If you could ask Bill Gates any question?

[Krusty]

So I'm likely going to have the chance to throw a question at Bill Gates. Any ideas? Serious ones, I mean. I know there's gonna be several people telling me to ask, "Why does Windows crash so much?" or "Will you give me a million dollars?"

We are delighted to announce that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates will be here at UCSD next week for a Student Forum, and he is looking forward to meeting with students and other members of the campus community to discuss the future of computing technology. The event is free, and open to the public.

Date: Tuesday, May 27
Time: 12:45 p.m.
Location: Price Center Ballroom, UCSD, La Jolla, CA

Gates, who is also the chief software architect of Microsoft, will make brief remarks about "The Magic of Software in the Digital Decade." He will then join UCSD Chancellor Robert C. Dynes and me for an informal conversation, and we will end with a question-and-answer session.

In his remarks, Gates will describe his view that, by the end of this
decade -- a time he calls the 'Digital Decade' -- computing technology
will become so inexpensive, powerful and ubiquitous that it will be
seamlessly woven into the fabric of our society. Gates will also give his
thoughts on the ongoing role of research as it drives innovation in
academia and industry.

[sappo]

ooo oooh! i know!:

Mr Gates, how did you get IBM to buy Basic from you when 1) it wasnt written by you, and 2) it was freeware?

[BaldHeadedDork]

Here's what I'd ask:

"A hundred years from now, which do you think will be seen as have a greater effect on mankind and the 21st century: The personal computer revolution that was led by Microsoft, or the public health work being financed in part through your foundation?"




BHD

[sappo]

Wait a minute, after researching it for the first time (that's what i get for assuming) im finding out that it was NOT freeware. Ask him how he got it in the first place and then ask him how he was able to sell it to IBM.

[sappo]

Actually, i have an unbelievable story that might have to do with Gates. A friend of mine recovered a message in a bottle in the REMOTE island of Pohnpei. I dont remember all the details surrounding it, but I think it was put to sea in the late 70's/early 80's from the baja(?) peninsula. It was sent out from a yaht (complete with the name). I cant remember the yaht's name. The message read something like:

...The wine is gone and all the women went into town...

What does this have to do with Gates you ask? The message was signed by several men --One of which is none other than Bill Gates!! Now it might not be THE Bill Gates, but you've gotta wonder!!

I tried to flag down 20/20 or 60 Minutes when Costner's 'Message in a Bottle' was in theaters but they didnt seem interested.. :( More than likey tho they arent able to sort thru all their story leads.

Edit: sorry got carried away... my point is you could ask him if he was the one that actually sent the message.

[Cowboy Shane]

In his remarks, Gates will describe his view that, by the end of this
decade -- a time he calls the 'Digital Decade' -- computing technology
will become so inexpensive, powerful and ubiquitous that it will be
seamlessly woven into the fabric of our society. Gates will also give his
thoughts on the ongoing role of research as it drives innovation in
academia and industry.

Considering he feels computers will affect all aspects of life, how about asking him what he thinks of linux and other free 9as in free speech) operating systems and applications. Does he truly feel that we want a corporation to implement Orwell's Big Brother?

[BaldHeadedDork]

Originally posted by sappo
Wait a minute, after researching it for the first time (that's what i get for assuming) im finding out that it was NOT freeware. Ask him how he got it in the first place and then ask him how he was able to sell it to IBM.

Microsoft bought QDOS from Seattle Computer Products, reportedly for $50,000, in 1981.

The trick of it was, Microsoft had already made the deal with IBM when he bought DOS. Gates and Paul Allen came back to Seattle after inking the deal with IBM and tried to develop their own OS by expanding on what they had done earlier for the Altair. That didn't work. Allen knew about QDOS and Ballmer was sent to make a deal. Buying QDOS was a last-ditch effort to make the IBM deadline.

The story doesn't end there, however. The author of QDOS, Tim Patterson, went to work for Microsoft soon after the deal was signed. Seattle Computer filed a breach of contract suit against Patterson and Microsoft, and Microsoft settled for $1 million. Patterson went on to author Visual J++ while at Microsoft.




BHD

[timmyqwest]

Why dont you send me the checks i ask for in the emails?

[TheFrag]

Whatever you ask, WHERE A SHIRT WITH A GIANT PENGUIN ON IT and act clueless as to what it means.

[Neco]

AHAHAHAHHAHAHA

[Krusty]

Originally posted by srimmer

Considering he feels computers will affect all aspects of life, how about asking him what he thinks of linux and other free 9as in free speech) operating systems and applications. Does he truly feel that we want a corporation to implement Orwell's Big Brother?

