Okay, imagine, Bill Gates never created Microsoft. He was never interested in computers whatsoever.
Where would we be today? Using another type of computer? Would IBM break through as standard PCs? And then there's poor old Apple.... would the Apple Mac be more popular?
Wouldn't it be weird?!
What are your opinions???
If Bill gates had not done what he had done
some else would have done it
We would all be typing on a iMac. 
I agree with yagnyavalkya - Someone else would be top of the tree and we would not think it was weird at all. There might even be two or three competing operating systems and tehy would be cheaper and probably better than MS windows. They'd have to be to compete with each other
I'd imagine it would be exactly like today, except our computers would suck in a slightly different way.
Then our computers would suck even more. Go Windows!
then FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE will dominate! we don't have to buy pirated softwares. all free.. 
| Quote: |
| then FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE will dominate! |
No, but a lot fewer of us would probably using computers. Bill Gates convinced everyone they needed one.
| Quote: |
| Then our computers would suck even more. Go Windows! |
No. Microsoft's abuse of their strong market position have killed innovation and prevented the formation of standards in a way not really seen in any other industry.
| Quote: |
| I'd imagine it would be exactly like today, except our computers would suck in a slightly different way. |
Probably. I think Microsoft definitely filled a gap in the market and someone else (possibly IMB or Apple) would now be where MS is today. | yagnyavalkya wrote: |
If Bill gates had not done what he had done
some else would have done it |
Yes, I agree, someone else would have done it
But also, wouldn't IBM have broken through?!!
They were the only real people making computers when Bill Gates started M$
I think that's right, anyway...The personal computer would just now be becoming popular, and not either just a tool or just something geeks play with, unless someone else did the same thing microsoft did, that is.
One way it might have turned out would be several different manufacturers building PC's that are only compatible with their own, proprietary software (like macs are, or were). Supposing that software licensing was never thought of in the form it is in now, this incompatibility between systems would keep operating systems from competing, except as an extension of their hardware. We'd be saying "Personally, I like Gateway, because their OS has..." and "No, I like Compaq's OS better"
Yea I think IBM would have done it.
Yeah, agreed that someone else would have done it and we would have never noticed anything was weird or different.
Then would never Xbox has been created, and windows etc...
It would be pretty empty i think...
What if someone timetravels and knock Bill Gates so he dont starts to create Microsoft!
Hmm.... It is actually quite hard to imagine. Without Microsoft, we would have the few innovative things that Microsoft brought to us. They revolutionized the PC and convinced everyone they needed one. They created the Xbox and Halos 1, 2, and 3. They did give us many innovative things. Now, many people hate Microsoft because it is overpriced and rushed, but it is. But, without Bill Gates, who is to say that we would be where we are today. He did create the dominate operating system that we almost all use afterall. Don't get me wrong, I love linux. I run it on my Virtual PC. I am even considering makign my own little version (which probably won't happen in the near future).
But Bill Gtaes did bring us a new age!
-Nick 
P.S. Feel free to quote me. Just not misquote. OMG!!!! Macs..nooo..!!!!!111
Rofl... im not sure where we'd be... maybe we'd have some really really nice linux distro's.... like better than the current ones.
Somebody else would have helped and he didn't create Microsoft entirely himself did he?
Actually, Digital Research had a Disk Operating System (DOS) at the same time (if not before) as Bill Gates/Microsoft. DR-DOS was better in many ways. Mr. Gates was just better at marketing his version. IBM did release their own version of DOS as well. I still have all three here somewhere.
There was also a company (can't remeber their name or find my copy at the moment) that made a graphic overlay for DOS before Windows. Probably where Bill got the idea for Windows.
Maybe there are no Personal computer, and we all link to a mainframe computer with terminals without CPU.
I don't know if GUI will be developed in that environment. If no, using computer will be a very difficult thing, maybe like the movie matyx, all we can see is some strange character on screen.
I don't believe that mac would have taken over, for the same reason, that they didn't take over then... they are a little over their heads...(mac was always bettter than windows, but even then, at the begining, they were always 2nd...)
