Bill Gates Archives

Winsage

February 21, 2025

Bill Gates says Microsoft’s $3 trillion success is a blend of — youthful late-night coding escapades, a premature Harvard departure, and a sprinkle of “laissez-faire treatment” from passers-by

Microsoft has a market capitalization exceeding a trillion dollars and is a key player in the tech industry. Last year, a significant IT outage caused by a faulty kernel driver from CrowdStrike affected approximately 8.5 million Windows devices, resulting in the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) error. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, shared insights in his memoir, "Source Code: My Beginnings," about his early passion for coding, which began at age 13. He would sneak out at night to access computers, crediting a local company, Computer Center, for helping him refine his skills. Gates left Harvard after three semesters to pursue Microsoft, a decision prompted by a visit from Paul Allen, who brought news of the Altair 8800 minicomputer kit. Gates reflected that had he stayed at Harvard, he might have missed the opportunity to co-found Microsoft.

Winsage

February 17, 2025

Bill Gates talks about trading for Windows 10 as Avowed wows reviewers and Microsoft kills HoloLens and lies about uninstalling Edge

Bill Gates humorously compared the transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11 to a significant NBA trade, noting that Windows 10 holds a 60.33% market share. He also predicted that artificial intelligence could replace humans in various tasks but suggested that audiences might not enjoy watching computers play baseball. Nintendo is preparing for a potential legal battle with Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld, despite the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejecting 22 out of 23 of Nintendo's patent claims. Nintendo has secured a patent related to creature capturing mechanics and is pursuing additional patents. Avowed, an upcoming title from Xbox Game Studios and Obsidian Entertainment, is set to launch on February 18 and currently holds a score of around 80 on Metacritic, with early reviews praising its RPG elements. Microsoft faced criticism over a misleading webpage about uninstalling its Edge browser, which was quickly removed. Although uninstalling Edge is possible, many users may prefer to keep it installed. Microsoft has shifted the development of the IVAS militarized augmented reality headset to Anduril Industries, marking a significant move away from its HoloLens initiative, which includes the cancellation of HoloLens 3. The ASUS Zenbook Duo and Turtle Beach VelocityOne Multi-Shift received commendable scores of 4.5 out of 5 stars in reviews, with the Zenbook Duo praised for its performance and battery life, and the VelocityOne Multi-Shift recognized for its versatility for gamers.

Winsage

February 10, 2025

Bill Gates says he’d “hide from the press” if former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer traded “the new and hot OS” for Windows 10

Mark Cuban humorously compared the hypothetical trading of Mavericks player Luka Dončić to Microsoft trading Windows 11 for Windows 10 during a conversation with Bill Gates. Gates reflected on his journey with Microsoft, admitting he didn't recognize the company's success until the late 1990s. As Microsoft plans to phase out Windows 10 by October 14, 2025, it still holds a 60.33% market share compared to Windows 11's 36.65%. Many users prefer Windows 10 due to factors such as the current state of the PC market, strict system requirements for Windows 11, and reported design flaws in Windows 11. A public interest research group has filed a petition against ending support for Windows 10, citing that over 40% of users still rely on it. Microsoft remains committed to its timeline, but users can extend support for Windows 10 through the Extended Security Updates program for an additional year.

Winsage

February 6, 2025

Bill Gates says, “I thought I was one mistake away from death.” — Microsoft’s success and his billionaire status didn’t really arrive until the late ’90s

Microsoft's 50th anniversary is approaching, prompting reflections on its history. CEO Satya Nadella admitted that discontinuing Windows Phone was a strategic misstep. Co-founder Bill Gates revealed in a 1995 retrospective that he did not feel confident in Microsoft's success until around 1998, eleven years after its public debut. Microsoft established itself alongside tech giants like Apple during its early years. By 2025, Microsoft became one of the most successful companies globally, significantly boosted by investments in artificial intelligence and a partnership with OpenAI, achieving a market capitalization of over a trillion dollars. Gates identified his greatest mistake as missing the opportunity to dominate the mobile market, resulting in a potential loss of 400 billion dollars due to mismanagement and antitrust challenges. Gates remains connected to Microsoft, providing insights despite stepping back from daily operations for philanthropy.

