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On 29 Jun 1996, CA wrote:

> On Jun 29, 1996 19:33:54 in article  Windows 95 doesn't suck)>, 'jmrst32+@pitt.edu (James M Rankin)' wrote: 

> >In article ,   wrote: 
> >:The concept that Gates created the entire language on his own 
> >:and almost single-handily launched the computer revolution, is 
> >:a lot of hype.   

A more acurate description is that he disassembled a version of Dec Basic
and translated it to 8080 machine code.  This was by no means a trival
task, but not monumental either.

The real genious was Paul Allen who figured out how to emulate an 8080
machine using a PDP-11.

It's interesting that Microsoft forbids disassembly or any other form of
reverse engineering of any Microsoft product, including the generated data
files.  WINE frequently gets stalled because contributors are depending on
reverse engineered information gleaned from Microsoft DLLs.

It's also interesting to not that Microsoft has consistantly sidestepped
software emulators with subsequent windows releases.  It seems that no
matter how good the emulator, the subsequent OS breaks it.

> >THAT, my friend, is the mac.advocacy understatement of the year. 

Amen to that.

> >:Dave 
> > 
> >-jimbo 
> -- 
> I don't believe I have ever heard of  Gates creating BASIC.

Gate's real claim to fame is that he was the first to create a BASIC
interpreter for the MITS 8008 machine.  He wanted $500/copy for 2k
interpreter distributed on punched paper tape.  MITS would send one copy
to each dealer, along with a bill.  The dealers often did the duplication
themselves.

A few years later, Bill Gates discovered the secret of success in the
software business.  He knew that MITS was concerned about the Southwest
Technical Products (SWTP) computer based on the 6800.  He threatened to
port BASIC to that machine unless MITS paid for his BASIC for all of their
machines, up front, for a "Lump Sum".  MITS paid, and Bill Gates did not
port Basic to the SWTP.  He ported it to the Commodore PET.  MITS went
bankrupt within a year.

Since that time, Bill's formula for success has been "Get them to love
you, get the money for the next year up front, then hit them where it will
hurt the most".

Notice, Compaq, Dell, Gateway...et.al. are paying for their bundled
software up front, as much as 30% of the purchase price.  And he turned
right around and delivered NT to the DEC Alpha, IBM PowerPC, and Mips
R/5000.  The Pentium vendors should have just flushed the money down the
toilet.

>  I have,
> however, heard that he was the one to get it coded into the rom of the
> early IBMs so that if you booted w/o an OS,

In ancient history days, you had to flip a row of switches to get the
routine to read the paper tape loaded.  Microsoft came in paper tape.
Other, better, cassette versions such as Tarbell required expensive
hardware and firmware in ROM to load their software.  Gates told the
industry Firmware in ROM was to buggy and risky.  Until 3 months later
when he and Commodore announce the PET (Personal Electronic Transactor)
(released during the days when "pet rocks" were selling for $5 each),
complete with Basic in Rom.



> it would go directly to the
> BASIC compiler.

Actually, the earliest IBM PCs had Basic in ROM and Cassette Tape
interfaces.  The Microsoft Rom also had the ability to boot an operating
system IF you happened to have a Disk Drive.  The whole thing came with
64 k of memory.  Gates thought no one would ever need more than 1 million
bytes of memory (enough to run 16 programs at the same time if you
wanted).  IBM didn't want any multitasking.  CP/M and MP/M had already
done enough damage to their Series 1 market.

> I also have heard nothing about him launching the computer revolution.

Bill Gates' greatest contribution to the computer revolution was that he
figured out how to make a profit on computer software without depending on
the generousity of his users.  He also learned that he could use
advertising and promotion to increase demand for HIS product, and divert
that demand elsewhere BEFORE his partners could leverage that recognition
away from him.

> He HAS been influential, but there were many others involved. 

Yes, and Gates has double-crossed most of them.

The list of targets include MITS, Commodore, Tandy, IBM, Lotus, Dbase,
WordStar, WordPerfect, Novell, 3Com.  Anyone who has ever applied for a
job with Microsoft and was turned down (Part of the Microsoft "interview"
is a "sample" of something you have been working on.  Many companies have
lost critical trade secrets to Gates because one of their employees wanted
a job at Microsoft).  Developer "Partners" (much of Microsoft's real
recruiting is done by having their "Partners" send their best people to
"Microsoft School", where they get a chance to meet with Microsoft
employees and get to enjoy Microsoft amenities.  All they have to do is
say "I wish I could work here" and they become recuitment targets.  Since
Microsoft didn't approach them first, it's legal.

Gates usually knows where the boat is heading, and doesn't hesitate to use
previous partners as fuel to drive his ship.

>                              Chris Allen




	Rex Ballard - Director of Electronic Distribution
	Standard & Poor's/McGraw-Hill
	Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect
	the Management of the McGraw-Hill Companies.
	http://cnj.digex.net/~rballard




From rballard@cnj.digex.net Wed Jul  3 23:01:35 1996
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Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy