241,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"attreau"}

3 votes

#6.11 - Wed Jun 25, 2008 1:21 AM EDT

{"commentId":2204243,"authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

Robert Blevins - AB of Seattle

One group you could start that COULD become instantly popular:

'Irrational Hatred Group' (lots of pre-qualified members)

Happy Birthday, Tedd.

{"commentId":2204243,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"adventurebooks"}

2 votes

#7 - Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:17 AM EDT

{"commentId":2204981,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

'Irrational Hatred Group

You forgot Frustrated

However....great idea !!!

{"commentId":2204981,"threadId":"297940","contentId":"1606169","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#7.1 - Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:38 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"297940","isPrivate":false}

TEDD RIGGS

Backyard

No Bull Bill: Gates' blunt legacy

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O ☜ Big Tedd @ss

o ☜ cute Andrea @ss

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