1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Get in Touch with Technology was text Stuff from how 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Here everyone, and welcome to Text Stuff. 3 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: I'm Jonathan Strickland, and we're going to bring to you 4 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: the second part of our episodes on Microsoft and just 5 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: kind of the Microsoft story and how it developed as 6 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: a company and the big things that shaped it and 7 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: the big things that did to shape the industry, right, 8 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: going from three to over ninety thousand employees in the 9 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: course of just a couple of decades. Yep. And we 10 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: stopped last time at nine when Bill Gates and Melinda 11 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: French tied the knot. So we're picking up with nineteen, 12 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: which was a big year. Big year they released Windows 13 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: shockingly enough, yes, And for those of you who can 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: remember the commercials back then, these, of course were the 15 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: ones that featured the Little Band and from across the 16 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: Pond called the Rolling Stones that did a song called 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: start Me Up. And it's because Windows introduced a new 18 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: feature to Windows but the start button, which uh, some 19 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: people didn't care for it first. Um. It's kind of 20 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: funny how technology works. Usually a change gets rolled out, 21 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: everyone reacts like it's the end of the world, and 22 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: then within a few years they count on whatever it 23 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: is that was changed, and then it gets changed again, 24 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: and then they act like it's the end of the world, 25 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: Rinse and repeat. We see this usually at a very 26 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: frequent basis with Facebook redesigns. Um so Windows showed a 27 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: lot of new develops, new features that some people kind 28 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: of balked at at first. But Kates sent out a 29 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: memo that same year he was seeing that there was 30 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: a new trend coming up. And this keep in mind 31 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: ninety This is again a couple of years after the 32 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: Worldwide Web start to develop, a couple of years since 33 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: the general public has become aware of a thing called 34 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: the Internet. The Internet itself had been around since the eighties, 35 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: but very few people knew about it until right around 36 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: this time, and he sit on a memo called the 37 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 1: Internet tidal Wave to the senior staff of Microsoft, and 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: he said that he thought that the Internet would be 39 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: the most important thing for the company to concentrate on, 40 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: and that in fact, was going to be the most 41 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: important development since the advent of the PC. Yeah. So, uh, 42 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: it turns out that, you know, he's very he was 43 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 1: very much right. Uh. It was an early call to make, 44 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: but he saw it. You know, he read a little 45 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: bit of criticism that he could have jumped on that 46 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: a little bit earlier. Yeah, it's actually yeah, the biggest 47 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: criticism is that he waited too long for this, and uh, 48 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: in fact, you could since this is after the World 49 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: Wide Web has become a thing, you could see why. 50 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: I mean, this is before they've had their own web browser, 51 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: so there's no browser. I believe that the summer of 52 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: that year was when first version of I e. Internet 53 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: Explorer was released, So yeah, but when we're finally getting there, 54 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: whereas like everyone else is dependent upon other browsers from 55 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: other companies and Microsoft could have been on the ground 56 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: floor earlier. But at the same time, he definitely saw 57 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: that this was going to be something that Microsoft could 58 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: not ignore and that that sort of set the company 59 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: in motion to really think about how they were going 60 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: to approach the Internet, and they actually held Internet Strategy Day, 61 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: so hooray for that. Also the same year that Forbes 62 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: said that Gates is no longer the richest man in America, 63 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: he is the richest man. They were German apparently that year, 64 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: but I don't know why I said it that way, 65 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: But yes, in the world, in the entire world, Bill 66 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: Gates richest man, and it's a title that he retains 67 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: until two thousand and eight, when he lost it in 68 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: a battle royal against Randy Macho Man Savage. I would 69 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: watch that, I would watch that. I made that part up, 70 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: but yes, he did hold the title of richest man 71 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: in the world from nine to two eight h less successfully. 72 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: It's also the year that he announced one of your 73 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: favorite bits of Microsoft history. All right, Bob, Microsoft Bob, 74 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: Microsoft Bob. We did a full episode about Microsoft Bob, 75 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: and really I meant to say this in the last episode. 76 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: A lot of the stuff we're talking about, we could 77 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: clearly do a full podcast on just any of these. 78 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, We've done full podcasts on on versions of Windows, 79 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: much less on the Windows operating system itself, and uh, 80 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: you know, we could. We have done a full episode 81 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: on Bob. So we won't go over it again other 82 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: than to say it was and a special type of 83 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: graphic user interface designed for people who were not at 84 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: all familiar with computers, and it was meant to make 85 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: it a much more welcoming, intuitive experience. But just go 86 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 1: back and listen to that episode to learn how it 87 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: wounded up. It wounded it wound up being extremely unsuccessful 88 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: and kind of play cating in a way. It just 89 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: wasn't it just was. It was just a massive failure. 90 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: It was a massive failure, and it had some terrible features, 91 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: including a security feature that did not work. So um 92 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: but but yeah, as as of as, Microsoft's overall revenue 93 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: was five point nine billion and the company had over 94 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: seventod employees, so they were doing all right. So by 95 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: Microsoft releases explore three point oh, so they have really 96 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: gotten into the browser biz at this point, and three 97 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,799 Speaker 1: point I was really kind of the first consumer based 98 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: browser that people really get a chance to see. Netscape, 99 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: which was the company behind another browser called Navigator, send 100 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: a little message to the United States Department of Justice 101 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: to say, um, Microsoft's kind of being unfair. They're essentially, 102 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: uh saying that since we're the ones who's provided the 103 00:05:56,279 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: operating system to all these different computers that various manufacturers 104 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: are building, maybe you should include our web browser and 105 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: not include anyone else's web browser. So, in other words, 106 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: they were saying that they were being anti competitive. They 107 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 1: were using their influence as an operating system designer to 108 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: muscle out other browsers, including Navigator, and so uh, this 109 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: starts another round of investigations from the Department of Justice 110 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: into Microsoft's business practices. On July fifteenth, ms NBC debuts. 111 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: So that's a news network. It was a partnership between 112 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: NBC News and Microsoft, and at first it wasn't a 113 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: twenty four hour news channel. It would eventually become that, 114 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: but at the time it had a certain block of 115 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: hours that were available on a per day basis, and 116 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: it would grow from there and it became sort of 117 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: a competitor to companies like CNN. UH. And then that's 118 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: the same year that Microsoft stock split. Again we're doing 119 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: so well that, Yeah, and they also launched Windows CE. 120 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: Now whendows CE is different from the other operating systems 121 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: that we're talking about here. This was one that was 122 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: designed to work on devices that had minimal storage. So 123 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: this would become the foundation for future operating systems built 124 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: for mobile devices. UH, particularly the pocket PC, which I 125 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: have fond memories of reading about. I never actually owned one, 126 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,679 Speaker 1: but it was one of those devices that was ahead 127 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: of its time. Pocket PC was sort of the precursor 128 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: to the tablet computers that we use today, but the 129 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: implementation was never quite such that it would resonate with consumers, 130 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: so people didn't didn't buy them, is what I'm getting too. 131 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: But when does CE was like that, that was sort 132 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: of the that was the operating system that kind of 133 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: started down this this branch in the evolutionary secure and 134 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: it was around that time. And I don't have specific 135 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: notes about this, but but correct me if I'm wrong. 