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Bill Gates On the Past, Future, and Google

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the but-google-is-microsoft's-future dept.

editingwhiz writes "eWEEK reports that Bill Gates told PBS talk show host Charlie Rose and a Stanford University audience at TechNet Wednesday that 'We're at the beginning of something important again' in the development of technology — just as in the 1980s with the advent of the PC. He also discussed the growing Microsoft-Google competition, world health issues, how to give lots of money away to the benefit of mankind, and whether he'll return to Harvard to finish his studies." From the article: "On whether there's another idea today that is as powerful as the idea of the personal computer in the 1970s: 'If I knew medicine like I do computers, I would like to be able to control the [human] immune system, to fight against the onset of disease on a world level ... but I think the idea of the PC still would have topped that.'"

5 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Hot Air by quokkapox · · Score: 4, Interesting
    'We're at the beginning of something important again'

    His job is to say things like this. He's been saying this for over a decade. It's a lot of hot air.

    The microsoft windows monopoly is becoming less relevant with each new free web-based software application/service that comes out, be it Google, YouTube, Flickr, Writely, etc. And all of those run fine on Linux.

    --
    it's a blue bright blue Saturday hey hey
  2. I'd be happier if by harrythefish · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'd be happier to let an open source group develop medical software with clinic and hospital distributed databases where clinicians could be sure any data submitted to government would be entirely anonymised. I shudder to think of how the NPfIT in the UK will end up. Still, there are other countries to go and work in. IAAD in the UK

    --
    I like Apple. They make nice stuff which works most of the time.
  3. Philanthropy for Dummies by kfg · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Whatever you say about him, he's donated more to charity than you and your children will ever earn combined!

    Steal from 100 widows, support 1, collect humanitarian award.

    Refuse to steal from widows, get arrested for indigence.

    Such it has always been, so it shall always be.

    KFG

  4. Re:FP by orasio · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As he said, personal computers are very important for the world as a whole.
    The policies of MS, and their way of doing bussiness has an effect everywhere.
    Although MS is not the cause of all the bad stuff that is happiening around, they have some responsibilities, here and there, including developing countries.
    They use some techniques I don't approve to convince my government to give them money, and I think that money has better places to be spent. The same thing is happening in Africa, for example.

    The guy gives back some money, that is right, and he even gives in a sensible way. But the net gain for everybody, because of the existence of MS is not that clear.

    Plus, charity is not that great, and it just doesn't work very well.
    Charity alone is not something to praise a guy for. Good ethics, and an overall good effect on the community, that would earn my respect. Giving something back is sometimes not enough.

  5. What he didn't say... by Duggeek · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The tricky part is reading between the lines...

    From TFA:

    [Gates on "powerful ideas"]

    If I knew medicine like I do computers, I would like to be able to control the [human] immune system, to fight against the onset of disease on a world level ... but I think the idea of the PC still would have topped that.

    Translation: "Y'all better be glad I'm just screwing up your PC."

    [Gates on how Live.com competes with Google]

    Competition between our two companies will be good for the whole industry.

    ...until we leverage all the content out of Google with IP lawsuits.

    [Gates on recent struggles with the EU]

    We have worked out our differences. If they wanted us to leave out some of our components for some reason, we could have delivered a European version of Vista for them. But it turned out that wasn't necessary.

    Interesting that there's no specific mention of what was modified to make the European Edition "unnecessary". It's obvious that Vista is still packing Windows Media Player (component in question) Is this IE/Netscape all over again)?

    [Gates on the next 10 years]

    We're on to another wave of innovation; we just need to make sure the United States continues to stay right up there in relation to the rest of the world.

    This is after quoting all the "amazing stuff" that's coming with the Xbox360, Zune and voice recognition. Yes, World, be like the good ol' U.S. of A-holes! Cave-in to an oppression of content not seen since the book burnings of 1938 Germany!

    [Gates on the delays of Vista]

    Yes, it's later than we planned. But we want it to be right. It reminds me of when we released Windows 95 late that year, taking much longer than we planned.

    ...and we all know how "right" Windoze95 turned out to be. (...but it's got a killer version of MS-DOS!)

    [Gates on the exposure of medical research furthered by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]

    I get a little upset with the media, which will cover a plane crash in India that killed 100 people, but it won't cover the fact that 1,000 times that many died in Africa today from malnutrition or disease.

    Of course! That's why Billy has a problem with the media. ...or is it another reason?

    If Gates did turn out to be a doctor, I'm sure he'd be a plastic surgeon. If he can't make you well, he can at least make you look good.

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    This post © Copyrite Duggeek, all rights reversed.