what is he like as an author, is was it written by someone else (sorry if this has been answered already, busy today for some reason, so could only skim read...)
Well, here's the thing: the book was written by Gates, Microsoft's CTO, Nathan Myhrvold, and another guy called Peter Rinearson. Having said that, the book is written in first person, so it's all "I think this, I think that" etc even though technically, maybe, some of the ideas came from the other two guys.
Overall though, I really, genuinely enjoyed the book. I remember actually *asking* for it for Christmas in what was presumably 1995 and couldn't put it down. Normally, I don't read many books for entertainment, but The Road Ahead was one that I did enjoy.
I'm not unaware that it's "cool" to slag off Microsoft, compare Gates to the devil and all that, but if you're able to put the fanboyisms aside, the guy really did a lot.
Great article, I'm tempted to buy the book so I can read it on the plane/coach journey to Andorra this weekend. However what does "Pre-Intermediate Level" mean, is the book put in a simplified language or what?
And this isn't the only book written by gates isn't it?
Originally Posted by MrWillyWonka Great article, I'm tempted to buy the book so I can read it on the plane/coach journey to Andorra this weekend. However what does "Pre-Intermediate Level" mean, is the book put in a simplified language or what?
And this isn't the only book written by gates isn't it?
Gotta download an audiobook of it off of iTunes just to mock him :P
AFAIK, it is Bill's only book.
Very interesting read. It's pretty impressive how close he was on some things. Especially considering that this was before the internet became the information superhighway. Oh what would we do if it was called the ISH instead of the internet?!
TBH I'm a bit irked at how accurate his predictions on DRM were, though it's hardly his fault. I thought the term 'intellectual property' only came about in the last couple of years. Go figure.
one of the best articles ive read in a long time!!
i remember getting this book too for christmas except i was about 8 at the time, i remember it came in a box that looked like it was a pc game and had a cd with it aswell.
Allthough i dont think i have the cd or the box anymore so couldn't tell you what was on it!
I rember the good ol days of dialing my friends house and playing quake 2, then getting rudely disconnected because someone needed the telephone. I was suprised at how accurate some of those predictions were, some like internet gaming were a no brainer.
An interesting thing the article doesn't tell you is Bill Gates' "foot in the door" advantage.
Bill Gates came from an affluent family near Seattle. His mother was a boardmember for several different major companies, including IBM. When IBM was introducing its PC line it needed an OS. Who did Bill Gates' mother recommend? BAM! Foot in the door. The real catch that made him rich was the deal he struck. I'll (Bill Gates) supply the OS, but will retain the all the rights. You (IBM) must license each and every copy of PCDOS you run on your PC line. Then, as we all know, the rise of the PC clone made Gates extremely rich. It pays to be smart, a hardworker, and know the right people. Just a hint for those out there trying to make their first million. :)
Ahh when people talk about paying per listen to a song and identifying to listen to music everywhere it scares me! Stop it! I want it to be like it is now, you can buy individual songs or a whole album. I am NOT paying every time I listen to a song! And neither will anybody else...
I want to be just like him. Have you ever wondered what it feels like to get up in the morning and have enough money to take over a small country. I whish I can feel that power.
Maybe a good read, maybe not. I herd it is going to die soon also. He is going to be the God of Nerd heaven.
hmm some smart predictions. I too have fond memories of playing the original Command and conquer by dialing up my friends house, perhaps my first online gaming experience. some of his stuff was spot on in terms of internet uses and drm and such.
okay I know I'll be history's fool, but I'm still a little boggled in terms of needing SOOO much storage space. here it is 2006 I've been using the same 2 hdd's for the last 3 years now and I'm only at 40 gigs used on my os and another 60 gigs on my media. that includes all my mp3's pictures and videos. I suppose If I had a vast library of dvd's as some friends do, that could make up a TB but that represents hundreds of hours of play time and as a consumer not a producer, I just don't have that much raw media nor do I consume that much. I don't doubt that technology will progress at an exponential rate, but I'm just wondering if you think content will expand in size so that a movie is 30-40 gigs an hour and pictures are 10-20 megs a piece. Basicaly I think storage mediums are expanding in size much faster than the media they hold. so in the future will we we need 1 TB of Mp3's? I suppose videos with increased resolution and color depth might take up a considerable chunk of memory, but how many hours of video do you hold on your computer and realistically consume
looking through I have 2 gigs of mp3's for a 1day 9 hr playlist (not the biggest it's been) and I have under 15hrs of movies and thats from 3 years worth of storage. I just don't see media expanding at a exponential rate and it gets to the point where we could hold and store much more than we would ever reasonably consume.