136 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: That add that like palm pilot and other mobile devices 137 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: were starting to um personal digital assistants were starting to 138 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: pick up. This is this is really before smartphones had 139 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: started to become Yeah, there were a few early examples, 140 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: but really personal digital assistants were more common, and these 141 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: were devices that were very similar to smartphones, just without 142 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: the phone part. They were able to run applications, they 143 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: could hold your contact information, but they weren't smartphones yet. Really, 144 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 1: the problem was that that that wireless technology had an 145 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: advanced to the point where it was useful. Yeah, I mean, 146 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 1: you could get basic information like text information, but anything 147 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: like more, anything beyond some text was gonna be it 148 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: was gonna take you a while to receive it on 149 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 1: these old cellular networks. In seven, they released Internet Explorer 150 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 1: four point oh and also they released Office, which was 151 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:00,719 Speaker 1: another one of those product productivity software suites, and the 152 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: company acquired another company called Interse Corporation, which made analysis 153 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: software for web activity. So this is again the company 154 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: following through on that that memo that Bill Gates and 155 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: saying we need to focus on the Internet. That's where 156 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: our future business is going to be. Uh. They also 157 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,719 Speaker 1: agreed to acquire web TV Networks for about four d 158 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,959 Speaker 1: twenty five million dollars in stock in cash. Web Tv 159 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: I remember web Tv had a friend who actually had 160 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:34,719 Speaker 1: web TV, So this was a way of accessing the 161 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 1: World Wide Web on a television. You would get a 162 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: remote control that was essentially a keyboard, and um didn't 163 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 1: really do so well, as I recall. I mean, apart 164 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: from my friend, I don't know anyone who used web TV. Sure, sure, 165 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: well this was I mean, you know, it was a 166 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: kind of prescient move on behalf of of of everyone involved, 167 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: UM because you know, again they there wasn't an of 168 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: an Internet connection for people to really Um yeah, they's 169 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: some find it useful yet. But but it was also 170 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: coming on the tail end of um that Telecommunications Act 171 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: that looped internet services in with cable services and allowed 172 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: a lot of partnerships to start developing. And it's a 173 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:23,559 Speaker 1: good example was the partnership that Microsoft entered into with Comcast. 174 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: They put invested one billion dollars for about eleven and 175 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: a half percent ownership in Comcast to help deploy high 176 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 1: speed data and video services. Now, this was in Microsoft's 177 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: best interests as well as Comcast. The idea being that 178 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: we need to build out this infrastructure because the Internet 179 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: is getting more and more important, but in order for 180 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: it to be useful, we need to increase bandwidth and accessibility. 181 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: You know, the more customers have access to the Internet, 182 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: the more product we can sell. So therefore, this makes 183 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: sense from a business perspective. Um. And they also invested 184 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:58,679 Speaker 1: a hundred fifty million dollars in another company that might 185 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: surprise you considering the fact that they had a little 186 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: kerfuffle in our last episode, Apple back back in with 187 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: Apple to another software development deal for Apple platforms. And uh, 188 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: that's when Bill Gates announced the formation of the Gates 189 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: Library Foundation. Of this was a predecessor to some of 190 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: the philanthropic organizations that Bill and will Inde Gates would 191 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: launch in the future, right right. Uh. This was also 192 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: the year that the Department of Justice announced its intent 193 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: to hold Microsoft and contempt of the decree that they 194 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: had agreed to UMI, which which was one of those 195 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: antitrust decrees which you can go back and hear a 196 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: little bit about in the previous episode. Uh but but 197 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: but I mean to the tune of like a million 198 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: dollars per day. Yeah, until contempt, they stopped bundling I e. 199 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:51,559 Speaker 1: With their oating operating system. This was this was a 200 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: big deal. I remember this unfolding at the time when uh, um, 201 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: you know, I I had entered into the workforce at 202 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 1: this point, and I just remember following it and and 203 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 1: being kind of uh knowing the basic details. But it's 204 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: really in retrospect, being able to look at it more thoroughly, 205 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: you really can see how without this intervention the landscape 206 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: would be very different right now as far as the 207 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,719 Speaker 1: way the Internet and the way browsers work. That was 208 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: the same year that Microsoft also acquired hot Mail, which 209 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: of course is a web based email service. Hotmail existed 210 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: for quite some time. It does technically still exist, although 211 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:37,199 Speaker 1: now it is officially part of Outlook dot com, so 212 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: it's part of the web based Outlook sweet as opposed 213 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: to its own Hotmail thing. I still have a hotmail address. 214 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: I never had a hotmail address. I shot it, well, 215 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 1: did you have a yellhoo? Man? I still have? I 216 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: still have. I can't really complain, but no, I have 217 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: a I have a hotmail address. That the only reason 218 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: I haven't just completely told people to stop using it 219 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: because there's there's like three people who know me who's 220 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: still send me messages via hotmail, and I like to 221 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 1: pretend that I care about what they have to say, 222 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: so I keep it going. That's when things things get real, yo. Yeah. Yeah. 223 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: The The official UH anti test lawsuit against Microsoft was 224 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: filed by the Department of Justice and twenty state attorneys 225 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: general in the United States. They file an anti competitive 226 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: lawsuit against Microsoft. That's also the same year that Microsoft 227 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: launched Windows and also the year that they decided to 228 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,840 Speaker 1: do away with the office of the President. Now, if 229 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 1: you remember from our last episode, Microsoft had originally Bill 230 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: Gates had served as the president of Microsoft for a while, 231 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 1: and then they got some presidents from other companies to 232 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: come in and become the president of Microsoft, and then 233 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 1: they switched to this the strategy of having an office 234 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,959 Speaker 1: of the President, where the the UH the duties of 235 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: the president were split into three roles, and so three 236 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: different executives held positions within the office of the President 237 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: rather than having a single president. This is when they 238 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: go back to having a single president, and that first 239 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: single president is Balmer. Steve Bomber becomes president of Microsoft. 240 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: Bill Gates remains on as chairman and CEO. And uh So, 241 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: now the corporate structure has changed again, and this would 242 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: be the way that the corporate structure would remain for 243 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: about ten years more or less. Uh. Spoiler alert, please 244 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: stay tuned for the exciting conclusion because we've got a 245 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: lot to say. Uh. That's also when Microsoft launched MSN Search, 246 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: which was a web based search engine. This is what 247 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: would eventually turn into what we now know as Yeah, 248 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: I'm glad you said I didn't have to. Um, it's 249 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: perfectly legitimate web search engine. Even if being itself is 250 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 1: not a cromulent word, but it's a it's a it 251 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: works well. I have no complaints against the way being works. 252 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: I still tend to use Google more frequently, but I 253 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: don't have anything against being. Um N Okay, So when 254 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: something really bad happened, uh and I did. This was 255 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: a virus that broke out so virus called the Melissa 256 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: virus ran rampant across the Internet. Now, this virus was, 257 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: in the grand scheme of things, not that malicious and 258 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: that it didn't try to break your computer necessarily or 259 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: wipe out all your data, although you know, you could 260 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: always tweak the malware to make it do worse things 261 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: than what it was designed to do. What it was 262 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: designed to do was really just copy itself and send 263 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: itself to other computers within a person's contact list. And 264 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: it worked within Microsoft Word or Microsoft Outlook, and it 265 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: exploited vulnerabilities there. So if you were to try and 266 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 1: open this document either in that Look or in Word, 267 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: what it would then do is copy itself and mail 268 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: itself out to all of the contacts that you had. 269 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: So if this hit an executive who happened to have 270 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: hundreds of business contacts in their Outlook, that's that email 271 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: would go out to hundreds of people, and uh, the 272 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: email traffic alone ended up bogging down parts of the 273 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: Internet during this also really kind of open people's eyes 274 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: to the fact that some that that a lot of 275 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: the software we depend upon heavily from Microsoft could have 276 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: vulnerabilities in it, and that if you were to exploit 277 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: those vulnerabilities, you could cause quite a bit of damage. 