Someone else would probably fill in that space, although, i am not sure that computers would spread as fast as they did( consider, that microsoft itself "allowed" cracked versions of windows to be installed onto computers, just to increase its marketshare).
But i believe that the chances of beeing better without microsoft, are equal with the chances of beeing worse without them,,,
Pretty much the same position we were in 10 years ago. If we wouldn't have had Billy G then we would be having a messy fight currently about all different OSes and probably having even higher (or maybe even lower) prices.
Bill Gates actually created a solid market for everyone to evolve (thats a different thing that it then crushed the companies that came in its core path, and the core keeps changing as it grows and thats a different topic).
So somehow I feel we would have had Dell (PCs coming out on assembly lines). Maybe AT&T would be the king with the UNIX because it was being developed by them until something happened to the,
Birds singing everywhere, me and my macbook, sitting in a square surfing the web with wimax...
| WilStudio wrote: |
| We would all be typing on a iMac. |
OH, YEAH! Apple and Linux. Nothing else. That would be cool.
I sense bits of heaven suddenly. mmmm...
By the way, did I mention, that I'm a big Apple fan? 
i would be on a mac book pro
I am sure that someone else would have done it... i mean look at the technology we have these days.
There just wouldn't be a microsoft windows | dac_nip wrote: |
| then FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE will dominate! we don't have to buy pirated softwares. all free.. |
I really would hope so In fact, if Microsoft would just be eliminated today, I think free as in speech software would fill in the gaps and satisfy computer users. I wish that Microsoft would just disappear.Hmm I think if microsoft was never started by Bill Gates then someone else would have created it. It would have taken longer though. We would be less technologly advanced then what we are. So yes microsoft being invented led to a lot of things. It led to the Mac and to Linux and different things like that. So if microsoft would have never been invented then we might not even have computers now a days.
There were other competitors like BBC and Acorn. Maybe even Sinclair would have stuck at it and we'd be using Spectrum '05 now instead? Who knows? I think that Apple would be a lot more dominant that's for sure.
I agree that someone else would do the similar thing but who knows how today’s operating systems would look like and how quickly they would be developing. There would probably be more competitors but would they be free? I like Windows. I tried to use several free operating systems and I liked them too, in some way, but the problem was that I never managed to configure all hardware I need to use; it was very difficult for me at the beginning to install drivers by changing source code. Windows is not free but I like the fact that I can easily find programs of any kind and configure them without too much trouble and asking someone else to do it for me.
In all seriousness, I really don't have much against Microsoft. I think I'd actually miss it a little if it were gone...
Even though I've always wanted to use a modern macbook. They look pretty sweet.
Sadly, this day will never come.. (Although i wish microsoft never came to be what it is, AT ALL ) i still believe there is something like Windows for pc even Bill Gates has never been existing..... Someone else must do it. It may be IBM or whatever company. But i don't think it will be Apple, because Apple is not "flexible" in their hardwares and it's expensive (till now....). Something easier and cheaper to use must appear instead of Microsoft.
I think if Bill Gates didn't creat Microsoft, well someone would cread Microsoft instead of Bill.
Well, sometimes needs creat new products. as technology developed, other related industries have developed as well.
OS/2 Warp might've been a strong contender if Macintosh didn't aggressively take root. All Apple needed was someone with an aggressive and smart sense for business. Apple could've really used a business platform division to get themselves in the market in a big way.
| ftv_flung wrote: |
Okay, imagine, Bill Gates never created Microsoft. He was never interested in computers whatsoever.
Where would we be today? Using another type of computer? Would IBM break through as standard PCs? And then there's poor old Apple.... would the Apple Mac be more popular?
Wouldn't it be weird?!
What are your opinions??? |
Gates did well more because of marketing and doing well at business, rather than the technology. So perhaps we could have been much further in development than now if someone more savvy had been around with less capitalist ambitions than Gates. I take my hat off for Gates, but perhaps lots of his progress has come to our general overall detriment as far as progress is concerned. High time for some rival to sort Microsoft out.ummm...okay...sorry...not followin ya | yagnyavalkya wrote: |
If Bill gates had not done what he had done
some else would have done it |
^Excellent summary
Instead of Windows XP, we would be on Doors GX.
