What Is Bill Gates?
Who is Bill Gates? Bill Gates is a man who needs no introduction. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation, one of the world's wealthiest men and one of the most influential people on the planet. Well, he's the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation and one of the world's richest men. Through Microsoft, Gates helped spur the rise of the personal computer by providing an operating system that could run on various machines—and then expanded Microsoft's reach beyond the OS and into browsers, media players, search, web-based email and other software-based applications. But what about before that? What was he like as a kid? How did he get started in computers? And why does he keep developing new ideas for doing stuff with computers? Well, here are some answers for you! In the early 1980s, IBM approached Microsoft seeking software for its new PC. Gates saw an opportunity to make a massive fortune by selling the rights to one of his products. He chose MS-DOS, which was initially written for the Intel 8088 processor. By keeping the ownership, Microsoft was able to keep the price of the software low. Manufacturers that bought the software from Microsoft could then pass on the savings to customers, making PCs more affordable and increasing the overall market for the company's products. It was a brilliant but controversial move that would make Bill Gates the wealthiest man in the world. The year was 1991, and Bill Gates was looking for a way to get his foot in the door of the computer industry. He found it in Windows. The first version of Windows was released on November 20, 1985, as an add-on to MS-DOS. It was a graphical user interface that allowed users to interact with the computer using a mouse instead of the keyboard. The program was initially only available to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), but by 1989 Gates had also made it known to consumers. Gates began bundling software with the OS, including Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, etc. The bundling of this software caused many of Microsoft's legal battles over monopolistic practices. In addition to being one of the most influential businessmen in history, Gates has become one of the most generous philanthropists. Through his foundation, he has donated billions to charitable causes worldwide—from eradicating malaria to funding education programs in developing countries.
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