278 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: It was not the first example of a computer virus 279 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: by a long shot, no, but it was kind of 280 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: the most propagated at the time. And also, um, it 281 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: received you know, the the internet was was really in 282 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: the news at this point where everyone was very excited 283 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: about what was going on. It was right before that, um, 284 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: that dot com crash and um, and so it was 285 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: it was really big. Yeah. Yeah, this is a point 286 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: where you know, we've finally gotten beyond just the college 287 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: students and nerds who know what the Internet is. Right. 288 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: So I was both a college student and nerd in 289 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 1: the early days of the Internet, so I was doubly 290 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,920 Speaker 1: aware of it. But this is the point where you 291 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: would say things like, oh, you know, my parents know 292 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,399 Speaker 1: what the internet is because it's gotten that big. So 293 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: when a virus hits, and a virus spreads this quickly, 294 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: it's one of those black eyes against the Internet, it's 295 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: a black eye against Microsoft. This was this was just 296 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,399 Speaker 1: bad news for the company. Sure, although that was the 297 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: year that Microsoft stock value peaked for all time on 298 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 1: December at a round fifty nine dollars per share. Now 299 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: keep in mind with whenever the stock splits, the value 300 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:49,159 Speaker 1: of the stock goes down, but the value of the 301 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: company remains the same because you've added more stock. So 302 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: this is not to say that the value of the 303 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: company has decreased over time since then, rather than just 304 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 1: the price of the shares, the individual will shares themselves. 305 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: Because it gets kind of complicated. But so, yeah, that 306 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 1: was a big year for Microsoft, and not because of 307 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,720 Speaker 1: product releases. It was just because of the way the 308 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,440 Speaker 1: business was going and also this this virus outbreak. The 309 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: year two thousand, however, was a big year for product releases. 310 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: It was that was when that was when Windows two 311 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:24,640 Speaker 1: thousand again shocking that those numbers lineup like that was debuted. Yeah, 312 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: Windows two thousand Professional and server business os, very snappy name. 313 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: And also that's the year that Microsoft celebrated its twenty 314 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: fifth anniversary. Uh. They also unveiled the dot net platform 315 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: for web services, and that was the year that you know, 316 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: I kind of lied when I said that Bomber became 317 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: president and Gates remained chairman and then that would remain 318 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: the same till two thousand eight. Not entirely true actually, 319 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: because Bomber then stepped into the role of CEO, and 320 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 1: Gates became the chief software architect for Microsoft. I think 321 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: most people still viewed Gates as being kind of the 322 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: leader of Microsoft, especially when you consider that at big 323 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,159 Speaker 1: events like ce S it's always the personality I mean, 324 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: was always quiet and well, okay, now that's quite the 325 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:16,679 Speaker 1: wrong word. You're very correct. Developers, developers, developers, developers, developers. 326 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: Do a search, folks, you've heard me say it before. 327 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 1: If you have not seen it, go to YouTube. Type 328 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,399 Speaker 1: in Steve Bomber developers and you can see. Now. Remember, 329 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 1: Bomber comes from this from a salesman kind of perspective. 330 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: Dude gets pretty loud if he wants to be. But 331 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,640 Speaker 1: but your point being that he was not the kind 332 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: of the voice of leadership for excellent reasons. He was 333 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 1: not really the personality that was driving Microsoft. Yeah, he's 334 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: definitely a very savvy businessman, extremely savvy businessman. That's also 335 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: year that the Department of Justice Judge Jackson ruled that 336 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,400 Speaker 1: Microsoft should be split into two units. That that's why 337 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 1: today we have two different companies of Microsoft. Why Microsoft 338 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 1: cannot be us Wait this was struck down later on. 339 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:05,199 Speaker 1: But but but yeah, but the concept was to Uh, 340 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 1: to have one half that would be doing the operating 341 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: systems and the other half with what with a software, 342 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: other software, other types of software besides operating system Yeah. 343 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: He Jackson, Judge Jackson actually said that Microsoft was an 344 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: abusive monopoly and uh, like like Lawrence said, this decision 345 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: would eventually be overturned. It's so. So that's why there's 346 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: not like two different versions of Microsoft out there, one 347 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: just doing Windows and the other one doing everything else. 348 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: Revenues from Microsoft that year hit two d twenty nine 349 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:43,399 Speaker 1: billion dollars with over thousand employees. That's a lot of employees. 350 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: And that's when Bill and Melinda Gates launched the Bill 351 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: and Melinda Gates Foundation. It's also when Microsoft acquired a 352 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: company called Video Corporation, So those of you who are 353 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: familiar with videos products that that will ring a bell. 354 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: And Microsoft introduced the Pocket p SEE two thousand, and 355 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: that's the the one that had an operate system that 356 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 1: was based on Windows CE and the operating system on 357 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: the Pocket PC two thousand would evolve into what would 358 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: become Windows Mobile, which has we could do a full 359 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:17,640 Speaker 1: episode just on Windows Mobile as well, because that's that's 360 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: one of those upbring system stories that has its own, 361 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 1: uh interesting rise and fall narrative. Um, of course Windows 362 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: Mobile not a thing anymore. Uh that instead we have 363 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: Windows Phone. I'll talk about that in a little bit. 364 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: But in two thousand one, that's when the Court of 365 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: Appeal overturned Judge Jackson's decision to break Microsoft up into 366 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: two corporations. They but the Court of Appeal did say 367 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 1: that the company legally illegally used licensing agreements to lock 368 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 1: out Netscape from computer manufacturers. Right right. Microsoft ends up 369 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: settling by agreeing to to disclose its application programming interfaces 370 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: with third party software companies. So that that was the 371 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 1: resolution to that very long process of investigation and litigation. 372 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: Microsoft that same year launched Windows XP, which two one 373 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: Windows XP launches, and it was an incredibly popular operating system, 374 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 1: so much so that there's probably some machines here in 375 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 1: this office that are still running Windows XP. I was 376 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 1: running Windows XP personally until Yeah, well, I was running 377 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: Windows XP on my work computer until I destroyed I 378 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: don't know, maybe three computers ago. I've gone through a 379 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: lot of computers while I'm here at now stuff works. 380 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 1: I'm a little hard shocking. Yeah, well I did seem Yeah, well, 381 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 1: I take it out on the machine, so when the 382 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 1: machines rise up, I'll be first. Yeah. So Office XP 383 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: also launched that year, which was another one of those 384 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 1: Office Suite updates, right and uh and yeah, so the 385 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:59,679 Speaker 1: Windows XP is up becoming So it's such a strong 386 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 1: rule lease that it would actually cause Microsoft some problems 387 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 1: down the line when they tried to move to the 388 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: next generation of operating systems. Um. But this was also 389 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: a year that was very important for both Microsoft and 390 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: for Lauren and myself, for me specifically two thousand one, 391 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: that is the year Microsoft launched the Xbox, the Xbox 392 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: that's and and one of the launched titles for Xbox 393 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: was Halo. Halo, Yes, yes, so the video game that 394 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,159 Speaker 1: Lauren and I both share a deep and abiding love for. 395 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 1: And I don't think I played it until two actually, yeah, 396 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: well that was one of the It was one of 397 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: the earliest titles for the Xbox was was Halo, and 398 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: it was one of the most successful. I mean clear, 399 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,919 Speaker 1: Halo originally was developed as a game that was going 400 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,880 Speaker 1: to be on the Macintosh or the mac computer at 401 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: that time, and instead, you know, no one had ever 402 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: seen any any uh, AI software quite like that in 403 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:00,080 Speaker 1: a