Winsage

November 11, 2024

Bill Gates Introduced Windows 41 Years Ago Today: Here’s How Much You’d Have If You Invested $1000 In Microsoft When It Went Public

Bill Gates unveiled Windows on November 10, 1983, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, marking the beginning of a software revolution in personal computing. Initially projected for release in April 1984, Windows faced development delays and was ultimately launched in November 1985. Despite early skepticism, Windows 1.0 laid the groundwork for future innovations, leading to Windows becoming the leading operating system globally. Microsoft's IPO occurred on March 13, 1986, with an initial share price that would have allowed a ,000 investment to secure approximately 47.6 shares. The company has had multiple stock splits, significantly increasing the number of shares for early investors, resulting in an initial ,000 investment now worth over .35 million. In the latest financial report, Microsoft reported revenue of .60 billion for the first quarter, a 16% increase from the previous year. Microsoft shares closed down 0.68% at 2.54, with after-hours trading at 2.35.

Winsage

November 11, 2024

Today in Apple history: Microsoft reveals its plans for Windows 1.0

In 1984, Apple launched the Mac, while Microsoft was preparing to release Windows 1.0, which was initially seen as "vaporware." Apple had recently introduced the graphical user interface (GUI) with the Lisa computer, although it did not meet expectations. Both Apple and Microsoft drew inspiration from innovations at Xerox PARC. Bill Gates acknowledged this shared heritage in a 2017 Reddit AMA. Windows 1.0 was limited compared to the Lisa, despite attempts to include similar features. At its launch, Microsoft was known as a developer for the Mac and negotiated a deal with Apple for a license to use parts of Mac technology for Windows. After the release of Windows 2, which resembled Mac OS, Apple took legal action against Microsoft for copyright infringement. Legal disputes continued until August 1997 when Apple dropped all lawsuits against Microsoft. By then, Windows 1.0 was largely forgotten, and Microsoft was gaining power with the upcoming success of Windows 95, while Apple was preparing for its own resurgence.

AppWizard

October 14, 2024

Mark Zuckerberg has put over 1000 hours into this classic PC game, says he’s unbeatable

Many dedicated gamers invest over 1000 hours into titles like Counter-Strike, Apex Legends, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft, reflecting a deep commitment to these games. Bill Gates developed a strong interest in Minesweeper, while Elon Musk has showcased his achievements in Diablo 4. Mark Zuckerberg revealed he has logged over a thousand hours in Sid Meier's Civilization, possibly Civilization VI, and claimed he might be the best Civilization player globally, referring to himself as a "Grandmaster." He expressed interest in streaming his gameplay on Twitch and suggested a potential rivalry with Elon Musk in the gaming arena.

Winsage

October 3, 2024

Microsoft’s new “Copilot Vision” AI experiment can see what you browse

Microsoft has launched Copilot Labs, a testing environment for new AI tools, starting with the "Think Deeper" feature that uses a step-by-step approach for complex problem-solving. This feature is being rolled out to select Copilot Pro users in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Additionally, Microsoft introduced Copilot Vision, which enhances the AI assistant's capabilities by allowing it to understand visual content in the Microsoft Edge browser. Copilot Vision is opt-in and will not store any captured data, with initial access limited to a pre-approved list of websites. The rollout of these features will be gradual, with Microsoft prioritizing user feedback. Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, indicated that Copilot could learn from user interactions across devices, pending user consent. However, features like Microsoft's Recall, which tracks user activities, have raised privacy concerns among users.

Winsage

September 18, 2024

Bill Gates’ AI agent dream comes to pass at Microsoft’s special Copilot event with Copilot agents

Microsoft has launched its Copilot agents, which are now generally available for automating various business processes. These AI assistants can be embedded within user workflows, functioning autonomously while supporting human tasks. A pre-built agent called Visual Creator specializes in generating images and designs, and users can also create custom agents using the agent builder feature in Copilot Studio. Copilot agents are designed to alleviate repetitive tasks and enhance productivity, integrating into various platforms such as Microsoft Teams and customer engagement hubs. The agent builder will be widely available in BizChat, with a public preview for SharePoint launching in early October. Bill Gates remains interested in AI developments at Microsoft, particularly in relation to Copilot agents.

Winsage

July 15, 2024

Is Microsoft’s controversial Windows Recall feature 29-year-old Bill Gates’ brainchild? A mid-1980s radio interview suggests it might be

Bill Gates envisioned future PCs with learning capabilities and easier to use interfaces.