3 ms·

Microsoft did a lot of ruthless things and even some illegal things, yes, but it requires a very unkind reading of history to deny the absolutely huge role they

Microsoft did a lot of ruthless things and even some illegal things, yes, but it requires a very unkind reading of history to deny the absolutely huge role they played in bring about the world we take for granted today. It's a common, but not at all obviously correct, analysis that where we are today was manifest destiny and thus Bill Gates and Microsoft was just randomly the medium providence chose to carry out this destiny. Microsoft got so incredibly many things right, and they started flagging almost the second they got a major thing wrong (the internet). I really like this interview (Bill Gates on Letterman in 1995). He says the internet is a big deal, but he clearly doesn't get it, not does he provide any sort of thought leadership. Baseball and cigars? Snowcrash had been out for three years by then. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lskpNmUl8yQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lskpNmUl8yQ

Jedd 9y ago
> ... the absolutely huge role they [Microsoft] played in bring about the world we take for granted today. It's entirely not clear what would have happened if Microsoft / Bill had not brokered that highly dubious original deal -- if, say, CP/M or even *nix had won that war. My personal take is that we'd be ahead of where we are now. And I certainly don't think that we're at some kind of manifest destiny today. Consider this discussion on HN from a couple of years ago around this very subject: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9667498 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9667498
whatifthat 9y ago
> yes, but it requires a very unkind reading of history to deny the absolutely huge role they played in bring about the world we take for granted today. Yes huge role: but not a good one. > Microsoft got so incredibly many things right Like the FUD, EEE and the rest of the nasty stuff? Ms gets too much positive credit for all the bad things it has done.

Jedd 9y ago

> ... the absolutely huge role they [Microsoft] played in bring about the world we take for granted today. It's entirely not clear what would have happened if Microsoft / Bill had not brokered that highly dubious original deal -- if, say, CP/M or even *nix had won that war. My personal take is that we'd be ahead of where we are now. And I certainly don't think that we're at some kind of manifest destiny today. Consider this discussion on HN from a couple of years ago around this very subject: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9667498 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9667498

whatifthat 9y ago

> yes, but it requires a very unkind reading of history to deny the absolutely huge role they played in bring about the world we take for granted today. Yes huge role: but not a good one. > Microsoft got so incredibly many things right Like the FUD, EEE and the rest of the nasty stuff? Ms gets too much positive credit for all the bad things it has done.