Instead of Bill Gates, Robert Fence would be running a multibillion dollar corporation, entitled nanofluffy.I remember there was some OS like windows that ran on top of DOS, I cant remember if it was Lotus or some other type of Windows OS, but it was nice, except that it crashed a bit and wasnt as user friendly as windows.
But overall, windows did brute the market.
If windows and bill gates werent around, I dont think linux would be free, and there would also be other operating systems around.
We can never tell, unless some nerd takes the trouble to really find out. another company or a few other companies would have filled the gap.
| yagnyavalkya wrote: |
If Bill gates had not done what he had done
some else would have done it |
I don't think so . Microsoft is the best .Well those are interesting what if’s – changing history, sure why not!
There are no apples except what you pick of the tree, he stayed in school too. IBM has announced another office product this year for small business users, a company called Digital will be bringing out yet another mainframe computer and home users will be using an Atari dumb computer that uses IBM standardized software to access the IBM internet servers. I don’t know!!!!
I'd say Apple would've come through as the Microsoft we have today and Mac OSX would be the main OS as well. And iPods and iPhones would dominate the market =]. Personally, I wouldn't mind as I'm on my Macbook Pro and loving it.
Don't forget!!! It is not only Microsoft in the market!!!
Nowadays Microsoft isn't the best system in the market but only the most widely use.
I think if we have no Microsoft may be nowadays we will have better and better system to use at cheaper and cheaper price.
| the-guide wrote: |
| Nowadays Microsoft isn't the best system in the market but only the most widely use. |
OK. Then what is a better system than the Microsoft Office Suite of MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, those three specific software packages of the suite? I would love to try them out.In a world without Microsoft, Microsoft would be replaced with a lot of other lesser, competing companies.
Computers would be a bit less modern, and there would be more companies to choose from.
There wouldn't even be a standard. Software and hardware wouldn't be compatible with each other. That would suck...
We'll just have other softwares running under IBM?
Today's technology won't disappear if Microsoft doesn't exist...
| ftv_flung wrote: |
Okay, imagine, Bill Gates never created Microsoft. He was never interested in computers whatsoever.
Where would we be today? Using another type of computer? Would IBM break through as standard PCs? And then there's poor old Apple.... would the Apple Mac be more popular?
Wouldn't it be weird?!
What are your opinions??? |
id like to imagine that internet would be full of opensource stuff.I just don't think Apple had the marketing skills and setup that the early computer company needed. Microsoft licensed out their OS instead of selling it setting a market were hardware manufactures compete for for you use. Apple still is not doing that, there for the hardware manufactures can't support the Apple formula. Without Microsoft, you don't have the epic hardware battles that moved hardware to where it is today, such as Intel vs AMD, and Nvidia vs Ati.
Probably Apple would be ahead in the market for computers. And Google would probably still be a power on the internet.
well, the only thing i can think of is, that instead of windows, we would probably be using 'doors' !! or something like that... thats the only difference...
| jocaboca wrote: |
| ftv_flung wrote: | Okay, imagine, Bill Gates never created Microsoft. He was never interested in computers whatsoever.
Where would we be today? Using another type of computer? Would IBM break through as standard PCs? And then there's poor old Apple.... would the Apple Mac be more popular?
Wouldn't it be weird?!
What are your opinions??? |
id like to imagine that internet would be full of opensource stuff. |
Bill would be flipping burgers, since he never finished High school. 
| Arty wrote: |
| Bill would be flipping burgers, since he never finished High school. |
Probably a week after flipping burgers, he would have owned the burger house, started to improvise on the burgers, the menu of the burgers and better methods to produce and sell them, and within a year franchise and expand it. Next thing he owns some of the farms who sell the beef, improvises on that too, eventually he owns everything to do with his business as he becomes a specialist in every aspect of it.Despite all what people say about microsoft and Bill Gates, I think that a world without this company will loose alot of valuable technology.
In addition to that, all the money that Bill and Melinda are giving to poor people will desappear!
