[tavilach]

Look what I found in my inbox...

"Dear Berkeley Engineering & LS/CS Students,

I am pleased to announce that Bill Gates has accepted our invitation to come to the College of Engineering on = Friday, Oct. 1, 2004 and speak at Zellerbach Hall. The talk begins sharply at 9 a.m. There will be an opportunity for students to ask questions after Bill's talk.

Tickets will be available Friday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the east side of McLaughlin Hall, near the Macchi Bears.

As this is a College event, and we are first distributing tickets ONLY to engineering students (including L&S CS) and faculty. Please be sure to bring your UC Berkeley student ID card._ Tickets will be provided on Sept 24 on a first-come first served basis, with one ticket per person.

Please see more details on our web site at www.coe.berkeley.edu.

This is a very exciting event for the College and I hope you will be able to attend.

Best regards,

/rich

A. Richard Newton
Dean and the Roy W. Carlson
Professor in Engineering"

Clickie

Guess who got a ticket!

I should blast "Bill Gates Must Die" outside the auditorium . No, I'll actually listen to him, just as I'd listen to the devil...they're both famous, and they both got far in the world (or whatever is beyond the world), so I could probably learn a little from either.

[demograph68]

Have a good time I guess.

[Anders]

Food fight!!!!

[Eriamjh]

If there will be a Q&A session, ask something about what they are gonna do about security, etc. Don't say anything about the Mac or he will know you are a spy.

[Ratm]

Start baking pies

[storer]

well, good luck and tell us how you go

[MilkmanDan]

I agree with the pies. Gotta love those pictures.

I once wrote "When Bill Gates Came Down to Georgia" when lacking anything better to do, and listening to my favorite playlist. Its kind of funny, in a mocking Bill Gates sort of way.

http://www.joshuazimmerman.com/perso...togeorgia.html

Don't let him have your soul.

[ryju]

I should really see who's posting this before reading it.

Just kidding, he deserves at least some respect.

[Dex13]

Originally posted by ryju:
I should really see who's posting this before reading it.

Just kidding, he deserves at least some respect.

Does He?

[zachs]

That'll be...fun.

[Kenneth]

Judged from his past keynotes or other speech presentation.. he was boring.

Originally posted by ryju:
Just kidding, he deserves at least some respect.

For doing what?

[E's Lil Theorem]

Originally posted by hayesk:
For doing what?

Creating a multi-billion dollar business.

[Lancer409]

Originally posted by Dex13:
Does He?

Remember what Steve-O said in '97??

[Lancer409]

Originally posted by E's Lil Theorem:
Creating a multi-billion dollar business.

And continuing software support (Office) on the Mac back in '97. Ya'll should watch that video ..

[tavilach]

Originally posted by Lancer409:
And continuing software support (Office) on the Mac back in '97. Ya'll should watch that video ..

That's an awesome video. It almost made me cry. Well, not really, but it was actually quite an emotional video.

[waffffffle]

I'd love to be there for the Q&A. I would love to rip him apart with questions about antitrust issues, Mac compatibility and the like. If you want some good question ideas let me know.

[tavilach]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
I'd love to be there for the Q&A. I would love to rip him apart with questions about antitrust issues, Mac compatibility and the like. If you want some good question ideas let me know.

I don't know if there will be a Q&A...but I hope so.

Ideas would be great!

[Xeo]

Originally posted by tavilach:
Guess who got a ticket!

I thought you were a youngin'. How old are you?

[Truepop]

Originally posted by Xeo:
I thought you were a youngin'. How old are you?

I thought he was around 13 - 14. then in a .mac thread he was talking about berkley email so I was confused and figured I was wrong. I'm glad to know someone else things he's younger too.

[MrForgetable]

:raise hand:

"Hey Mr. Gates, I am a Mac user. I posted about you and all my Mac friends say you are the devil! I agree!"

"Ok."

:snap:

:sits in jail for life:

[tavilach]

Originally posted by Xeo:
I thought you were a youngin'. How old are you?

I'm 17.

Originally posted by E's Lil Theorem:
Creating a multi-billion dollar business.

By screwing over (illegally) other businesses in the industry and stagnating innovation by flooding the market with mediocre-quality products? Sorry, I can't respect that.

Just having billions of dollars doesn't earn my respect either.

[nredman]

Bill Gates is Coming To Town!

Originally posted by tavilach:
That's an awesome video. It almost made me cry. Well, not really, but it was actually quite an emotional video.

It was a PR stunt. A well played PR stunt, but a PR stunt, nonetheless. MS continued Mac Office development because it made them money. Bill wasn't being nice or charitable to the platform, he was simply making money.

[Xeo]

Originally posted by tavilach:
I'm 17.

And you're at college already? That's cool. I thought you were like 14 though. Hmm...

[E's Lil Theorem]

Originally posted by Xeo:
And you're at college already? That's cool. I thought you were like 14 though. Hmm...