That's right along the line of what I was thinking of asking. I was thinking about his opinions on digital privacy and what his corporation will do in the future to ensure that my information remains my information.

[Severian]

Originally posted by Krusty
So I'm likely going to have the chance to throw a question at Bill Gates. Any ideas? Serious ones, I mean. I know there's gonna be several people telling me to ask, "Why does Windows crash so much?" or "Will you give me a million dollars?"

Any question?

"How did the pie taste?"

http://www.bitstorm.org/gates/

[UnseenMenace]

1) Does he still believe that "640K ought to be enough for anybody" and if not why did he belive that this was true back then, did he lack vision to see which way computers were heading ?

2) In the book titled "OS/2 Programmer's Guide" there is a forward by Bill Gates in which he states "I believe OS/2 is destined to be the most important operating system, and possibly program, of all time. As the successor to DOS, which has over 10,000,000 systems in use, it creates incredible opportunities for everyone involved with PCs.".. I would ask where does he believe OS/2 went wrong and why it never was sucessfull.

3) Why was the EULA of the Microsoft Office Suite changed recently so that the latest versions have to be used on a Microsoft OS and does he 'personally' object to other people using legitimatly purchased Microsoft software on another OS

4) What is the specification of his 'personal' PC

5) What is his opinion on the DMCA and what does he believe it offers to business and the public

[6502kid]

1. Can I have a job ?

[William]

1) Who's the better bridge player, you or Warren Buffett?

2) Do you think Microsoft will expierence stronger growth by moving into international markets and establishing its presence there or will be it through new products such as the X-Box?

3) When do you see convergence taking place?

4) Do you see Microsoft's core business ever changing from Windows and Office?

5) Why was the decision made to release the Windows CE source code?

6) Microsoft recently decided to start paying a dividend as well as offer a DRIP plan for investors. How do you think this will change investors attitudes towards Microsoft, if at all?

7) Does Microsoft have any plans to launch any other combined services similar to the MSNBC joint venture with GE? Do you think MSNBC has been a successful venture? Would you work with GE again if given the chance?

[sandman001]

Can I have $100,000?

[Diggrr]

Uh, Mr. Gates?...
Since I have to install all of my hardware and drivers anyway, will plug and play be leaving the world anytime soon?

please, please, please let it be gone.

[pip]

When you are one of the largest employers in the US and must have thousands of programmers working on Windows alone, why is it that whenever a security bug is found by hackers it takes most of the time more than a year to fix the bug?

[jbell]

pepsi or coke?
ford or chevy?
do you fold?
if not why not?
who cuts your hair? - I wanna smack them.

and do you feel that games using directx technology are ''sucking'' kids in to play games all the time and getting fat thus leading to poor social skills and loss of selfrespect to where they resort to flame wars on H to compensate for a ''shortness'' in their quality of life?

[Movax]

Originally posted by UnseenMenace
1) Does he still believe that "640K ought to be enough for anybody" and if not why did he belive that this was true back then, did he lack vision to see which way computers were heading ?

He never really said that. It is an urban legend.


2) In the book titled "OS/2 Programmer's Guide" there is a forward by Bill Gates in which he states "I believe OS/2 is destined to be the most important operating system, and possibly program, of all time. As the successor to DOS, which has over 10,000,000 systems in use, it creates incredible opportunities for everyone involved with PCs.".. I would ask where does he believe OS/2 went wrong and why it never was sucessfull.

Bill really believed that Os/2 was the future. He feared IBM since they were ultimatley responsible for MS's health. Basically, MS through out Windows 3.0 for the hell of it and it started selling (a lot) so they decided to ditch OS/2. MS is much luckier than most people realize. They were lucky to get the original IBM deal and lucky to continue selling an OS after the OS/2 and Windows thing.

The other questions I have no answer for, but I'm not Bill Gates.

[DaddyB]

Ask him: "Why is a manhole cover round?" (yeah the ones on the street)

That should make him laugh and if he get's it wrong he should be fired (that was one of the questions they asked potential employees during the interview, along with other questions like How would you move a mountain..).

[Movax]

I know the answer to the first one, but how would you move a mountain?

[DaddyB]

From what I heard it's not the answer they are interested in, it's your thought process. They want people who can 'think outside the box' so to speak. So there is no right or wrong answer they just want to see how creative you can be and they probably want a reasonable answer (ie not contact a bunch of high tech aliens). There is a book called "How Would You Move Mount Fuji?" that is all about the questions M$ asks during the interviews.