We would all be using BeOS and everything bad that happened in the last 30 years would not have happened. 
| deanhills wrote: |
| Arty wrote: | | Bill would be flipping burgers, since he never finished High school. |
Probably a week after flipping burgers, he would have owned the burger house, started to improvise on the burgers, the menu of the burgers and better methods to produce and sell them, and within a year franchise and expand it. Next thing he owns some of the farms who sell the beef, improvises on that too, eventually he owns everything to do with his business as he becomes a specialist in every aspect of it. |
Then the government would fine him a few hundred million dollars and it'll be back to square one.I think that in the worst case we would be set back a few years in the computer age. I doubt that without Bill Gates we would still be doing cave drawings but he definably has helped speed up the process in the computer world. I also think that Windows is not going to own the computer world quite as much as they did previously. Internet Explorer is fading and now we have many users using Firefox and other web browsers. The Mac population is growing in percentages and I think things will even out eventually. | rockacola wrote: |
We'll just have other softwares running under IBM?
Today's technology won't disappear if Microsoft doesn't exist... |
I'm not too sure about that.
Bill Gates is the FACE of MS... not the inventor, remember Paul Allen.
and would the opensource community be the same?
don't get me wrong, I LOVE open source and freeware apps.
but still. I don't have any problems with MS, nobody forces you to use their software
I have spent over a year trying to get my linux distro to get my hardare to work for 95% while XP didn't have that issue.
I have to say, XP is a pretty stable OS and it doesn't need any difficult configurations.
(i've had 5 pints of Jupiler so I may be a bit...................- May be someone else would come with the same idea, creating something more useful than Microsoft (aka MoneySoft).
- Linux would become more popular than any other OS, and every body would have free, open source and lovely OS. Even we would get more free apps for Linux than we have today.
- The world would become greed free. I mean, we couldn't get such annoying WGA and software piracy since everything would be free.
- Apple? I don't think it would become more popular without M$. The compition made the posibility of being so popular.
- IBM? Without Microsoft we wouldn't have such super PCs at home.
CREDITS and KUDOS for Big Bill though i definitely think that Apple would be bigger and more popular had gates not been around, but i dont think home computers would be as popular as they are now
IMO much more people would use unix-like oses (remember os x is such an operating system) and most popular one would be such.
| mattyj wrote: |
| i definitely think that Apple would be bigger and more popular had gates not been around, but i dont think home computers would be as popular as they are now |
Wasn't Apple MacIntosh first? Or better put, perhaps it caught the imagination of Bill Gates. He was more of a marketing guru than Steve Jobs was and much more aggressive with logical consequences? | deanhills wrote: |
| the-guide wrote: | | Nowadays Microsoft isn't the best system in the market but only the most widely use. |
OK. Then what is a better system than the Microsoft Office Suite of MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, those three specific software packages of the suite? I would love to try them out. |
He said system, not office software.
| Quote: |
| I don't know if GUI will be developed in that environment. |
Well, seeing Microsoft never created the GUI in the first place. Do you think the economy would be better or worse if Microsoft never existed?
| Arty wrote: |
| Do you think the economy would be better or worse if Microsoft never existed? |
I think that the economy will be worse. For the simple reason that several software solutions that are used in companies today are the direct result of Microsoft's operation system.I believe that, if there was not Microsoft, our computers wouldn’t be as user friendly as they are now. And now it is the time that everybody has one or more computers. I believe that wouldn’t be case today either if there was no Microsoft. And, I believe that software would look much different. I don’t have bad opinion about other companies but I really couldn’t imagine my career and even my interest in computers, if there was no Windows OS!
I think an other company would take microsoft's place. Like apple or IBM.
| desonium wrote: |
| I think an other company would take microsoft's place. Like apple or IBM. |
That's another option... I agree with you.
I think that the question that we should ask, is : Image a world without software!Ahh, that way many a things could be imagined, world without Mahatma Gandhi, world without google, world without Nokia.
Everything is destined to be. Hence Microsoft is where it should have been!
As someone said previously, some other guy would have started the whole thing.
I wonder what name the company would have been called if it weren't Microsoft
In all aspects of the topic, I believe that computers are really useful in our modern world (where Information and communication technologies rule society).