first person shooter. Yeah, it was. It was. And 404 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 1: also the capacity to uh to land local area network 405 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: boxes together. It was. It was stuff that people had 406 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: were excited about on the computer front, because of course 407 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 1: on computers you could have done this for a while, 408 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:16,399 Speaker 1: and also on games like Golden I for the Nintendo platform. Um, 409 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: it was. It was sort of the next step in 410 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: first person shooters. Now people who are first person shooter 411 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: uh aficionados on the computer looked down their nose at us, 412 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: and we totally understand. But Lauren and I like to 413 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: play with controllers, not with a mouse and keyboard. There's 414 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 1: not that was. That was the first first person shooter 415 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 1: that I that I played with a controller, and I 416 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 1: didn't know how it was going to I could not 417 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: comprehend how it was going to work at first, because 418 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: I was just like, how I have I don't have 419 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 1: a mouse, how do you make it work? How how 420 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: does it do? But it but it turned out to 421 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: work really well. So although the Xbox you know, it 422 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: did pretty well in the United States worldwide. Uh. It was. 423 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 1: It was kind of a runner up to the PS two, 424 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: A distant runner up to the PS two really, umny 425 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: had sure, Sony had so many, so many terrific titles 426 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 1: out at that point that the PS two is one 427 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: of the strongest video game consoles ever. If you look 428 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: at the library of games, it's pretty phenomenal. But yeah, 429 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: that that was where Microsoft said this is we're going 430 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 1: to get into the console gaming market. And so that's 431 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:26,120 Speaker 1: that was the first version of that. UM Skipping two 432 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 1: thousand two because I don't have any real information about 433 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:33,120 Speaker 1: Microsoft that year. Three, that's when they launched Windows Mobile 434 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:35,919 Speaker 1: two thousand three. So this is the first operating system 435 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: they had officially called Windows Mobile. Is still mainly used 436 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 1: for the Pocket PC at this time. They weren't really 437 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 1: interested in developing smartphone operating systems at this point, although 438 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: you could find the Windows Mobile operating system on a 439 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 1: couple of early smartphones. Also in two thousand three, UM, 440 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,399 Speaker 1: a new version of Office launched Office two thousand three. 441 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:01,880 Speaker 1: Shockingly enough, UM and again that really clever naming systems here, 442 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: um and uh and yeah. The company at this point 443 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: had over ut four thousand employees and their net revenues 444 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: were above thirty two billion, lots of money, all the money. Yeah, 445 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: two thousand four, that's when we have another another knock 446 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 1: against Microsoft. That's when the European Commission because the old 447 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: anti trust hearings against Microsoft. So UM, like we said before, 448 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: you know, the United States government's not the only entity 449 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: that has gone after Microsoft or anti competitive or antitrust reasons. 450 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: Certainly not, no. Uh. In two thousand five, actually South 451 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: Korea UM started to open anti trust hearings. They they 452 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: find them like thirty two million, but ultimately found them 453 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: guilty and dropped the fine. So I'm not really sure 454 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: the purpose of that one slept on the wrist. There's 455 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: more that happens in two thousand five. But before we 456 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,360 Speaker 1: jump into that, all right, back to two thousand five, 457 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 1: here's where another launch comes in. So two thousand one 458 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: they launched the Xbox two. Five, we get the Xbox 459 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: three sixty. Now, this is, of course, the as of 460 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: the recording of this podcast, the current generation of Microsoft 461 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: console with the Xbox one on the horizon. It's coming 462 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: very soon. We'll we'll talk a little bit about that, 463 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,920 Speaker 1: of course, towards the end of this episode. Two five 464 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,399 Speaker 1: was also the year that Gates Bill Gates received an 465 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 1: honorary knighthood from the United Kingdom that's interesting. It's very 466 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 1: rare when someone outside of the UK is awarded with 467 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,439 Speaker 1: an honorary knighthood. There's a particular order, as I recall, 468 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: that's for non U cases, and but I honestly can't 469 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: remember what it is because I don't expect to receive 470 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 1: one anytime soon. The Queen will not return my phone calls. 471 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: How rude you said it? Not I above such things. 472 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: We are not amused. Two thousand six, Gates at that 473 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: point shocks the world by saying that he will step 474 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,639 Speaker 1: back from Microsoft by two thousand eight. So this was 475 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: a big news. I mean, Gates was very much Yeah 476 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 1: he was, even though he had only been the chief 477 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: Software Software Architect for a while. Yeah, yeah, he had 478 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 1: not been in the the official leader of Microsoft. But 479 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: people still thought of him as the leader of Microsoft. 480 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: I mean he was, like I said, at any big 481 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: event like c E S, he was still the guy 482 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: who would deliver the keynote. So this was this was 483 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: kind of big news. And he still was, you know, 484 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 1: saying that there was gonna be a transition plan and 485 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: he was still gonna be working for Microsoft. He was 486 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,639 Speaker 1: going to scale back gradually. It wasn't like he was 487 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 1: just gonna quit one day. So but it was it 488 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 1: was you know, this was when he announced that. That 489 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 1: was also when when Vista was released, which did not 490 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 1: as well as they were that. This is one of 491 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 1: those operating systems that suffered for um for XP having 492 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: been as solid of a system was right now XP. 493 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: You know, like people will even point out that the 494 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: early days of XP, XP was kind of a rough system. 495 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: But they had released patches to XP over time of them. Yeah, 496 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: because you had to keep you know, vulnerabilities would be discovered. 497 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: Microsoft would fix the vulnerabilities, release a patch. More vulnerabilities 498 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 1: would be discovered in the line. But the Internet was 499 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 1: so widespread at this point it was really easy for 500 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: people to get ahold of those. Yeah, and Microsoft XP. 501 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 1: I mean it became the foundation for a lot of software. 502 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: And that one of the things we see time and 503 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:15,080 Speaker 1: again with big businesses is that they'll develop their own 504 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 1: proprietary software to do business their own way, whatever their 505 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: industry is, and these these programs will be built with 506 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: a particular operating system in mind. And Windows Windows XP 507 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: had been around for a while, so, uh, anything that 508 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: was not going to be compatible with that Windows XP 509 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: platform was not very useful to businesses. So Windows Vista 510 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 1: when it first came out, there were some compatibility issues. 511 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:40,960 Speaker 1: There were a lot of driver issues too, Like if 512 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,280 Speaker 1: you had developed hardware four PCs and you had special 513 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 1: drivers to make it work on a computer, Vista did 514 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: not work with a lot of drivers, which meant that 515 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: people were reluctant to upgrade because they didn't they weren't 516 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: sure that their stuff was going to work with their computer. 517 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: And it was also being sold as a much more 518 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: home PC system, and and at this point, I think 519 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 1: a lot of people had phased into using, um, you know, 520 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: having multi use computers, not separating their home life from 521 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: their work life, and and and you know, it's just 522 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: there were a lot of problems with Vista, and it 523 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: got it personally, I did. I actually used it early 524 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,719 Speaker 1: when there were still a lot of problems with it. Uh. 525 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: And part of it was that people who were reviewing 526 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: it gave it pretty critical reviews and it never recovered 527 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:35,080 Speaker 1: from that. Even though they Microsoft would address many of 528 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: the problems that people had with Vista and subsequent updates, 529 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 1: the damage had been done. Vista was known as being 530 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 1: a bad operating system because of the criticisms that it 531 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: received and it never recovered. Um there was. That was 532 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 1: the year that they launched something else that also had 533 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: a very rough life. It wasn't just Windows Vista that 534 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: they launched that did not really ever gained serious traction. 