okay end my rant
BG should just chill - how much more money does he need? He was in the right place at the right time selling the right things to people how wanted it but that time is pretty much past. He's a super great sales guy and a tech geek of the early 1980's but like his BASIC and "his" OS - all based on the work of others - absolutely nothing wrong with that but being rich does not make you a visionary. let's recap:
VOD - I'm not sure how old you are but there were two competing disc based video players already out at that time - CED and laserdisc - CED the equivilient of 8-track but it was clear that video would be on some sort of optical platter with direct/instant access so unless you were a kid and didn't know about anything but VCR's - BG might seem profound but really, the technology was there - just a matter of cost. In fact, there were computers including a Mac Panasonic version that could access a laserdisc to retrieve educational info. It was slow and not very exciting since processors couldn't play back a lot of video and platters were 12" but everyone in the know already knew that was the future.
Wallet PC - the concept is as old as time - many Christians have long associated the removal of paper money from daily circulation as some sign of the devil and sci-fi/Dick Tracey had already popularized the concept of a powerful wrist sized device. We are there except until they figure out how to make the screen readable - not a lot of people really want one. In 1995, Timex introduced a couple data sync watches (expensive and clunky) but all BG had to do was turn on his TV to see that idea.
Handwriting Recognition - Again, if you knew your tech history a little better, you'd realize the photo of that Newton, the 2000+ series did a very nice job of handwriting recognition - it was the early ones that ruined it by doing such a shabby job but the proof is in the pudding - after nearly 15 years later, while it;'s improved, 99% of people can type faster with a keyboard and as people start IM & SMS more, writing things by hand is fading fast - looks like BG is so intent on fulfiling his vision he's the only person pushing the tablet PC - yes, it has some use for some people but it's a concept that was useful between the invention of writing and the typewriter but not so much anymore. If anything, metadata and barcodes are much more important but then again, BG is business smart but not a visionary.
Online Gaming - again, if you knew the subject better, the first online game was played in the 1960's and since macs had built in networks, there were several LAN games by the late 1980's - I worked in an ad agency in the late 1980's and after work, we spent hours chasing each other through a maze and there was a Star trek mod of that game - the hallways were not bad - but like the Atari driving game - manipluating perspective and all your avitars and characters wre shapes but was it any less fun than Doom, Duke and Half life? Not by much ... so again, no leap of faith there.
BG's book is really not worth reading because it's ancient history unless you want to study how people worship someone just because he's rich - and no, I'm not jealous. He made his fortune through some shady and later illegal dealings as pretty much every gov't, agency and state has ruled in the courts so he'll always have to live with that and of course his billions.
What this books should tell you though is that he's no visionary. That a rich guy might be smart but that if you;'re going to worship him, at least figure out what he's good at and not to think he's infalliable in everything. And yes, it's good that he's going devoting his time to helping the indigant - that part is good for him and us.
I found this an intresting read, thanks guys :). Not really related to the article but that simply ted dude used *.* to find googles ?full size? Well i thought i'd try * * and it came up with more? You think this guy didn't work things out?
I followed the link and went and ordered the book yesterday, it arrived today and it isn't what I expected... The "pre-Intermediate" level is a much simplified book, it only has a third of the words of the proper book, and it complete with picture, and is only 35 pages long, it seems Penquin modifies their books for different levels. :| You've underestimated our reading levels...
Comments 1 to 25 of 28
Reply>:(
Overall though, I really, genuinely enjoyed the book. I remember actually *asking* for it for Christmas in what was presumably 1995 and couldn't put it down. Normally, I don't read many books for entertainment, but The Road Ahead was one that I did enjoy.
I'm not unaware that it's "cool" to slag off Microsoft, compare Gates to the devil and all that, but if you're able to put the fanboyisms aside, the guy really did a lot.
:)
And this isn't the only book written by gates isn't it?
AFAIK, it is Bill's only book.
Very interesting read. It's pretty impressive how close he was on some things. Especially considering that this was before the internet became the information superhighway. Oh what would we do if it was called the ISH instead of the internet?!
TBH I'm a bit irked at how accurate his predictions on DRM were, though it's hardly his fault. I thought the term 'intellectual property' only came about in the last couple of years. Go figure.
i remember getting this book too for christmas except i was about 8 at the time, i remember it came in a box that looked like it was a pc game and had a cd with it aswell.
Allthough i dont think i have the cd or the box anymore so couldn't tell you what was on it!