Furthermore, I am wondering if people could live without computers and how it would affect their lives if they had no choice at all.
| ftv_flung wrote: |
Okay, imagine, Bill Gates never created Microsoft. He was never interested in computers whatsoever.
Where would we be today? Using another type of computer? Would IBM break through as standard PCs? And then there's poor old Apple.... would the Apple Mac be more popular?
Wouldn't it be weird?!
What are your opinions??? |
If Microsoft didn't exist we probrally wouldn't have computers. Because actually if you do your reading Microsoft was the first to create a portable computer (Before Microsoft got it name) And another interesting thing is that Microsoft actually taught the programmers at Apple and helped Apple develop their OS. Yes, I and other people may develop a computer and be like Bill Gates aha I wish. Overall we be screwed with out good old Microsoft!
I think without microsoft, the now world will not be as developed in computers. I would not be typing this post in internet explorer running in windows. I think micro-soft is a common name for a software company. So, i think that another "will gates" would have created a small company "micro-soft".
if bill gates didn't invent microsoft then apple would be more rich than bill gates by miles.
| dac_nip wrote: |
| then FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE will dominate! we don't have to buy pirated softwares. all free.. |
We need open source software all because of Microsoft. | sum12nv wrote: |
| if bill gates didn't invent microsoft then apple would be more rich than bill gates by miles. |
You have a good point here. Apple is the other alternative!
Open source software is also another solution, but I'm not sure that it will be in the first position (with all the money that Apple would have). | Davidgr1200 wrote: |
| I agree with yagnyavalkya - Someone else would be top of the tree and we would not think it was weird at all. There might even be two or three competing operating systems and tehy would be cheaper and probably better than MS windows. They'd have to be to compete with each other |
This is very true. Slowly though people are learning of freely licenced, community driven alternatives like Linux and BSD - it takes time but people are catching on and getting used to the idea of not just using MS and MAC. | achowles wrote: |
| There were other competitors like BBC and Acorn. Maybe even Sinclair would have stuck at it and we'd be using Spectrum '05 now instead? Who knows? I think that Apple would be a lot more dominant that's for sure. |
I still have 2 Timex-Sinclair 1000 sitting in my closet. My first computer! I even wrote several programs on it. Thanks for reminding me.If there was no Microsoft, then someone else would have stepped up. OS/2, PCDOS, or even Linux may be further along in development.
Apple could have become the dominant computer. And then there's the Commodore Amiga, which was way ahead of its time. There is a chance that sales would have been incredible, and Commodore would never have gone bankrupt.
Lots of "ifs". Eventually companies come and go, or something bigger and better comes along. I remember a time that K-Mart was a pretty major player as a discount store. Target was a contender. Now Wal-Mart kills them both. Eventually, something will come along that will wipe the floor with Wal-Mart.
Hmm, if there was no Microsoft, there would be no Microsoft Flight Simulator. That was the one thing I really liked from Microsoft.
If there isnt any Bill Gates then we don't have so powerful PC-s. He was one of the people who requested better processors and so on. I remember Intel K6(or was it K5) was one of the processor which Bill didnt liked and he requested new one. Intel was first, then came AMD. Maybe we are using Mac's without Bill.
You've also got to consider what actually "never was" today. I'm sure many many people would have had the capacity to accomplish great things (like Bill Gates) but somehow were stopped. Perhaps the person who could have grown to discover a completely new energy source...was dropped as a baby. That sucks. We could have all been using hover cars twenty years ago, but maybe the person who could have gotten that done got shot in a mugging. Or a vending machine fell on them.
Seriously, imagine a vending machine fell on Bill Gates like 35 years ago. The world would be a lot different (and in my opinion, not as good) than it is today.
Hello what's Microsoft and aren't windows something that goes on a building?
What do you mean computers have windows? Whats the point of that. I know they need a fan to cool the cpu but you don't need a window for a draft?
| deanhills wrote: |
| the-guide wrote: | | Nowadays Microsoft isn't the best system in the market but only the most widely use. |
OK. Then what is a better system than the Microsoft Office Suite of MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, those three specific software packages of the suite? I would love to try them out. |
Open Office is equivalent.