Read more about it on "the screen savers" website: here (http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/showtell/story/0,24330,3434879,00.html)

[Krusty]

Waited in line to see Billy. Got in the second row about 20 feet from him (most of the seats were reserved). Was pretty much bored by what he had to say. And worst of all, in the end of his thing, he only fielded like 3 questions, which had to be handed in before the speaking even started. He didn't answer my question because a bunch of kids from a private school for underpriviliged children were there and only their questions were answered.

Overall, unimpressive.

The best thing that happened was that Michael Robertson, CEO of Lindows, was there handing out a "Fact sheet on Bill Gates and Microsoft Corporation," that had all the fun facts that makes Microsoft out to be the antichrist. One of the guys near me asked for his autograph. The autograph looked like it said RSA and all us geeks laughed and made comments like "he must have encrypted his autograph for added security."

And yes, there was a guy in the very front row bearing a t-shirt with a penguin on it.

[William]

Originally posted by DaddyB
Ask him: "Why is a manhole cover round?" (yeah the ones on the street)

That should make him laugh and if he get's it wrong he should be fired (that was one of the questions they asked potential employees during the interview, along with other questions like How would you move a mountain..).


He would have laughed, and I think its a brilliant question actually. My favorite was how many manholes are their in New York City.

[William]

Originally posted by Krusty
Waited in line to see Billy. Got in the second row about 20 feet from him (most of the seats were reserved). Was pretty much bored by what he had to say. And worst of all, in the end of his thing, he only fielded like 3 questions, which had to be handed in before the speaking even started. He didn't answer my question because a bunch of kids from a private school for underpriviliged children were there and only their questions were answered.

Overall, unimpressive.

The best thing that happened was that Michael Robertson, CEO of Lindows, was there handing out a "Fact sheet on Bill Gates and Microsoft Corporation," that had all the fun facts that makes Microsoft out to be the antichrist. One of the guys near me asked for his autograph. The autograph looked like it said RSA and all us geeks laughed and made comments like "he must have encrypted his autograph for added security."

And yes, there was a guy in the very front row bearing a t-shirt with a penguin on it.

Bill has never been a great speech giver, his one big fault actually, so that doesn't sound too odd. I would love to see the fact sheet the Lindows guy had as well.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by William


Bill has never been a great speech giver, his one big fault actually, so that doesn't sound too odd. I would love to see the fact sheet the Lindows guy had as well.

I've still got it. I'm too lazy to type it up, but I can scan it if someone is willing to host a couple of huge black and white images.

EDIT: What's with the blue stars?

EDIT2: Hoo-Ah!

[verbatim]

My answer , of the top of my head to: How would u move a mountain? Would be "one piece at a time"

Blue stars=moderator.

[InThrees]

Ask him why Longhorn is incompatible with all major MS Office and Productivity releases of the last 3 or 4 years, and why he expects businesses that are perfectly happy (or unhappy) with 2k / XP setups to pay Hojillions of dollars for licenses and upgrade fees for essentially the same functionality.

Yes, 'hojillions'.

[jstutman]

need that fact sheet hosted? send me a PM i can sure host it for ya if you want. later

i would ask. Mr gates, Why do YOU fear the penguin?

[mbentley]

Originally posted by verbatim
My answer , of the top of my head to: How would u move a mountain? Would be "one piece at a time"

Blue stars=moderator.

actually, blue stars = senior member; green stars = moderator

hearing all this bill gates talk makes me want to go watch pirates of silicon valley :D

[Kronos138]

what percentage of members in this forum do you think own that movie and watch as a regular part of their routine?

[mbentley]

Originally posted by Kronos138
what percentage of members in this forum do you think own that movie and watch as a regular part of their routine?

i hope not that many ;) hehe

[michaelkahl]

do you need all that money?

[ninthebin]

I still take my hat off to the guy who actually did get to ask him one question and asked why didnt you call your company big and hard - he is a true mac

[Paradoxmaker]

I would like to ask him if he really thinks that pretty wife of his would of given him the time of day if he didn't have money?

[LilBuddy]

my cousin used to have an office down the hall from him. he said every few days bill gates would walk by and stop in for a chat with him.

my cousin was an intern at the central office for a year or so. he has his person email addy if anyone is interested in asking their questions ;)

[su root]

Why not switch to linux or unix? It has all these advantages over windows: [advantage list] :D