William Bill Gates III was born on October 28, 1955. He accomplished many unbelievable things, and highly influenced the people around him in many ways. In University, Bill Gates was known to be the “smart computer nerd,” who totally amazed all of his friends with his knowledge. One of the people that he had influenced the most was Steve Ballmer, current Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer, whose room was down the hall from Bill’s. Not only were his roommates amazed by his accomplishments, but also were the people at IBM.
They were in desperate need of a DOS operating system, which would be used on millions of computers around the world. IBM decided to employ Bill’s team, therefore, “Mammoth, blue-chip IBM employed thousands of capable software builders, and didn’t trust a single one of them; IBM hired Microsoft to build its operating system. Microsoft bought Q-DOS from a company called Seattle Computer Products and retailored it for the PC. ” MS-DOS is the program that recognizes all commands by the computer, and is a large part of the way Windows functions.
Without DOS, computers today couldn’t function the way they do. The Windows operating systems, as well as the majority of Windows-based programs, rely on MS-DOS. Bill then started a new company, which is popularly known today as Microsoft Incorporated. Apple Computers released the Macintosh in January 1984 . Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft Inc. , announced the release of Windows 3. 0, “In May 1990, Microsoft finally perfected its own version of Apple windows and called it Microsoft Windows 3. 0– another huge hit. Now Gates really (I mean really) had it made.
Just like Henry Ford’s brilliant release of the Model T, “Gates, like Henry Ford, brought what was previously a technological curiosity to the masses. Microsoft Windows and its predecessor, the MS-DOS PC operating system, were the high-tech equivalents of Ford’s Model T. They may not have been the sleekest or most elegant pieces of software, but Gates figured out how to make them almost universally used, and they transformed the entire IT world . ” At this time, Bill Gates was being compared to the well-known entrepreneur, Henry Ford, who was the self-made man who started up Ford Motor Company.
Henry Ford’s vision was to create an affordable car for both rich and middle class. He was the second billionaire of his time. Just like Henry Ford, his main motivation was to create a product that would be used by everyone around the world, and positively change the way people compute; he explains in his biography, “Guided by a belief that the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers. ” This was a huge step up from the weak, and commonly used Mac OS, which was released by Apple Computers earlier.
Over a short period of time, Microsoft’s new product became very popular for its simplicity in operation. Millions of people around the world decided to switch to Microsoft Windows. The sudden change from Mac OS to Windows was incredible. Bill Gates’ product became such an important tool to businesses, homes, and schools. His foresights in the change of the computer industry were a large part of his success, “Gates’ foresight and vision regarding personal computing have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software industry.
Microsoft was able to knock out all of its competitors easily. Bill Gates’ strategy was to promote all of his products together. For example, he would attach Internet Explorer to Microsoft Windows, which was his top selling product. The majority of computer users around the world used Microsoft Windows, leaving a door open. It is said that they are able to buy out all of their competitors and still have more money than any other company in the world.
However, some people consider Bill Gates’ approach to be unjust, and “The U. S. Justice Department is suing Microsoft for throwing its weight around illegally, hitting companies like Netscape below the belt. The trial is under way. Whoever wins, Gates will still be the No. 1 man in the industry. ” Part of Microsoft’s success in creating a positive change in the computer market is creating better computer software than anyone else, says Time Magazine, “Today Microsoft is the world’s most powerful supplier of Web browsers, and Gates really has it made. ”
More importantly, Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, founded a large charity foundation. Also, “The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with an endowment of more than $17 billion, is now the wealthiest in the United States. ” Their approach was to make a change in needy children’s lives, and try their best to give them the stuff that they were lacking, such as: clothes, schooling, food, etc. Becoming the second richest man in the world is one thing, however, giving back to the community what it has given to you is even more remarkable.
Bill Gates indeed is “one of the most remarkable figures of the century, ” because beside attempted to create a change in the middle and upper-class lives, he is also attempting to give an opportunity to the lower-class children who have very little hope. The products of Microsoft were not completely produced by Bill Gates, the genius himself. Although Microsoft Windows was his idea, and he did a fair bit of it, many other intelligent programmers apart of Microsoft were on the Windows programming team as well.
Bill Gates did not need to do all of the work yourself, and delegated the work to other professionals. As well, Bill Gates made his employees, as well as executives, into millionaires and billionaires, and, “There’s another, equally important way in which Microsoft is a new kind of company: It was one of the first to use stock options as an integral element of compensation for all employees, not just top executives. As a result, Microsoft has minted literally thousands of millionaires, not to mention a handful of billionaires, and has cemented employee loyalty in an era and industry rife with job hoppers.
Bill Gates’ accomplishments affected the whole world in a positive way. He should be looked at as a hero, because he opened up the doors for many technology companies. He made a huge change in accounting firms, law firms, and other many other corporations. Accounting firms are now able to use accounting software, because of Windows, and one of Microsoft’s applications. Law firms are able to write up contracts and use special features, such as track changes, encryption, and password protection for documents, which ensure the privacy of their clients.
