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Posts with tag bill-gates

Bill Gates in 2003: WIndows usability going backwards

Posted Jun 25th 2008 5:00PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: OS Updates, E-mail, Microsoft

Bill Gates letter from 2003
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."
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Download Squad Week in Review

Posted Apr 26th 2008 2:00PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: Weekend Review

DLS logoIt'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.

Continue reading Download Squad Week in Review

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Tired of getting friend requests, Bill Gates quits Facebook

Posted Feb 12th 2008 3:30PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: Internet, Social Software

Bill Gates friend request
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]
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Internet Explorer 8 is the name

Posted Dec 6th 2007 9:07AM by Chris Gilmer
Filed under: Business, Internet, Microsoft, Beta

Internet Explorer 8 is the nameLast 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.
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Facebook founder hanging out in Seattle

Posted Sep 28th 2007 3:00PM by Chris Gilmer
Filed under: Business, Internet, Web services, Microsoft, web 2.0

Facebook hanging out in SeattleIs 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?
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A peek inside the Gates house

Posted Sep 17th 2007 10:00AM by Chris Gilmer
Filed under: Business, Design, Microsoft

bill gates estate

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.
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