Not to take anything away from tavilach's accomplishments, but aren't most freshmen 17/18? Some people I know were 17 when they started college and turned 18 during the same year.

[tavilach]

Originally posted by E's Lil Theorem:
Not to take anything away from tavilach's accomplishments, but aren't most freshmen 17/18? Some people I know were 17 when they started college and turned 18 during the same year.

Yup. I'm not special .

[Xeo]

Originally posted by E's Lil Theorem:
Not to take anything away from tavilach's accomplishments, but aren't most freshmen 17/18? Some people I know were 17 when they started college and turned 18 during the same year.

He's a year earlier than I would expect.

[tavilach]

Originally posted by Xeo:
He's a year earlier than I would expect.

Well, I turn 18 in December.

[spiky_dog]

Originally posted by tavilach:
Well, I turn 18 in December.

don't feel too freakish. i was as old (young) as you were, and one of my roommates was a year younger. and then we have the real young'uns such as at uw in the early entrance program

[tavilach]

Originally posted by spiky_dog:
don't feel too freakish. i was as old (young) as you were, and one of my roommates was a year younger. and then we have the real young'uns such as at uw in the early entrance program

I don't feel freakish at all...I love being young.

[thePurpleGiant]

Originally posted by tavilach:
I don't know if there will be a Q&A...but I hope so.

Originally posted by tavilach:
There will be an opportunity for students to ask questions after Bill's talk.

[spiky_dog]

Originally posted by thePurpleGiant:

there wasn't mention of bill gates answering those questions, was there?

[moonmonkey]

Originally posted by tavilach:
Yup. I'm not special .

Thats a matter of opinion.

[Zimphire]

Originally posted by Anders:
Food fight!!!!

[velodev]

Originally posted by tavilach:

I should blast "Bill Gates Must Die" outside the auditorium . No, I'll actually listen to him, just as I'd listen to the devil...they're both famous, and they both got far in the world (or whatever is beyond the world), so I could probably learn a little from either.

I was hoping you would add the typical tavilach immaturity to the post... whew, I was wondering for a bit...

[V12]

wear a apple shirt or something, or if you have a 'book bring it with you..haha


as for bill gates being rich, Steve isnt doing so bad himself, i was looking at the top 400 richest americans

1.Bill Gates
74. Steve Jobs

and at least steve has some dignity (and pays for haircuts )

[James L]

Or you could thank him for helping bail apple out of obscurity in the mid to late 90's... like Billy or not, at that time Apple was on the ropes in a big way. As part of patent dispute settlements m$ made a commitment to continue to make Mac office on the mac, IE for mac (which at the time was a big thing), and dumped 150 million cash into non voting stock.

It was a deal that worked two ways, but apple needed it far more than M$ did. In Q1 1996 Apple lost $740 million... in 1 3 month quarter. Damn. They did better in the next quarter, but still lost $33 million. Before that, in 1995, they had 1 billion dollars in backorders that they couldn't fill. In short, the company was dying.

In 1997 Jobs shook hands with Billy and made their deal. In an era where the Mac was in serious trouble, could you imagine what would have happened if switchers couldn't see the 2 most familiar products they were looking for on the Mac (Office and IE)? M$ could easily have written off the Mac at this time, putting another nail in the coffin.

Making the deal with M$, killing the clones, releasing the G3 in the powerline and then the iMac were instrumental to reviving Apple. Ensuring the most popular software remained on the Mac was a part of this puzzle.

We see things differently now, 7 short years later, as Apples bank account grows, 3 million macs sell per year, we are on track to selling 10 or 12 million iPods per year if apple gets its way, etc.

Have fun, and throw a pie for me if you get a chance!

Cheers!

James.

p.s. I recommend anyone who hasn't read through http://www.apple-history.com/frames/?

[bergen]

Ask him why the hell do they let Steve Ballmer out of his cage?

[tavilach]

Originally posted by velodev:
I was hoping you would add the typical tavilach immaturity to the post... whew, I was wondering for a bit...

No problem!

[James L]

Originally posted by bergen:
Ask him why the hell do they let Steve Ballmer out of his cage?

Now THIS is the number one question that should be asked!

[turtle777]

Originally posted by bergen:
Ask him why the hell do they let Steve Ballmer out of his cage?

Well, someone's gotta run M$.
They just picked the cleverest monkey they had...

-t

[mdc]

Originally posted by bergen:
Ask him why the hell do they let Steve Ballmer out of his cage?

[Judge_Fire]

Ask him how he personally feels about the bad publicity the company keeps getting.

Accusations of monopolistic behaviour, continued security problems, lagging product release schedules.

Not provocatively, but asking for his view of these issues from a personal point. The company is still pretty much his baby and it can't be easy to take all the **** being thrown at him.