535 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: They so launched another example of hardware. So they had 536 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: had some success with the video game console market. That's 537 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: when they launched the Zoon Player. So the zoon Player 538 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: was a competitor to the iPod and later on a 539 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: competitor competitor to the iPod Touch. UH. It was an 540 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: MP three player media player UH. And it was a 541 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: project that was headed by Jay Allard, who was actually 542 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: the guy who was in charge of the Xbox three 543 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: sixty project before it's launched, so he had already demonstrated 544 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: success in developing hardware for Microsoft. The code name by 545 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: this project was Argo, and it was it was It 546 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 1: was innovative in many ways. One of the things that 547 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: you could do with the U the Zoom was you 548 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: could share music with someone else who owned a Zoo. So, Lauren, 549 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 1: if you had a Zoom, uh, I apologize ahead of 550 00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: time for actually saying you would own a Zoom. A 551 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: little brown MP three player. They originally just came in Brown. 552 00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 1: I think, I think I had I had Best Buys 553 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: for priet Terry MP three player at the time, so 554 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: I wasn't really had a compact branded MP three player 555 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:08,959 Speaker 1: for the longest day, it was a brick. Uh. So uh, 556 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:10,800 Speaker 1: if you had a Zoom and I had a Zoom 557 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 1: and I had a song that you wanted to listen to, 558 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 1: you just really needed to hear Jet Boy, Jet Girl. 559 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: I happened to have that and I want to lend 560 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: it to you. I could do that for first that 561 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: period of time. It was like alone. Yeah. Essentially, the 562 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: file would remain viable on your Zoom device for a 563 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 1: certain number of plays or a certain amount of time, 564 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 1: and then it would essentially delete itself, so you wouldn't 565 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: be able to copy mufitely. But originally do you remember what? 566 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: You probably don't, But do you remember what this sharing 567 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 1: service was eventually called Microsoft Prepare Yourself Squirting? No, it 568 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 1: was not. It was if I wanted to share my song, 569 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: I would just squirt it right on over to you. 570 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: My Zoom would squirt at your Zoom and then your 571 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 1: Zoom could play that. I think I need an adult Yeah. Um, 572 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: not my fault, not my fault. I didn't come up 573 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 1: with it, it's just what it's called. So anyway, I 574 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 1: wish I were making that up. So let's move on 575 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: to two thousand seven before any more damages that. That 576 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,479 Speaker 1: was the year that Office two thousand seven launched. Yes, 577 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 1: strangely enough, Gates also collected an honorary degree from his 578 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: alma mater or what would have been his alma mater. 579 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: Also for reference, that's the year that the that the 580 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: iPhone launched from Apple. Yes, yes, and uh. Later on, 581 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 1: Steve Balmer would admit that Microsoft did not get completely 582 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 1: dropped the ball. They didn't move on smartphones when they 583 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,479 Speaker 1: should have because they had been working on their Windows 584 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 1: Mobile operating system for a few years, and if they 585 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: had positioned themselves properly, there is a chance that they 586 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 1: could have been the company that brought the smartphone to 587 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: your Yeah, because that's what Apple did. You know? Smartphones existed, 588 00:33:56,720 --> 00:34:01,440 Speaker 1: people were using smartphones, especially executives, and using black but 589 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 1: they brought it to to two people. Yeah, Apples, what 590 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:08,359 Speaker 1: not that executives are people? I'm sorry that sounded terrible. Well, 591 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: I don't know have you ever eaten with one? So 592 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:15,360 Speaker 1: that's a producer's joke. Uh so the but yeah, Apple 593 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,279 Speaker 1: was able to succeed where no other company had as 594 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 1: far as the consumer interest in smartphones is concerned. And 595 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 1: later Balmber would admit that Microsoft really dropped the ball. 596 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:25,920 Speaker 1: They could have been the company to do that, or 597 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 1: they at least had the potential. Uh. That's the same 598 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: year that Bill Gates showed off the Milan surface computer, 599 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 1: which was later just called the surface table and eventually 600 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,040 Speaker 1: renamed the Pixel Sense to differentiate it from the surface 601 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:42,320 Speaker 1: tablets that would come out down the line. So this 602 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:45,360 Speaker 1: was a table that could detect multiple touches up to 603 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 1: I think ten or twenty touches. It used cameras to 604 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: detect where you were making contact with the screen, So 605 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 1: cameras were actually mounted below the screen you could not 606 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,280 Speaker 1: see them, and they were measuring light in the infrared spectrum, 607 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: as I recall, So that way it would detect where 608 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 1: your fingers were and you can manipulate stuff. You can 609 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: even do things like have a digital camera that you 610 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: had taken pictures with, put the digital camera on the surface, 611 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:13,920 Speaker 1: and then through wireless transfer, it could pull the pictures 612 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,560 Speaker 1: from the camera onto the surface. So it's kind of 613 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 1: a cool effect. You. It's like setting your camera down 614 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:21,400 Speaker 1: on a table and something the pictures you have taken 615 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:24,920 Speaker 1: are on the table. It was a neat idea and 616 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,760 Speaker 1: it was really meant as something that would be used 617 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 1: in entertainment establishments and retail establishments, not so much the 618 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: average consumer. I mean, we're talking about tables that cost 619 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 1: like twenty grand. So it's not something that I'm going 620 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: to go out and buy anytime soon unless someone out 621 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 1: there wants to be really altruistic. Uh. And it's also 622 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:50,719 Speaker 1: a year that's something that is only it's a story 623 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 1: that's just now unraveling to a level where we can 624 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 1: really get a grip on it. Uh. It's something that 625 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: Lauren and I are going to cover in the future. 626 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:01,800 Speaker 1: Two thousand seven is when my Microsoft becomes the first 627 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 1: company to be involved in the n s A s 628 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:08,840 Speaker 1: PRISM program. So PRISM, of course, is part of the 629 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:13,120 Speaker 1: n s A program to gather data about non US 630 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:19,239 Speaker 1: citizens related to any form of terrorism activity or or 631 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 1: any other dangerous activity directed towards the United States and UH. 632 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 1: To do this, the n SSA gathers a lot of 633 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:30,399 Speaker 1: information and Microsoft was the first company to become part 634 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: of this now saying that I don't want to give 635 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 1: the uh the I don't want to imply that Microsoft 636 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 1: was completely in favor of this. They were required by 637 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:46,279 Speaker 1: law to participate in this program. It's uh not like 638 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: it's you know, it's not like Microsoft volunteered necessarily. We 639 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:52,399 Speaker 1: don't know all the details of how each company became 640 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:54,840 Speaker 1: part of this, but we do know that, you know, 641 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:59,800 Speaker 1: these were all legal proceedings as defined by US laws. 642 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,360 Speaker 1: So I just wanted to say that because you know, 643 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: we're still learning the details about this entire program. But yeah, 644 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:10,080 Speaker 1: two thousand seven, that's when they started. It would be 645 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:12,800 Speaker 1: six years before we would all learn about this program, 646 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:15,680 Speaker 1: al right, two thousand eight, so that's the year when 647 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 1: Microsoft gets hit with a little slap on the wrist 648 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 1: from the European Commission hundred ninety nine million euros. You 649 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:24,400 Speaker 1: can call that a slap on the road. Don't slap 650 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: me on the wrist with that, because I can't afford it. Yeah, 651 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 1: Microsoft of course appealed that, yep, and they had hit 652 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:32,320 Speaker 1: a corporate wide head count at this point. Is a 653 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:34,440 Speaker 1: global company, I mean, they've been a global company for 654 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,759 Speaker 1: a few several years. At this point, their global head 655 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:41,000 Speaker 1: count is at ninety thousand and uh. And it was 656 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,840 Speaker 1: at that point that Gates, as as promised us, stepped 657 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: down from his daily responsibilities at the company. Yeah. It 658 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 1: was also the last year that Bill Gates would do 659 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:52,440 Speaker 1: the keynote for C E S. UH And I remember 660 00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:54,800 Speaker 1: seeing that keynote. I was at that C E S. 661 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: And it was interesting because they also presented a video 662 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:00,759 Speaker 1: of what Bill Gates is to Cold day was like 663 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:03,719 Speaker 1: a Microsoft leading up to his retirement because he had 664 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,799 Speaker 1: scaled back so far and h it was totally done 665 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 1: for laughs. I'm sure it was. It was very amusing 666 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: and involved things like him putting his coffee cup on 667 00:38:12,239 --> 00:38:14,600 Speaker 1: his car and driving off without remembering it, and then 668 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:16,640 Speaker 1: getting out of this car when he gets to Microsoft 669 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:18,480 Speaker 1: and picking up his coffee cup from the top of 670 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,319 Speaker 1: the car. Its stayed there the whole time. And lots 671 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,440 Speaker 1: of goofy stuff. In fact, there was a weird year 672 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: for Microsoft. There's a lot of goofy stuff that came 673 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:27,680 Speaker 1: out in two thousand and eight. For instance, there were 674 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:32,600 Speaker 1: a series of Impenetrable ads that came out featuring Bill 675 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 1: Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, Right, I remember those. I showed 676 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 1: you one of them, the one where the Jerry Seinfeld's 677 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: walking through a mall and he sees that Bill Gates 678 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:45,280 Speaker 1: is being fitted for shoes and he says, great, googly moogly. 