bill-gates posts

It's hip to be on the Internet right now: NBC report from 1994 - Video

by Brad Linder Jun 15th 2009

So there's this thing called "the Internet." You may have heard of it.. 15 years ago, Tom Brokaw filed a report about this strange thing, and today it looks like something out of a time capsule. Of course, the fun thing about Time Capsules is opening them, so it was awfully nice of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to post an early Brokaw report on the Internet on Hulu.

In it, Brokaw visits the "computer convention" in Las Vegas, and talks to Bill Gates, and Eric Schmidt, among others about the internet. What's funny about the clip is that Tom Brokaw, Bill Gates, and other people don't look that different, but the computers shown in the video look ancient, as do the little bits of internet content shown in the video.

[via The Business Insider]

Tags: bill-gates, eric-schmidt, internet, retro, tom-brokaw, video

Filed under: Apple, Microsoft

Researchers: Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates ads stunk

by Brad Linder Feb 4th 2009

While Download Squad readers generally had a favorable view of the brief Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld ad campaign of '08, the New York Times reports today that the ads really didn't help Microsoft's image at all. In fact, according to market research company Brand Keys, people who saw the "Shoe Circus" ad were more likely to have a negative view of Microsoft, whether they were Apple or Mac users.

The "I'm a PC" ad spots were more effective. The ads gave viewers warm and fuzzy feelings about Microsoft in terms of technological and environmentally advancement.

Meanwhile, Brand Keys says that Apple's long-running "I'm a Mac" campaign is helping that company raise its profile and convince consumers that Apple is offering innovative, well designed products.

Tags: advertising, bill-gates, jerry-seinfeld, microsoft

Filed under: Microsoft

Microsoft + Seinfeld = Yadda, yadda, yadda

by Brad Linder Sep 17th 2008

After putting out two or three (depending on how you count them) ads that left a lot of people scratching their heads, Microsoft is apparently pulling the plug on its ad campaign featuring Jerry Seinfeld. ValleyWag reports that Microsoft will launch phase two of its new advertising strategy tomorrow, and the new campaign will be Seinfeld-free.

Whether you liked the Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld show about nothing or not, it certainly generated a lot of buzz about the company. Not about Windows Vista, Office 2007, or any particular product. But certainly about Microsoft. So perhaps Microsoft really is following through with a carefully crafted plan to build buzz and then roll out a new phase of the ad campaign. But I'm certainly not the only one to note that it looks like Microsoft is firing Seinfeld for a job poorly done.

Tags: ad, advertising, bill-gates, jerry-seinfeld, microsoft, seinfeld

Filed under: OS Updates, Apple, Microsoft

Bill Gates, Jerry Seinfeld ad airs - Apple has nothing to worry about

by Brad Linder Sep 5th 2008

Jerry Seinfeld, famous for developing a popular TV show "about nothing," seems to be at it again. Except this time he's part of a $300 million advertising campaign for Microsoft that also seems to be about nothing. And while nothing might be kind of funny in 22 minute segments that are always about something at their core, the first Microsoft commercial starring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld really does seem to be about nothing. In that pointless, mind-boggling, "what the hell are they trying to say?" kind of way.

It would probably be bearable if the 90 second commercial were at least funny. But really, it's not. The point is apparently to introduce the audience to the characters and the funny will come in later ads. Presumably so will information about Vista. But seriously. 90 seconds of nothing? The very first Mac vs. PC ad weighed in at around 30 seconds, was funny, and didn't require much setup. If this is the best Microsoft's ad team has to offer, Apple doesn't have much to worry about.

On the other hand, while Apple continues to gain popularity, Microsoft still dwarfs the company in terms of market share. So maybe Microsoft doesn't really need to follow the format set by others.

Tags: advertising, bill-gates, jerry-seinfeld, microsoft, windows-vista

Filed under: OS Updates, E-mail, Microsoft

Bill Gates in 2003: WIndows usability going backwards

by Brad Linder Jun 25th 2008

Have you ever had one of those days when you can't seem to get your computer to do anything you want it to? Say you want to download Windows Movie Maker, so you go to the Microsoft web site, check out the download page, and simply can't find it anywhere. When you do finally find it after performing a search, the page times out before you can download it. And once you've finally managed to get it on your PC, the installation process is excruciating.

It turns out you're not the only person who has trouble getting Windows to do what you want it to. The above scenerio is described in great detail in an email Bill Gates sent in 2003. This letter was released to the public along with a huge pile of other communications as part of the antitrust litigation Microsoft's been involved in for the past few years. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has posted the text of the entire email, but here are a few of our favorite parts:

Gates seems infuriated that it takes so long for Microsoft web pages to load
He had no idea why he would have to use Windows Update to install additional software before he could install Windows Movie Maker
His computer was unuseable for 6 minutes while applying updates
He asked why he should have to reboot his machine, which he reboots every night

Upon installing Movie Maker, Gates checks the add/remove programs dialog to see if it shows up, and instead he finds a list of programs with obscure names like Windows XP Hotfix Q329048. hHe writes "Someone decided to trash the one part of Windows that was usable?" he asked. "The file system is no longer usable, the registry is not usable. This program listing was one sane place, but now it is all crapped up."

