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Bill Gates Talk From 1989 Surfaces

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hard-to-make-predictions-especially-about-the-future dept.

70sstar writes "A 1-1/2 hour recording of Bill Gates addressing a crowd of university students in 1989 was recently found and digitized, and has been circulating in some IRC channels for the past few weeks. The speech has found a permanent home on the web page of the University of Waterloo CS Club, where the talk is reported to have taken place. Gates covers the past, present, and future of computing as of 1989. While the former two might be of interest to tech historians, the real fascination is Gates's prediction of computing yet to come. Like the now-legendary '640k' remark, some of his comments are almost laughably off-target ('OS/2 is the way of the future!'). And yet, by and large, he had accurately, chillingly, prophesied an entire decade or two of software and hardware development. All in all, a fascinating talk from one of the most powerful speakers in CS and IT."

4 of 317 comments (clear)

  1. Sysadmin by bobdole2k · · Score: 0, Troll

    The CSC has said if there are any problems with the servers, they are available at 519 888 4567 x33870 or the sysadmin's cell phone at 519 721 1714.

  2. Re:I remember this talk. by shmlco · · Score: 0, Troll

    "I was sort of unimpressed because he didn't discuss anything that was new or that I didn't already know about."

    Wow. Maybe you should have been the one doing the presentation...

    --
    Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
  3. Re:Shh...poster was being smug! by rtb61 · · Score: 1, Troll
    The only reason OS/2 dies was because IBM was greedy and charged too much for it at the beginning of it's life, hence the beginning became the end. Why did lotus die, because the lotus eater were living in their own little world and were charging more for it then M$ were charging for it's whole office suit and the same applies to word perfect.

    Bearing in mind that M$ software, services and support were far cheaper and of a much higher quality in those days. The manuals were excellent, tutorial disks were provided free etc. then the good people left and the ass wipe remained and basically M$ now reflects the morals, integrity and qualities of a typical failed jockstrap insurance salesman.

    Those same qualities will of course bring about the fall of company from being a leader to a historical note in the evolution of computer technology.

    --
    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  4. Gates is definately OG by gatkinso · · Score: 0, Troll

    Original Geek that is. One of the few.

    One of the extremely few smart enough to get rich doing it.

    Of that very small bunch, he did it the best.

    Get over it, Bill is geekier and smarter than you.

    Pwned.

    --
    I am very small, utmostly microscopic.