I rember the good ol days of dialing my friends house and playing quake 2, then getting rudely disconnected because someone needed the telephone. I was suprised at how accurate some of those predictions were, some like internet gaming were a no brainer.
cimera? -- last or 2nd to last page
Bill Gates came from an affluent family near Seattle. His mother was a boardmember for several different major companies, including IBM. When IBM was introducing its PC line it needed an OS. Who did Bill Gates' mother recommend? BAM! Foot in the door. The real catch that made him rich was the deal he struck. I'll (Bill Gates) supply the OS, but will retain the all the rights. You (IBM) must license each and every copy of PCDOS you run on your PC line. Then, as we all know, the rise of the PC clone made Gates extremely rich. It pays to be smart, a hardworker, and know the right people. Just a hint for those out there trying to make their first million. :)
I bet thats close to it.
He did have the foot in advantage, I bet he wouldnt be as rich without it or wouldnt be rich at all.
i just need to clean out all my junk mail and I'm done for today ;-)
Maybe a good read, maybe not. I herd it is going to die soon also. He is going to be the God of Nerd heaven.
okay I know I'll be history's fool, but I'm still a little boggled in terms of needing SOOO much storage space. here it is 2006 I've been using the same 2 hdd's for the last 3 years now and I'm only at 40 gigs used on my os and another 60 gigs on my media. that includes all my mp3's pictures and videos. I suppose If I had a vast library of dvd's as some friends do, that could make up a TB but that represents hundreds of hours of play time and as a consumer not a producer, I just don't have that much raw media nor do I consume that much. I don't doubt that technology will progress at an exponential rate, but I'm just wondering if you think content will expand in size so that a movie is 30-40 gigs an hour and pictures are 10-20 megs a piece. Basicaly I think storage mediums are expanding in size much faster than the media they hold. so in the future will we we need 1 TB of Mp3's? I suppose videos with increased resolution and color depth might take up a considerable chunk of memory, but how many hours of video do you hold on your computer and realistically consume
looking through I have 2 gigs of mp3's for a 1day 9 hr playlist (not the biggest it's been) and I have under 15hrs of movies and thats from 3 years worth of storage. I just don't see media expanding at a exponential rate and it gets to the point where we could hold and store much more than we would ever reasonably consume.
okay end my rant
VOD - I'm not sure how old you are but there were two competing disc based video players already out at that time - CED and laserdisc - CED the equivilient of 8-track but it was clear that video would be on some sort of optical platter with direct/instant access so unless you were a kid and didn't know about anything but VCR's - BG might seem profound but really, the technology was there - just a matter of cost. In fact, there were computers including a Mac Panasonic version that could access a laserdisc to retrieve educational info. It was slow and not very exciting since processors couldn't play back a lot of video and platters were 12" but everyone in the know already knew that was the future.
Wallet PC - the concept is as old as time - many Christians have long associated the removal of paper money from daily circulation as some sign of the devil and sci-fi/Dick Tracey had already popularized the concept of a powerful wrist sized device. We are there except until they figure out how to make the screen readable - not a lot of people really want one. In 1995, Timex introduced a couple data sync watches (expensive and clunky) but all BG had to do was turn on his TV to see that idea.
Handwriting Recognition - Again, if you knew your tech history a little better, you'd realize the photo of that Newton, the 2000+ series did a very nice job of handwriting recognition - it was the early ones that ruined it by doing such a shabby job but the proof is in the pudding - after nearly 15 years later, while it;'s improved, 99% of people can type faster with a keyboard and as people start IM & SMS more, writing things by hand is fading fast - looks like BG is so intent on fulfiling his vision he's the only person pushing the tablet PC - yes, it has some use for some people but it's a concept that was useful between the invention of writing and the typewriter but not so much anymore. If anything, metadata and barcodes are much more important but then again, BG is business smart but not a visionary.
Online Gaming - again, if you knew the subject better, the first online game was played in the 1960's and since macs had built in networks, there were several LAN games by the late 1980's - I worked in an ad agency in the late 1980's and after work, we spent hours chasing each other through a maze and there was a Star trek mod of that game - the hallways were not bad - but like the Atari driving game - manipluating perspective and all your avitars and characters wre shapes but was it any less fun than Doom, Duke and Half life? Not by much ... so again, no leap of faith there.
BG's book is really not worth reading because it's ancient history unless you want to study how people worship someone just because he's rich - and no, I'm not jealous. He made his fortune through some shady and later illegal dealings as pretty much every gov't, agency and state has ruled in the courts so he'll always have to live with that and of course his billions.
What this books should tell you though is that he's no visionary. That a rich guy might be smart but that if you;'re going to worship him, at least figure out what he's good at and not to think he's infalliable in everything. And yes, it's good that he's going devoting his time to helping the indigant - that part is good for him and us.
Now I'm off to buy the proper book.
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