Tags: bill-gates, microsoft, windows

Filed under: Weekend Review

Download Squad Week in Review

by Brad Linder Apr 26th 2008

It's been a busy week for anyone obsessed with operating system upgrades. Microsoft released Windows XP SP3 to manufacturers, Canonical launched Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron, and OpenSUSE 11 came one step closer to release. But this week's software news wasn't all operating systems, all the time. Here are a few of our favorite stories from the week that was:

DRM strikes again: MSN Music customers left in the dust

In case you haven't heard, DRM kind of stinks. Sure, copyright holders want to be able to profit from their music by making sure you don't make copies for all of your friends. But when companies like Microsoft come out and tell you they won't support your licenses after August, it just means you can't listen to music you've already paid for on multiple devices anymore.

AVG Free 8 adds anti-spyware protection

Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? Well, lots of people. But anyone who's tried AVG Free knows there is such a thing as a good anti-virus application. The latest version adds a bunch of new features like anti-spyware, anti-rootkit, and linkscanning protection.

Tags: avg, avg-free, bill-gates, chilirec, drm, microosft, msn-music, mythtv, rss, ulteo

Filed under: Internet, Social Software

Tired of getting friend requests, Bill Gates quits Facebook

by Brad Linder Feb 12th 2008

You know, every time we look at that headline, we have to remind ourselves that this isn't an article from The Onion. But seriously, it appears that Microsoft founder Bill Gates has decided to stop using Facebook, a site his company recently spend $240 million to buy a 1.6% stake in.

The reason? Because Gates was getting 8,000 friend requests a day and spending 30 minutes every day on the site. But come on, it's not like the guy has anything else to do now that he's stepping down as CEO, right?

The Sun initially broke the news, saying that Gates had deleted his account. But we all know how difficult it is to actually delete a Facebook account. Fortunately, the Wall Street Journal did a bit of investigative work and discovered that Gates has simply decided to stop using his account. So there's hope that one day he will return and kick your ass at Scrabulous.

[via Lifehacker]

Tags: bill-gates, facebook, friend-requests

Filed under: Business, Internet, Microsoft, Beta

Internet Explorer 8 is the name

by Chris Gilmer Dec 6th 2007

Last year Microsoft released Internet Explorer 7, next year (or the year after) the company will launch Internet Explorer 8. Seriously, how do those creative folks in Redmond keep coming up with these clever names?

We can't tell you what IE8 will look like, or what improvements it will have over IE7. All we know is that it's got a name. Apparently the IE developer team has been referring to the next version of Internet Explorer as IE8 for a while, and when Bill Gates recently dropped that name, it kind of sealed the fate.

According to the Internet Explorer blog, some other possible names included IE VIII, IE1000 (eight in binary), IE Desktop Online Web Browser Live Professional Ultimate Edition for the Internet. Honestly, we were a bit surprised they didn't go with the last one, but then we realized that it might have been a joke.

Tags: bill-gates, browser, ie7, ie8, internet-explorer, microsoft, web

Filed under: Business, Internet, Web services, Microsoft, web 2.0

Facebook founder hanging out in Seattle

by Chris Gilmer Sep 28th 2007

Is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in Seattle to talk with Bill Gates about becoming a billionaire, or are they merely talking about the large rumored investment that could be coming down the pipes?

Zuckerberg has been spotted around Microsoft's hometown possibly chatting about a reported $500 million, 5% stake in the famous social network, making its valuation hit $10 billion. With many stating that there is no chance that Facebook could be close to that amount, the data of its 43 million users might think otherwise.

It's a highly effective tool for staying in touch while creating an internet identity, and with its individualized profile information it could become an advertising giant. But could that possibly be the price tag?

Tags: bill-gates, facebook, gates, mark-zuckerberg, microsoft, seattle

Filed under: Business, Design, Microsoft

A peek inside the Gates house

by Chris Gilmer Sep 17th 2007

Everyone most likely knows about that little shack in the woods in the Seattle suburb of Medina on the shores of Lake Washington that Bill Gates created in 1997, but have you ever been inside?

The $53 Million dollar, 66,000 square foot estate has all the technological goodies that you might not even be able dream up. With tons of centrally controlled music, lighting and video you can bet that this is the one of the most technologically advanced homes in the world. US News has put together a tour of the estate, from the pool building, to the library, to the underground garage so that you can drool over where the Forbes number one billionaire lives.

Some interesting tidbits:

104 electricians used
All timber used in the house are perfectly finished and nearly perfect with almost no knots.
All woodwork is flawless
Acoustics were a big concern. Woods and fabrics were used to ensure perfect acoustics throughout the house.
Flooring is heated, even in the driveway and walkways throughout the estate.
Security system is monitored from the Microsoft campus.
There is a salmon hatchery on the estate.
52 miles of communication cable
Hidden cameras are everywhere, including some hidden inside stone walls.
Floor sensors can track a person within 6 inches.
The bathtub can be filled and temperature can be controlled by Gates as he drives home from work.

Was the Bill Gates estate designed on a PC? Well, not exactly, we can thank rival Apple for having a hand in it. (Not to worry, doesn't Microsoft own a small % of Apple anyway.) Check out some additional pictures of the estate here.

Also, check out the money face off, Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates on Blogging Stocks.

Tags: bill-gates, billionaire, forbes, homes, houses, microsoft, technology

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