if that's really the truth...

[Heaven/TQA]

"Atari had contracted with a young programmer named Bill Gates to modify a Basic compiler that he had for another system to be used on the 800. After that project stalled for over a year Al was called upon to replace him with another developer. So, while Al is the only person I know ever to have fired Bill Gates, I suspect that rather than work on Atari Basic, Gates was spending all his time on DOS for IBM. Probably not a bad career choice for him, do you think?"

 

http://www.gooddealgames.com/interviews/int_David_Crane.html

 

btw. anybody knows what the DPC Chip is all about?

[kevin242]

I thought the problem with Microsoft Basic on the Atari 8 bit's was that it required too much memory for a cartridge? I rem I had the floppy version.

 

As far as Bill Gates "working" on MS-DOS, MS-DOS was just bought for a song from someone else. It wasnt like Bill was sitting in a room someplace coming up with the idea, like everything MS has ever done, MSDOS weas simply another person's idea and they acquired or stole everything else as time went by...

[Rybags]

I acquired the unfinished prototype.

 

It also goes some way to explaining the dreaded screens we see on todays systems...

 

[Almost Rice]

It also goes some way to explaining the dreaded screens we see on todays systems...

967583[/snapback]

 

Maybe thats where he came up with the BSOD.

[Foebane]

It also goes some way to explaining the dreaded screens we see on todays systems...

967583[/snapback]

 

Maybe thats where he came up with the BSOD.

967591[/snapback]

 

Except the Atari BSOD has a nicer shade of blue...

[Foebane]

Duplicate post.

Edited November 17, 2005 by Foebane

[SeaGtGruff]

It also goes some way to explaining the dreaded screens we see on todays systems...

967583[/snapback]

 

Maybe thats where he came up with the BSOD.

967591[/snapback]

 

Except the Atari BSOD has a nicer shade of blue...

967663[/snapback]

Hmm, I thought there was an interesting sense of color familiarity in the BSOD!

 

By the way, Foebane, I like your avatar-- it's an image from TMCOG, right? I have almost all of the series on tape, except I screwed up and missed an episode or three somewhere near the end. :-(

 

Michael Rideout

[emkay]

Heaven, what are the thoughts behind : "if that's really the truth..."?

 

 

All I can say: ATARI (the original) isn't anymore, while MS is one of the biggest companies around the world.

 

I bet, Gates never have had thrown the 7800 to the floor (as Tramiel did)....

He would have tried to make it a PC (by software)from scratch.

 

They better never had fired him

[Heaven/TQA]

i mean if the story is truth that gates worked as contractor...

[emkay]

i mean if the story is truth that gates worked as contractor...

967886[/snapback]

 

Ja was wäre denn dann ?

[carmel_andrews]

Microsoft is the new Atari (so far as their games hardware is concerned) so at least we have one AMERICAN games hardware manuf. to take on all that JAP CRAP (Sony, nintendo etc, etc)