679 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:48,040 Speaker 1: He comes into the sneaker store and there's Bill Gates 680 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:51,879 Speaker 1: trying on a pair of conquistadors. They run tight. Uh. 681 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 1: If you guys are longtime fans of tech stuff, you've 682 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: heard Chris and I have quoted this ad nauseum. I 683 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 1: mean it's really esoteric. I mean it's such a bizarre 684 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:05,839 Speaker 1: very data and they and they have there's one point 685 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: where the shoe store asks the ask Bill Gates if 686 00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 1: he has like the customer loyalty card, and Bill Gates 687 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:14,600 Speaker 1: flashes the card and it has on it his mug 688 00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: shot from when he was so he was a teenager 689 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 1: and he kept getting pulled over and at least on 690 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:24,680 Speaker 1: one occasion arrested for violation chilling around in his Porsche. Yeah, 691 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:26,520 Speaker 1: so he um, he had his mug shot on there 692 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:29,600 Speaker 1: as just a little sly gag. The whole commercial is 693 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:31,800 Speaker 1: a commercial. It's it's like a Seinfeld episode. It's a 694 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:34,759 Speaker 1: commercial belt nothing. It's a Microsoft commercial, but they're not 695 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:40,399 Speaker 1: promoting any particular product. Or service. It was really just odd. Yeah, 696 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:44,200 Speaker 1: and I loved it. But sure a lot along these lines. Um, 697 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:46,680 Speaker 1: you know, Gates maintained his position as the chairman of 698 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:52,080 Speaker 1: the board. Um yeah, of of Microsoft, but no longer 699 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:53,879 Speaker 1: they're on a day DA basis. But but was still 700 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,200 Speaker 1: very much a figurehead. But but at that point he 701 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:58,280 Speaker 1: was really trying to concentrate on the Bill and Melinda 702 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:01,319 Speaker 1: Gates Foundation, Right, and that's a year. Uh. The last 703 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 1: day of two thousand eight, December thirty first, two thousand eight, 704 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:11,400 Speaker 1: several of the Zoo thirty models all froze. There was 705 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:14,600 Speaker 1: an error inside the internal clock driver that was running 706 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,879 Speaker 1: on the Zoo models, So anyone who had a Zoom 707 00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:19,800 Speaker 1: thirty there was a chance that their device would just 708 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:22,200 Speaker 1: freeze and it wouldn't work for another twenty four hours. 709 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 1: Within twenty four hours pretty much fixed itself. But if 710 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:28,000 Speaker 1: you wanted to fix it before that, Microsoft did release 711 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:30,040 Speaker 1: a patch. But that was just one of those things 712 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:33,360 Speaker 1: that kind of indicated where, you know, a little software 713 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:37,279 Speaker 1: error could lead to a full hardware failure. I guess 714 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:39,759 Speaker 1: alternate of glitches. We're not We're not good. I mean, 715 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:43,239 Speaker 1: it wasn't an infrequent Yeah, I think it's fair to 716 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,560 Speaker 1: say that it didn't hurt Microsoft too badly just because 717 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:49,399 Speaker 1: the Zoom wasn't that popular. Sure, but it did hurt 718 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:52,600 Speaker 1: the Zoo. Yeah, well it didn't help. I mean, iPod 719 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 1: was already so far in the lead that it has 720 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:58,279 Speaker 1: been really hard to catch up to it. Two thousand nine, 721 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 1: that's when Microsoft launched. When does seven? A lot of 722 00:41:01,719 --> 00:41:04,239 Speaker 1: us thought that this was a pretty quick launch. I 723 00:41:04,239 --> 00:41:06,320 Speaker 1: mean it went from two thousand and six of Vista 724 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:08,880 Speaker 1: coming out to two thousand nine with the successor to 725 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:11,480 Speaker 1: Vista coming out, and a lot of people felt that 726 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:14,399 Speaker 1: that was a really short window. I think it was more. 727 00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:16,839 Speaker 1: I think it was partially a marketing emloy just because 728 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,839 Speaker 1: Vista had done so poorly. They were like, let's get 729 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:21,440 Speaker 1: this name out of here and and and you know, 730 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:24,719 Speaker 1: we can do firmware updates basically. Yeah. It also it 731 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:27,719 Speaker 1: also confused people There were like, how did Microsoft get 732 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:31,520 Speaker 1: to seven? And you started counting? And Microsoft has an 733 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,200 Speaker 1: official response to that, which I cannot remember, but I do. 734 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:37,800 Speaker 1: When I read it, I thought, that's one way to count. 735 00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 1: Uh it was. It definitely confused me because people were 736 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:43,960 Speaker 1: people were dedicating a good amount of time figuring out 737 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:47,839 Speaker 1: like where then the last number had been three point one. Yeah, 738 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 1: and then you had all the different variations like Windows 739 00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:54,040 Speaker 1: Windows you had, you know, but people were adding it 740 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:57,000 Speaker 1: up and then thinking I can't get to seven. Depending 741 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,799 Speaker 1: on which way I go, I can either get six 742 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:02,719 Speaker 1: or eight. But but eventually Microsoft did actually release a 743 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:06,120 Speaker 1: response saying this is why it's Window seven. That's also 744 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,319 Speaker 1: when they launched a fourth generation Zoom, which was meant 745 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:12,640 Speaker 1: to UH to compete against the iPod Touch. This was 746 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:15,120 Speaker 1: the one that had the oh led display and had 747 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 1: HD video out. It also had HD radio features UH 748 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:23,120 Speaker 1: and UM. At the All Things Digital conference, Steve Bomber 749 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:27,680 Speaker 1: announced the BING rebranding of Microsoft Live Search being launched 750 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:30,720 Speaker 1: an in an official way. UM. Other things that launched 751 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:39,920 Speaker 1: that year were Russia's investigation into Antitrist proceedings. Yeah. That's 752 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 1: also the year that that Microsoft would UH enter into 753 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,880 Speaker 1: a deal with Yahoo to provide search results for Yahoo, 754 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:50,200 Speaker 1: so Yahoo search engine would be powered by the BING 755 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:53,239 Speaker 1: search engine at that point. This is interesting because the 756 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:55,680 Speaker 1: year one year earlier, two thousand and eight, something I 757 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:58,000 Speaker 1: should have mentioned but I forgot to, was that Microsoft 758 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:02,160 Speaker 1: made a move to acquire Yahoo and actually they wound up, 759 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:05,080 Speaker 1: They wound up not following through with that. Yeah, because yeah, 760 00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:09,919 Speaker 1: who said that Microsoft had undervalued the what Yahoo was worth? 761 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:12,680 Speaker 1: And then Microsoft said, well, we don't want to play 762 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:14,520 Speaker 1: with you anyway. And then a year later they said, 763 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:16,360 Speaker 1: you want to use our stuff for your surge engine, 764 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:19,279 Speaker 1: and you know who said yes, y'all who itself was 765 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,680 Speaker 1: going through some pretty serious trouble at this point, and uh, 766 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:26,520 Speaker 1: you know, if you've heard our Yahoo episode, you've probably 767 00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:28,960 Speaker 1: understand more about that and about how you know, the 768 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 1: company was really struggling for a while. And some would 769 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:37,239 Speaker 1: argue still is sure um to two nine wasn't necessarily 770 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 1: a terrific year for Microsoft. It was the company had 771 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:46,280 Speaker 1: some nine of the UH global operating system market share. However, 772 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:50,799 Speaker 1: this stock stipped to under seventeen bucks of share that year, 773 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:53,399 Speaker 1: which which was the lowest basically in their history since 774 00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:55,879 Speaker 1: uh since nine. Now, to be fair, this is also 775 00:43:56,040 --> 00:43:58,520 Speaker 1: right around the time that there was a global depression. 776 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:01,920 Speaker 1: It was a global economic sessions, but it was it 777 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:04,240 Speaker 1: was the only year of their negative growth um since 778 00:44:04,719 --> 00:44:08,160 Speaker 1: I love that phrase negative negative growth. Yeah yeah, And 779 00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:11,320 Speaker 1: this was also the first year that Bomber headed the 780 00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:16,640 Speaker 1: CS keynote on his own and Microsoft as the Microsoft keynote. 