J

[bradoesch]

Originally posted by James L:


It was a deal that worked two ways, but apple needed it far more than M$ did. In Q1 1996 Apple lost $740 million... in 1 3 month quarter. Damn. They did better in the next quarter, but still lost $33 million. Before that, in 1995, they had 1 billion dollars in backorders that they couldn't fill. In short, the company was dying.

[/url]

You're joking, right? It was $150 mil of non-voting stock.

Besides, Apple has always been dying.

[James L]

Originally posted by bradoesch:
You're joking, right? It was $150 mil of non-voting stock.

Besides, Apple has always been dying.

Nope, not joking. Even bigger than the 150 million, which to a company that lost almost a billion dollars in a year IS some much needed dough, was keeping the apps alive on the Mac.

Steve Jobs has said it many times, the Mac is only as good as the software that is available on it. I can guarantee you that if MS Office, Macromedia's products such as Flash and Dreamweaver, Adobe's creative suite, specifically Photoshop, and Quark Express were to be pulled from the Mac the market would shrink exponentially. Even if Apple could write their own apps as they did with Final Cut there are way to many people who will only switch if they see familiar products available to them. Apple is NOT an island, and Steve admitted this when he ate humble pie in 1997 and signed the deal with M$.

I bought my first Mac in 1986... I'm a 20 year user (I used the original Mac at work) and an 18 year owner. I love the Mac, but I am a realist. M$ making products for the Mac is a big reason many people switch. Them are the cold, hard realities of it.

To many people hate M$ without knowing why. I am not saying others don't have good reason, just that some are sheep that hate M$ for absolutely no good reason whatsoever. If you go here:

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants/

You will see that ol' Billy has given away over 7 billion dollars... almost 4 billion on world health issue alone. Like their products or not, I challenge people to show me fault in this.

As I said, I am a realist. I use Macs because they're the best machines for me. I use FCP for my video editing because it is the best solution for me. I use BBEdit for my coding because it is the best solution for me. I use Microsoft Office for my admin needs because it is the best solution for me. I still use powerpoint for my presentations because Keynote is still too limited for what I need. When it is better, if they ever update it, I hope to switch to it as I find it a better solution for many things. And, I admit that M$ played a role in Apple's revival!

[Eyenovation]

Since no one has written any legitimate questions, I'd ask:

1.) How have setbacks with Longhorn, and the media's outright criticism of your delays affected morale at the company, especially given the last major update to your OS was quite some time ago.

2.) By your own admission, you once proclaimed the Macintosh to be one of the most intuitive products in the technological market. How do their constant innovations affect your company, especially given the recent developments like your music store?

3.) I once read that everyone, up until your 3rd cousins have personal protection in place due to previous ransom requests. Can you comment on any of these stories, and how does the fact you are the richest man in the world affect your day to day actions.

*and finally

4.) Given you have more money than many countries, do you ever feel that too much.. is too much? I mean, I know you have the foundation, but does it ever pain you to see others dying while you make billions on top of billions.

(save that one for last).

Originally posted by James L:
Nope, not joking. Even bigger than the 150 million, which to a company that lost almost a billion dollars in a year IS some much needed dough, was keeping the apps alive on the Mac.

Apple had more than 2 billion dollars in the bank at the time. They most certainly did not need the money. It was a publicity stunt. It worked but people now falsely believe either it financially saved Apple, or that MS bought Apple.

MS continued MS Office development because it makes them lots of money. Again, the "agreement" was a PR stunt. That agreement is now over - notice MS still makes MS Office for Mac. Why? Because it gives MS profits.

Apple is NOT an island, and Steve admitted this when he ate humble pie in 1997 and signed the deal with M$.

Steve signed the agreement because the negative spin in the press was out of control. Journalists were so ignorant of the Mac platform it was sad. Pathetic really. Apple sold more Macs during that period than they do today - but you'd never know it. Go back and look at their annual report.

I bought my first Mac in 1986... I'm a 20 year user (I used the original Mac at work) and an 18 year owner. I love the Mac, but I am a realist. M$ making products for the Mac is a big reason many people switch. Them are the cold, hard realities of it.

That sadly, is true. But it is less and less true now. People are switching for a bigger variety of reasons today.

To many people hate M$ without knowing why. I am not saying others don't have good reason, just that some are sheep that hate M$ for absolutely no good reason whatsoever. If you go here:

I hate them because they stifle innovation and attempt to proprietize any standard that becomes popular.

You will see that ol' Billy has given away over 7 billion dollars... almost 4 billion on world health issue alone. Like their products or not, I challenge people to show me fault in this.

That's good that charities are getting the money. If I had 48 billion dollars, I would give away more than 47 billion dollars.

And, I admit that M$ played a role in Apple's revival!

I admit that M$ played a role because the public and the press were ignorant of the Mac platform. But yes, I admit it. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

[olePigeon]

Couple of questions you can ask:

Why does Microsoft think OS security isn't their responsibility?
Why is security only important if customers are willing to pay for it?