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Bill Gates's The Road Ahead, 15 Years Later

Posted by kdawson on from the answer-unclear-try-again dept.

smooth wombat writes "It's been 15 years since Bill Gates wrote his book The Road Ahead, in which he talks about how technology would shape the future. In the intervening years, technology has changed many aspects of our lives for better and worse. So how did Bill do on his predictions? The Atlantic takes a look at the hits and misses of some of his prognostications. Overall, it appears Bill let optimism guide his thoughts, except when it came to the Internet — his biggest miss of all."

19 of 280 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Microsoft best innovation. by Pop69 · · Score: 4, Funny

    See, the problem is you're searching on Google.

    Try Bing, I'm sure it will be full of wonderful Microsoft innovations

  2. Still worked out better than my own predictions by Skyshadow · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's easy to make fun of Bill for his predictions, but I'll admit my own haven't worked out so great either. Here from 1995:

    - By 2010, as many as 1 out of every 25 people will have an email account, causing massive slowdown of the FidoNet.
    - I'll never be that old guy who gets his video-game ass handed to him by 13 year olds.
    - Register sex.com? Nah, that'd be a waste of $100.
    - Being a programmer will be a totally safe field -- it's not like people in India will suddenly all get computers and start coding.

    Ouch.

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
    1. Re:Still worked out better than my own predictions by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Funny

      I don't see anything about flying cars.

      Moller's latest prototype broke its tether, pitched sideways, and came through his window, killing him while at the same instant dropping a bolt on the mouse, pressing Submit, before he could bring that up.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  3. Never Seen a Quote from Bill's Book by BoRegardless · · Score: 3, Funny

    The book is as irrelevant as Bill Gates and I suspect Bill understood and that is why he left for something he was fully qualified to do: give away money.

    1. Re: Never Seen a Quote from Bill's Book by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny

      that is why he left for something he was fully qualified to do: give away money.

      I liked the Jon Stewart comment after the police raid over the lost iPhone:

      [in confused voice, after reminding us of the Apple "1984" commercial:] 'Apple is busting down doors in Palo Alto and Bill Gates is killing mosquitoes in Africa.'

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    2. Re:Never Seen a Quote from Bill's Book by elrous0 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Jobs making a remark about Gates' taste reminds me of the snide fashionista who can see everyone else's flaws but his own.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  4. Microsoft best innovation: Clippy! by flyingfsck · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, Clippy of course! How else would people ever have figured out how to write a letter?

    --
    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
    1. Re:Microsoft best innovation: Clippy! by kimvette · · Score: 2, Funny

      http://teneo.org/eh/Clippy/Clippy%20Suicide%20Note.gif /obligatory

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  5. still no progress in .... by u19925 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The obvious mathematical breakthrough would be development of an easy way to factor large prime numbers." (p.265)

  6. Re:Microsoft best innovation. by Kilrah_il · · Score: 3, Funny

    MS Bob!

    --
    Whenever in an argument, remember this.
  7. Ballmer by sckirklan · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Steve Ballmer developer jam. Although not foretold in Gates' book.

  8. The real prediction by ch-chuck · · Score: 4, Funny

    He could easily have predicted, "In the future, I'll still be filthy rich" - not one to be careless with money.

    --
    try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
  9. Re:Microsoft best innovation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The Ribbon. The greatest UI innovation of the 21st century.

  10. Re:Microsoft best innovation. by need4mospd · · Score: 5, Funny
    It looks like you're trying to write a snarky comment about Microsoft. Would you like to:

    - Make references to the instability of the operating system

    - Discuss alternate software or operating systems that may be more functional

    - Spell Microsoft with a dollar sign

  11. Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Surely if he could predict the future he'd be rich. Oh, wait...

  12. My favorite: a way to factor large prime numbers by drdrgivemethenews · · Score: 2, Funny

    "The obvious mathematical breakthrough [to break modern encryption] would be development of an easy way to factor large prime numbers."
    -- Bill Gates, in "The Road Ahead," p. 265

    Uh huh.

  13. Re:Microsoft best innovation. by Arancaytar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Indeed, I searched Google for "Microsoft innovation" and it asked me:

    "Did you mean 'Microsoft immolation'?"

  14. Re:Microsoft best innovation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    If Microsoft had a dollar for every actual innovation their research division has come up with that has never been turned into a released product...oh wait, they do.

  15. Re:Microsoft best innovation. by rsimpson · · Score: 2, Funny

    Googling "streetview" on Bing

    Well, there's your problem...