781 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:20,040 Speaker 1: The delivery guy. I actually saw that one too. I 782 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:22,120 Speaker 1: saw the last gates one in the first Bomber one. 783 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:27,400 Speaker 1: Three interns were eaten that day. Then in the Connect 784 00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 1: was released, and and and the Connect would be what 785 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:34,560 Speaker 1: would help the Xbox three sixty overtake the PlayStation two 786 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:38,880 Speaker 1: and the WE consoles, PlayStation three, PlayStation three at that point, Yes, 787 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:43,440 Speaker 1: it's okay, yeah, and the Connect, I think I think 788 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:46,440 Speaker 1: what was happening was that Microsoft saw that the Wei 789 00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:49,600 Speaker 1: when they released the We Move, I mean, that thing 790 00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:52,880 Speaker 1: sold like crazy. It was almost impossible to find one 791 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:55,200 Speaker 1: of those things for months after its release. And it 792 00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:58,120 Speaker 1: was such a such a terrific um kind of non 793 00:44:58,200 --> 00:45:02,040 Speaker 1: traditional market that they were aiming for, you know, a 794 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:05,880 Speaker 1: k a. Ladies um, which which always fends me a 795 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 1: tiny wee bit, but yeah, right, um. You know, it 796 00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:13,360 Speaker 1: was just around that time that the consoles that the 797 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:16,239 Speaker 1: major console players were starting to go like, hey, there 798 00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 1: are people in the world who might want to play 799 00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:22,480 Speaker 1: games who are not year old males. Yeah. Well, and 800 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:25,160 Speaker 1: and they were also just seeing that the We console 801 00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:29,800 Speaker 1: was out selling the Xbox three sixty three. Yeah, and 802 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:35,640 Speaker 1: it wasn't necessarily that Nintendo was really making groundbreaking games. 803 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:38,200 Speaker 1: It was that the hardware itself was creating a totally 804 00:45:38,280 --> 00:45:42,320 Speaker 1: different way to play. And so the connect and the 805 00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:44,879 Speaker 1: move we're both kind I would I would argue those 806 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 1: would have to be kind of responses to Nintendo's approach. 807 00:45:48,239 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: I'm sure both companies would argue saying that it was 808 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:53,600 Speaker 1: you know, that this was always part of their strategy, 809 00:45:53,719 --> 00:45:55,719 Speaker 1: but that it was the hardware capacity at the time 810 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:57,719 Speaker 1: when you see when you see a company just run 811 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:00,400 Speaker 1: away with it like Nintendo was at the time. Now, 812 00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:03,279 Speaker 1: of course Nintendo is in its own serious amount of 813 00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:06,359 Speaker 1: trouble right now, but at the time it was doing 814 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:08,839 Speaker 1: really well. It just didn't have a lot of staying power, 815 00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 1: Like people got tired of their wee consoles in general. 816 00:46:11,719 --> 00:46:16,120 Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's a generalization. There's a game deficiency. 817 00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:20,279 Speaker 1: Game deficiency as well. UM also was the year of 818 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:25,840 Speaker 1: the Windows Phone seven UM, Microsoft Link and the Office Suite. 819 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:30,680 Speaker 1: So now we're getting into this this era where Windows 820 00:46:30,760 --> 00:46:34,839 Speaker 1: Phone has taken over for Windows Mobile operating system. Uh. 821 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:37,200 Speaker 1: In fact, that that had really started back in two 822 00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:41,400 Speaker 1: thousand eight. The Windows Mobile Operating System was showing its age, 823 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:45,520 Speaker 1: and rather than continually trying to upgrade it, Microsoft made 824 00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:48,320 Speaker 1: the decision to start with a brand new operating system 825 00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:51,279 Speaker 1: designed specifically for smartphones and for tablets that they were 826 00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:56,000 Speaker 1: calling Windows Phone rather than Windows Mobile. So that's you know, 827 00:46:56,120 --> 00:46:59,799 Speaker 1: now we're seeing Windows Windows Phone seven, which I guess 828 00:47:00,080 --> 00:47:03,360 Speaker 1: is to mirror the Windows seven operating system as opposed 829 00:47:03,360 --> 00:47:06,120 Speaker 1: to show that this is the seventh version of Windows Phone. 830 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:10,600 Speaker 1: I don't even know. I can't tell. Counting is fun? Yeah, 831 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:14,480 Speaker 1: sure is. That's when Microsoft announced that it would discontinue 832 00:47:14,640 --> 00:47:20,080 Speaker 1: the Zoo hardware development. So the Great Zooon experiment ended 833 00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:23,239 Speaker 1: in failure. They could not replicate the success they had 834 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:26,320 Speaker 1: in the console market. I know a lot of people 835 00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:29,200 Speaker 1: who listened to this show listen to it on Zoom. 836 00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:32,120 Speaker 1: In fact, we had people, uh, whenever there was an 837 00:47:32,239 --> 00:47:35,600 Speaker 1: issue with RSS feed or something that was not properly 838 00:47:35,680 --> 00:47:38,839 Speaker 1: going to the Zoom marketplace, people would write in Uh. 839 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:40,600 Speaker 1: Not a lot of people, but the people who did 840 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:43,359 Speaker 1: were very much, very vocal about it. Yeah. I mean, 841 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:45,880 Speaker 1: you know, it was a it was a decent MP 842 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:48,239 Speaker 1: three player. There was nothing wrong with it. It just 843 00:47:48,400 --> 00:47:51,239 Speaker 1: never got the traction that other hardware had sure. Well 844 00:47:51,280 --> 00:47:54,040 Speaker 1: also also for you know, yeah kids that were PC 845 00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:59,560 Speaker 1: versus Mac. Yeah, yeah, wait, that's the thing. Next, you're 846 00:47:59,560 --> 00:48:02,800 Speaker 1: gonna tell me that pirates and Ninja can't get along. 847 00:48:04,600 --> 00:48:09,120 Speaker 1: Steve Bomber delivers Microsoft's final keynote address at C e S. 848 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:11,480 Speaker 1: I did not see this one. I missed. I was 849 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:15,239 Speaker 1: at CS that year, but I didn't go. But um, 850 00:48:16,160 --> 00:48:18,400 Speaker 1: the company also said it would no longer maintain a 851 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:21,040 Speaker 1: space at CS, it would no longer have a booth there, 852 00:48:21,520 --> 00:48:23,279 Speaker 1: and um, which which you know was it was a 853 00:48:24,040 --> 00:48:26,120 Speaker 1: came off like a like a big step. But was wasn't, 854 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:28,480 Speaker 1: I think overall surprising in the industry because you know, 855 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:31,520 Speaker 1: all of these large companies had for a while started 856 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:33,400 Speaker 1: kind of going like, well, why am I going to 857 00:48:33,520 --> 00:48:36,279 Speaker 1: let all of these other places steal my limelight when 858 00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:38,080 Speaker 1: I can just hold my own press conference and talk 859 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:40,239 Speaker 1: about anything that I want to, kind of following the 860 00:48:40,320 --> 00:48:43,719 Speaker 1: same route that Apple and Google were doing, which is 861 00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:46,400 Speaker 1: hold hold your own event and that way you can 862 00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:50,080 Speaker 1: why not, Yeah, you can announce things on your terms, 863 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:54,000 Speaker 1: on your schedule. Because the big issue with CS is, yeah, 864 00:48:54,040 --> 00:48:56,560 Speaker 1: there's a huge spotlight that's on you because the whole 865 00:48:56,640 --> 00:49:00,200 Speaker 1: world is there. It feels like at times, but one 866 00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:03,719 Speaker 1: you're sharing the stage with everybody else, and two you 867 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:06,600 Speaker 1: have to have your stuff ready to announce at that 868 00:49:06,680 --> 00:49:09,239 Speaker 1: particular time of year. If it's a product that you 869 00:49:09,360 --> 00:49:13,200 Speaker 1: aren't ready to launch for another five six months, announcing 870 00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:15,560 Speaker 1: it early can sometimes be harmful. We saw that with 871 00:49:15,680 --> 00:49:18,800 Speaker 1: the Palm Pre. The Palm Pre came out at CS 872 00:49:18,880 --> 00:49:21,200 Speaker 1: one year, and everyone thought, this is the most amazing 873 00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:23,120 Speaker 1: smartphone I've ever seen. I can't wait to get my 874 00:49:23,200 --> 00:49:25,160 Speaker 1: hands on it. By the time it came out June 875 00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:30,440 Speaker 1: of that following year, no one cared anymore. So this 876 00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:36,440 Speaker 1: way Microsoft could terms in better strategy exactly, so they 877 00:49:36,560 --> 00:49:39,960 Speaker 1: left c E S and uh. They also launched a 878 00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:44,720 Speaker 1: new product in a brand new version of their operating system, 879 00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:50,080 Speaker 1: Windows eight. Yeah. Windows eight. This was the the tablet friendly, 880 00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:53,439 Speaker 1: the multi platform friendly operating system. Yeah, to the point 881 00:49:54,000 --> 00:49:55,960 Speaker 1: some people would argue that it wasn't so friendly if 882 00:49:55,960 --> 00:49:58,080 Speaker 1: you had a desktop or laptop, especially if you had 883 00:49:58,120 --> 00:50:01,000 Speaker 1: one that did not have a touch screen. But yeah, 884 00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:03,000 Speaker 1: I was designed so that it could work on both 885 00:50:03,120 --> 00:50:08,320 Speaker 1: touch screens and on traditional computers, and um uh, it 886 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:11,040 Speaker 1: definitely is very easy to use if you have a 887 00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:13,920 Speaker 1: touch screen interface. If you don't have a touch screen interface, 888 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:17,080 Speaker 1: it takes a little bit more. Yeah, it takes a 889 00:50:17,080 --> 00:50:19,400 Speaker 1: little more effort to navigate through. It also had a 890 00:50:19,480 --> 00:50:24,399 Speaker 1: desktop version where or a desktop setting where you could 891 00:50:24,440 --> 00:50:28,600 Speaker 1: switch from the tiled view of Windows eight to the 892 00:50:29,320 --> 00:50:32,719 Speaker 1: more desktop look to it, although the start button was 893 00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:35,320 Speaker 1: missing at the time. But more on that in just 894 00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:41,680 Speaker 1: a little while. Um but it got mixed reviews, I 895 00:50:41,760 --> 00:50:43,880 Speaker 1: would say mixed to negative. There were a lot of 896 00:50:43,920 --> 00:50:48,400 Speaker 1: people who found it, um difficult to to navigate it first. 897 00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:51,120 Speaker 1: There were people who were missing a lot of the 898 00:50:51,160 --> 00:50:53,680 Speaker 1: features that they had become used to. Again, this happens 899 00:50:53,719 --> 00:50:57,919 Speaker 1: every time you updated. But it's still pretty fresh and recent. 900 00:50:58,000 --> 00:51:00,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, and and and again. Like not everyone. You know, 901 00:51:00,560 --> 00:51:03,160 Speaker 1: people are starting to get touch screens for their home 902 00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:06,680 Speaker 1: PC or laptop. But um, but that's not widespread enough 903 00:51:06,719 --> 00:51:08,439 Speaker 1: to really be I think the Microsoft might have jumped 904 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:09,719 Speaker 1: to the gun on that one might have. I mean 905 00:51:09,800 --> 00:51:11,640 Speaker 1: they were in a way, they were really trying to 906 00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:15,120 Speaker 1: push this forward. In fact, they've been doing that more recently. 907 00:51:15,560 --> 00:51:19,080 Speaker 1: I think they're trying to become a leader in various areas, 908 00:51:19,160 --> 00:51:22,160 Speaker 1: like a thought leader, not just not just an industry leader, 909 00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:25,000 Speaker 1: but a thought leader in these spaces. But that that 910 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:28,000 Speaker 1: means you get pushed back, because it means that you 911 00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:32,200 Speaker 1: are are abandoning certain things that people have, you know, 912 00:51:32,600 --> 00:51:34,840 Speaker 1: come to rely upon, or at least be used to. 913 00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:37,800 Speaker 1: And it takes a while to convince folks that no, no, no, 914 00:51:38,040 --> 00:51:40,320 Speaker 1: go with us, because this is going to be great. 915 00:51:40,440 --> 00:51:42,360 Speaker 1: You just have to let this other stuff go. And 916 00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:43,920 Speaker 1: I think it's really hard to do when you're when 917 00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:46,239 Speaker 1: you're this big, when you've got this much of a 918 00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:49,600 Speaker 1: of an os market share UM and telling you know, 919 00:51:51,040 --> 00:51:53,799 Speaker 1: perhaps over half of the world that that they need 920 00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:55,759 Speaker 1: to catch up to the times and get a whole 921 00:51:55,800 --> 00:51:57,920 Speaker 1: bunch of new hardware is a difficult sell. There are 922 00:51:57,960 --> 00:52:00,239 Speaker 1: different ways of doing it. Like Steve Jobs was very 923 00:52:00,320 --> 00:52:02,880 Speaker 1: good at doing this Elvert Apple stee Jobs. I mean, 924 00:52:02,960 --> 00:52:05,200 Speaker 1: he could tell you essentially what it was you wanted. 