back to article Gates kicks off farewell tour in Vegas

Bill Gates took the stage at CES last night to sing the first notes in a swan song that promises to eclipse even Tony Blair’s long goodbye. The Microsoft founder, who will step down from the company later this year, gave attendees his latest thoughts on the future of a digital revolution which some believe he largely brought …

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  1. Karl Lattimer
    Gates Horns

    Good riddence!

    “During the next Digital Decade, technology will make our lives richer, more connected, more productive and more fulfilling in profound and exciting ways.”

    - Still hasn't updated his speech since the start of the last digital decade then.

    "Of course, Microsoft has been part-way there for years, with users well used to making hand (and even foot) gestures at kit running Microsoft software. It’s just that to date, the software has failed to respond appropriately."

    - I actually knew of a machine with a dodgy power unit that actually rebooted when you, erm booted it :)

    “(everyday computing) will be far more pervasive... multiple people sitting in front of a photo collection working together. It will be on the refrigerator. Just far easier to get to.”

    - Still having trouble selling internet enabled fridges Bill? Obviously you don't know where my fridge is, and surely looking at a photo collection is far easier when sitting in the living room in front of the HD screen running Freevo than it could ever be on the blocking entry to the fridge, which contains food? not my ideal location for a slide show... Keep the internet out of my fridge Bill, this is your last warning!

  2. Ian Ferguson
    Happy

    Hurray! Internet Fridges

    Internet Fridges are almost like a running joke now, it seems tech gurus have been warbling about them for well over ten years. I suspect dear old Bill will realise, on his deathbed, that nobody wants to view photos / do shopping on their fridge. In the meantime, at least he still provides entertainment.

  3. andy rock
    Stop

    WTF?

    “I'll be diving into global health, which is almost like the early days of PCs (in) the way you build partnerships.”

    ?????

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Halo

    Steve?

    "Steve and the rest of the gang and wondering what great things they’re all developing."

    I take it you're taking about Steve Jobs.

  5. Andy

    Farewell tour indeed

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/entertainment_enl_1199706673/img/1.jpg

    What's that quaint word that the kids use when they've just been well and truly stuffed by someone on the ol' 'puter? Oh yeah...pwned!

    And in other news, was I the only one excited by the BBC headline 'Gates joins Dancing on Ice stars' until realising it was the Pop Idol singer, Gareth, rather than the world's richest geek?

  6. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Coat

    I DO NOT ...

    want my fridge to order beer for me. In any case, any such fridge will likely be hacked, and given the content of my spam-box, it will start ordering dubious blue pills or even American mortgages for me (and WHY OH WHY would I want any one of those).

    <rant>

    Whenever I am told my home-stereo will "think for me" and play the right kind of music (i.e. the music "we know you want") I am reminded of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation's GPP feature (of the self-satisfied doors and manically depressive robot; we all miss you Douglas). Coming home in a foul mood and having soothing music being played at me would quite probably have me giving my stereo a reprogramming it would never forget (yes, with an axe). Why do these "ubiquitous computing" people not realize that MANY PEOPLE QUITE LIKE THINKING FOR THEMSELVES.

    </rant>

    <hat/>

    <coat/>

    Outahere

  7. Giles Jones Gold badge

    Microsoft innovate again!

    Gates talking about how great multitouch software is going to be when Apple has a product using this technology already in the market.

    Typical Microsoft, miss the boat and then hype up the technology.

    Gates made a similar gaff when talking about the future of games technology, saying how future consoles would have new control mechanisms and how you would be able to wave the remote around. When told the Wii did this already he denied that was what he was talking about.

    Bill needs to get out more, experience what is out there instead of sitting in his Microsoft dream world.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Halo

    Diving into his charity

    How much of his work in third words countries is involved with 'persuading' governments not to use Linux?

    We all know he's as objective as a fatty-boom-boom on a see-saw.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    happy days!

    think bill has finally jumped the shark. his vision of the future is a serious indication of the extent to which he is completely out of touch. and "monkey boy" balmer is left holding the reins - is this really what passes for a blue chip tech co these days? really?

  10. Matt Bucknall

    @Andy

    'Gates joins Dancing on Ice stars'

    Yeah, that got me too. The disappointment!

  11. Eduard Coli
    Gates Horns

    Yeah sure

    Billwg may say he is going to focus on his pet tax shelter but he still has his other monopoly in image reproduction to be called Corbis.

    Corbis manages reproduction rights for entire collections effectively giving them a monopoly of pieces in that collection.

  12. Deep Tank
    Thumb Up

    Settel down people...

    OK, so Bill plyed a pioneering role in the development of home and business computers for the last 30-odd years, Then he set up a charitable foundation, which is the biggest in the world.

    What's there to bitch about, you ungrateful short-sighted morons? What have YOU done lately?

  13. Charles Manning

    Richer future?

    Volume and speed are but poor substitutes for a RealLife.

    Having your fridge ordering groceries for you (no doubt the fridge company taking a cut for every Brand X sold) and your intelligent TV deciding what you want to watch (kickbacks) and Wikipedia etc deciding what you should know is making people more like worker ants than thinking beings.

    The richness of human experience comes from diversity and individual thought and action - things that don't come via the internet.

    I'm no Luddite. I use the internet etc as a tool and for some entertainment but I don't want it to take over my life.

  14. David Shea
    Gates Halo

    Pre-ordered beer? Yes please

    Well, I for one would be happy to let my internet fridge order beer, especially if it was paid by a direct debit from Jeremy Clarkson's account.

  15. Stuart Gray

    @Deep Tank

    Because he made his cash by illegally squeezing out legitimate competition, and pushing substandard software and services on a public which had little choice, due his illegal monopolistic practises.

    Stuart

  16. Sridhar Ayengar

    Gestures...

    Gestures, huh? I have a gesture I can use with a Windows box.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Uh oh - health

    I can see why Gates wants to 'dive' into health, given the humongous profits in that sector and his "I don't care if they die as long as they buy my products" stance it'll indeed be a bit like him diving a la Dagobert Duck into a huge pile of money.

    The irony is that he will be immediately faced with the need for a Home, a Pro and a "Bill" version because he is getting older, and I can't imagine him losing that self serving gene that has helped him so well (and scrwed us so badly) over the years.

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