On a side note, everyone here has misconseptions on what an operating system is, and what a computer is. Your computer is not a Microsoft computer just because it has the Windows operating system installed.
Many other campanies like Hitachi, Asus, Sony, IBM create the components that go in your computer. Operating systems like Windows, FreeBSD, Ubuntu, Mac all control the execution of computer programs and may provide various services.
Windows is such a dominate figure because it was marketed well, everyone uses it now, and wouldn't know what to do with a different operating system.
| Quote: |
| OMG THIS THANG HAS KDE INTERFACES WUT DO I DU? |
Well, you do the same thing you do in windows, just the button might be in a different spot.
All developers know that 80% (or more don't quote me on that) of the population that has computers use the windows operating system, because this is the only operating system they know about. Developers don't care to make sure their software work on any other operating system, it would cost their company more time and money (unless they code everything in java).
Simply put, WE are the reason windows is what it is today. If windows was not marketed as it was, we would probably all be on the next in line, the one that marketed well but not as good as windows, operating system. | coreymanshack wrote: |
| deanhills wrote: | | the-guide wrote: | | Nowadays Microsoft isn't the best system in the market but only the most widely use. |
OK. Then what is a better system than the Microsoft Office Suite of MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, those three specific software packages of the suite? I would love to try them out. |
Open Office is equivalent. |
A Mickey Mouse version perhaps. And I would not expect more as it comes for free. Microsoft has a millions of dollars investment in the development and maintenance of its MS Office software. Some people are OK with the Openoffice, but I need the additional bells and whistles. Openoffice can't beat MS Office yet, but when it does, I will give it more serious consideration. I'm almost certain however that at the point where Openoffice and MS Office are identical to one another, that Microsoft will give its MS Office products away for free as well.In my opinion, OpenOffice is far superior to Ms Office. Much simpler and nicer to use.
They won't give it away for free. OpenOffice has pretty much already caught up functionality-wise. The only real difference is the interface.
| catscratches wrote: |
In my opinion, OpenOffice is far superior to Ms Office. Much simpler and nicer to use.
They won't give it away for free. OpenOffice has pretty much already caught up functionality-wise. The only real difference is the interface. |
Not for me. I tried it out and I found it quite lacking in comparison with MS Office. I guess it depends what your needs are. Maybe your needs are basic, and OpenOffice fulfills all your needs. Mine are on the advanced side. Also the people in business that we are dealing with all use MS Office, so it would seem in the environment where I am operating in, that MS Office is the preferred software and when we exchange files, it would be practical to use an MS Office forum for exchange of files.What functionality is there in MS Office that isn't there in Open Office? I'm not disbelieving you. Just asking out of curiousity, cause I personally havn't noticed any missing functionality, even when trying out a lot of the features I never really use.
| catscratches wrote: |
| What functionality is there in MS Office that isn't there in Open Office? I'm not disbelieving you. Just asking out of curiousity, cause I personally havn't noticed any missing functionality, even when trying out a lot of the features I never really use. |
MS Word - Mailmerge, review of documents (multiple authors can edit a document together), more sophisticated document editing capabilities, more sophisticated table abilities, interactive with MS Frontpage and Expressions Web for publishing on the Net; MS Excel - formulas, more flexible formatting capabilities, powerpoint (publishing abilities as well as packaging for presentations). To mention a few. But probably the most important one is the one where all the people you deal with use MS Office 2007, so if you exchange documentation, you will be on the same forum.
If I have no other choice, I'm sure that OpenOffice will be OK. There are always a number of ways you can compensate or even design your own features to get where you want to get. The reason that sticks out however is the one where I need to exchange documentation with colleagues and the business environment where I am in the same format. I won't be able to get past that one.There would be other companies flashing their stuff around I am sure.
its not really hard to imagine with out MS, cause most likely, someone will stood in their part, kinda irrelevant question, how bout imagine a worl with out electricity, that would be different. xd
I think that Apple would be very popular with, because over time, even with Microsoft, is already gaining more space, with many innovations.