925 00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:08,880 Speaker 1: That was his job, and and the thing was, he 926 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:11,319 Speaker 1: was good at it. By the end of the by 927 00:52:11,360 --> 00:52:13,279 Speaker 1: the end of a speech, you were convinced you did 928 00:52:13,400 --> 00:52:16,640 Speaker 1: want the thing he told you you wanted. Um and uh. 929 00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:20,160 Speaker 1: Whereas Elver a Microsoft that doesn't necessarily always work out 930 00:52:20,239 --> 00:52:23,560 Speaker 1: that way two thousand twelve is also when Microsoft launched 931 00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:27,600 Speaker 1: the surface tablet, So this was interesting because again they 932 00:52:27,640 --> 00:52:30,160 Speaker 1: were getting into the hardware area. So they had they 933 00:52:30,200 --> 00:52:33,080 Speaker 1: had the consoles, they had the failed Zoon. Now they're 934 00:52:33,080 --> 00:52:36,200 Speaker 1: getting into creating tablets. And it also was a little 935 00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:40,000 Speaker 1: controversial because Microsoft is providing the operating system for other 936 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:43,879 Speaker 1: surface tap will not surface tablets, but other tablets running 937 00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:47,480 Speaker 1: Windows eight. So then the question was are you actually 938 00:52:47,640 --> 00:52:51,759 Speaker 1: entering into competition with your own partners and that was 939 00:52:51,920 --> 00:52:55,160 Speaker 1: that was a tough question. Um. Microsoft I think was 940 00:52:55,239 --> 00:52:58,320 Speaker 1: mainly saying that the reason they were developing surface tablets 941 00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:01,680 Speaker 1: was to inspire other but needs to also build Windows 942 00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:05,560 Speaker 1: eight tablets and to just uh start that start the market, 943 00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:08,800 Speaker 1: to establish a market that other companies could sweep in 944 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:13,680 Speaker 1: and take advantage of. Um. I don't know, it's still 945 00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:18,600 Speaker 1: early days, but I surface adoption has not been huge 946 00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:22,920 Speaker 1: compared to things like Android tablets, and I think I 947 00:53:23,560 --> 00:53:25,359 Speaker 1: think partially because of a little bit of that bad, 948 00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:28,200 Speaker 1: bad press about Windows eight. Yeah, I'm sure that has 949 00:53:28,280 --> 00:53:32,080 Speaker 1: something to do with it. Uh. Then we get into 950 00:53:34,880 --> 00:53:40,279 Speaker 1: this year, we're not We're not finished at the end 951 00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:44,239 Speaker 1: of June, but as of yet, Microsoft has announced the 952 00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:46,480 Speaker 1: Xbox One for release at the end of the year. 953 00:53:46,680 --> 00:53:49,080 Speaker 1: They announced it and then they showed it off at 954 00:53:49,160 --> 00:53:51,080 Speaker 1: first a couple of weeks before E three, and then 955 00:53:51,120 --> 00:53:54,600 Speaker 1: at E three they went into more detail. It initially 956 00:53:54,680 --> 00:53:57,960 Speaker 1: got a lot of people raising criticisms for some of 957 00:53:58,040 --> 00:54:00,440 Speaker 1: the decisions that the Microsoft made. They wanted to go 958 00:54:00,600 --> 00:54:04,080 Speaker 1: with a version of the Xbox One where you could 959 00:54:04,120 --> 00:54:08,120 Speaker 1: buy games over over digital lines, so you would just 960 00:54:08,239 --> 00:54:10,480 Speaker 1: download the game, or if you buy it on disk, 961 00:54:10,560 --> 00:54:12,920 Speaker 1: you would just use it to copy the game onto 962 00:54:13,040 --> 00:54:15,439 Speaker 1: your drive. Then you would never need the disc again. 963 00:54:15,800 --> 00:54:17,800 Speaker 1: So it was a way to try and move away 964 00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:20,640 Speaker 1: from physical media. But it meant that there had to 965 00:54:20,760 --> 00:54:24,400 Speaker 1: be a from the game developer perspective. There needed to 966 00:54:24,440 --> 00:54:26,920 Speaker 1: be a way of verifying that the game itself was 967 00:54:27,360 --> 00:54:30,839 Speaker 1: a legitimate registered copy, which meant that your console had 968 00:54:30,880 --> 00:54:34,879 Speaker 1: to check in with servers on some regular basis, which 969 00:54:34,920 --> 00:54:36,800 Speaker 1: they said was going to be every twenty four hours 970 00:54:37,400 --> 00:54:39,200 Speaker 1: certain games. If you were playing a game, you would 971 00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:41,919 Speaker 1: have to check once an hour, but the system itself 972 00:54:41,960 --> 00:54:44,960 Speaker 1: would be once every twenty four hours. UH. There was 973 00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:47,120 Speaker 1: a lot of a lot of resistance on the gam 974 00:54:47,200 --> 00:54:52,040 Speaker 1: or movement for that, and eventually UH they clarified and 975 00:54:52,440 --> 00:54:54,920 Speaker 1: or rent contact. Well, the Xbox president essentially said, we 976 00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:57,080 Speaker 1: heard what you had to say, and we now are 977 00:54:57,160 --> 00:54:59,920 Speaker 1: going to change these policies so that now you can 978 00:55:00,040 --> 00:55:01,920 Speaker 1: play a game on a disk just like you you 979 00:55:02,040 --> 00:55:04,120 Speaker 1: could ever before you could you could sell that disc 980 00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:06,759 Speaker 1: when you're done with it, you can trade it. If 981 00:55:06,800 --> 00:55:09,120 Speaker 1: it's a digital copy, then you cannot do that because 982 00:55:09,160 --> 00:55:10,960 Speaker 1: that's just the way digital works. But if it's a 983 00:55:11,000 --> 00:55:13,839 Speaker 1: physical copy and you're done playing, you can totally sell 984 00:55:13,880 --> 00:55:15,560 Speaker 1: that back, or you can buy a used copy and 985 00:55:15,560 --> 00:55:18,200 Speaker 1: there will be no restriction. Um. There were some other 986 00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:22,000 Speaker 1: changes that they made that were really to mollify gamers 987 00:55:22,160 --> 00:55:24,719 Speaker 1: who were complaining about the changes that were being made. 988 00:55:25,120 --> 00:55:30,160 Speaker 1: So um So that was a big story in with Microsoft. Also, 989 00:55:30,360 --> 00:55:34,080 Speaker 1: just recently, Microsoft launched Windows eight point one, which is 990 00:55:34,160 --> 00:55:36,880 Speaker 1: the newest update to the Windows eight op bring system, 991 00:55:36,960 --> 00:55:39,239 Speaker 1: and it brings back the much beloved start button. It 992 00:55:39,280 --> 00:55:42,320 Speaker 1: doesn't behave exactly the way it did in Windows seven 993 00:55:42,360 --> 00:55:45,160 Speaker 1: and earlier versions, but you know what, it's the behavior 994 00:55:45,200 --> 00:55:47,800 Speaker 1: of the start button has changed from version to version anyway, 995 00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:50,080 Speaker 1: but it is back. It had been removed and now 996 00:55:50,200 --> 00:55:52,600 Speaker 1: it's back, and you can customize things like start and 997 00:55:52,760 --> 00:55:55,960 Speaker 1: lock screens. Uh. It also Windows eight point one adds 998 00:55:55,960 --> 00:55:58,439 Speaker 1: support for three D printers, which is kind of cool. 999 00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:03,520 Speaker 1: It also deeper sky Drive support. Sky Drive is Microsoft's 1000 00:56:03,600 --> 00:56:09,799 Speaker 1: cloud storage solution. UM and this they also sold off 1001 00:56:09,840 --> 00:56:15,120 Speaker 1: their I P TV divisions. That's that's internet TV. Remember 1002 00:56:15,120 --> 00:56:17,400 Speaker 1: when they bought web TV way way way back. Now 1003 00:56:17,440 --> 00:56:18,759 Speaker 1: they're getting rid of all that. They sold it to 1004 00:56:18,880 --> 00:56:20,960 Speaker 1: Rickson right, and and this is really a move I 1005 00:56:21,040 --> 00:56:26,160 Speaker 1: think to UM to focus on their Xbox Internet TV 1006 00:56:26,640 --> 00:56:30,200 Speaker 1: related departments. I would imagine so. And they also have 1007 00:56:30,760 --> 00:56:34,440 Speaker 1: entered into a lot of partnerships with cable companies and broadcast. Sure, 1008 00:56:34,480 --> 00:56:35,880 Speaker 1: it's it's not that they're trying to get out of 1009 00:56:35,920 --> 00:56:38,480 Speaker 1: Internet TV. It's just that they are focusing their efforts 1010 00:56:38,719 --> 00:56:42,080 Speaker 1: on on the hardware. I'm selling a lot of Xbox, Yeah, 1011 00:56:42,600 --> 00:56:44,560 Speaker 1: that's the plan. I think they're gonna sell a lot 1012 00:56:44,640 --> 00:56:46,840 Speaker 1: more now that they've reversed their position on several of 1013 00:56:46,920 --> 00:56:51,440 Speaker 1: the issues that gamers found particularly troubling. That brings us 1014 00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:53,960 Speaker 1: up to date what Microsoft's been doing and what the 1015 00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:56,560 Speaker 1: company is up to. And you know, it's funny because 1016 00:56:56,600 --> 00:56:59,840 Speaker 1: I think every year since Balmer has essentially become the 1017 00:57:00,160 --> 00:57:03,400 Speaker 1: the head of Microsoft. There have been rumblings that the 1018 00:57:03,480 --> 00:57:07,080 Speaker 1: company would look for someone else to replace him because 1019 00:57:07,160 --> 00:57:10,920 Speaker 1: people seem to feel that Bomber is not the right 1020 00:57:10,960 --> 00:57:12,840 Speaker 1: guy to be in charge, that he's not leading the 1021 00:57:12,920 --> 00:57:16,440 Speaker 1: company in an innovative way. I'm not the one to 1022 00:57:16,520 --> 00:57:19,600 Speaker 1: say that, but I've certainly heard it. And every time 1023 00:57:20,160 --> 00:57:24,720 Speaker 1: any discussion about Microsoft's corporate structure comes into play, I 1024 00:57:24,880 --> 00:57:28,800 Speaker 1: always hear somebody say, when is the board of directors 1025 00:57:28,840 --> 00:57:33,440 Speaker 1: going to demand a different CEO? Um. You know, Bomber 1026 00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:35,000 Speaker 1: has been there a long time and he knows the 1027 00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:39,800 Speaker 1: business really well. And it may be that his public persona, 1028 00:57:39,960 --> 00:57:41,720 Speaker 1: the idea, you know, the way that he comes off 1029 00:57:41,800 --> 00:57:44,920 Speaker 1: in these presentations, like I said, like a super intense dude, 1030 00:57:45,640 --> 00:57:49,960 Speaker 1: may not be uh indicative of his actual leadership style. 1031 00:57:50,040 --> 00:57:52,760 Speaker 1: I don't know. Never worked with a man, I'm terrified 1032 00:57:52,800 --> 00:57:57,320 Speaker 1: of him and I hide uh. But it'll be interesting 1033 00:57:57,360 --> 00:57:59,560 Speaker 1: to see what happens with Microsoft in the future. I 1034 00:57:59,800 --> 00:58:02,439 Speaker 1: I am curious to see how the Xbox one shakes out, 1035 00:58:03,480 --> 00:58:05,480 Speaker 1: as well as the fact that they plan on continuing 1036 00:58:05,520 --> 00:58:07,720 Speaker 1: to support the Xbox three sixty. I'm also curious to 1037 00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:09,680 Speaker 1: see how Windows eight shapes up now that we have 1038 00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:11,920 Speaker 1: eight point one out there, and whether or not they 1039 00:58:11,960 --> 00:58:14,720 Speaker 1: were they were again kind of prescient and their decision 1040 00:58:14,800 --> 00:58:18,000 Speaker 1: to make this, say a touch heavy. Yeah, we'll have 1041 00:58:18,080 --> 00:58:20,640 Speaker 1: to see. And of course Windows Phone is one of 1042 00:58:20,680 --> 00:58:24,280 Speaker 1: those things that there there. I've seen some projections that 1043 00:58:24,360 --> 00:58:26,440 Speaker 1: it could have as much as seventeen percent of the 1044 00:58:26,520 --> 00:58:31,120 Speaker 1: market in like seventeen, but that's a very small slice 1045 00:58:31,120 --> 00:58:34,880 Speaker 1: of the market. They're still really battling Android and iOS. 1046 00:58:34,920 --> 00:58:38,240 Speaker 1: I mean, those are the two juggernauts there. So but 1047 00:58:38,360 --> 00:58:42,080 Speaker 1: when those phones is a a good mobile operating system. 1048 00:58:42,120 --> 00:58:43,760 Speaker 1: I've used it a little bit. I mean I don't 1049 00:58:43,800 --> 00:58:46,240 Speaker 1: own a device that runs Windows Phone, but the times 1050 00:58:46,280 --> 00:58:49,360 Speaker 1: I've used it, I thought it was pretty sleek and 1051 00:58:49,840 --> 00:58:51,880 Speaker 1: everything seemed to be working really well. I thought was 1052 00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:55,400 Speaker 1: very pretty Um, I just I'm already really well invested, 1053 00:58:55,440 --> 00:58:59,040 Speaker 1: already entrenched Android. Yeah, yeah, that one. It's the one 1054 00:58:59,080 --> 00:59:02,960 Speaker 1: I'm entrenched in sometimes up to my neck. All right, Well, 1055 00:59:03,080 --> 00:59:07,080 Speaker 1: that wraps up our discussion about the company Microsoft. It's 1056 00:59:07,280 --> 00:59:11,000 Speaker 1: a big, big discussion, and obviously we could do episodes 1057 00:59:11,040 --> 00:59:13,400 Speaker 1: about lots of the different things that we talked about here, 1058 00:59:13,520 --> 00:59:16,440 Speaker 1: and maybe we will in another few weeks. After this 1059 00:59:16,640 --> 00:59:19,160 Speaker 1: is crested when we can talk about something else in 1060 00:59:19,240 --> 00:59:23,480 Speaker 1: the meantime, something fun, silly, like in the n s A. So, guys, 1061 00:59:23,560 --> 00:59:26,960 Speaker 1: if you have any suggestions for future topics for tech Stuff, 1062 00:59:27,080 --> 00:59:29,480 Speaker 1: let us know. Send this an email. Our addresses tech 1063 00:59:29,520 --> 00:59:33,360 Speaker 1: stuff at Discovery dot com, or drop us a note. 1064 00:59:33,560 --> 00:59:36,360 Speaker 1: On social networking, you can find us on Facebook. You 1065 00:59:36,400 --> 00:59:38,200 Speaker 1: can find us on Twitter, you just have to look. 1066 00:59:38,600 --> 00:59:40,840 Speaker 1: Our handle is tech Stuff hs W and Lauren and 1067 00:59:40,880 --> 00:59:46,400 Speaker 1: I will talk to you again really soon for more 1068 00:59:46,440 --> 00:59:48,800 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics because it has 1069 00:59:48,800 --> 00:59:49,760 Speaker 1: staff works dot com