Inside out [antikvár]

The story of Microsoft really began in December 1974, when my friend Paul Allen and I saw an article in Popular Electronics describing a new "personal computer" called the MITS Altair 8800. The Altair was very different from the mainframe computers that we were used to back then. It was a build-it-yourself kit for hobbyistswhat arrived in the mail wasn't a fully assembled computer, just some bags of parts and a set of photocopied instructions. After a few days (or weeks) of soldering, you ended up with a computer roughly the size of a bread box, with rows of switches and blinking lights.It wasn't much to look at, and it was pretty much impossible to make it do anything useful, but right away we thought the Altair was the start of a revolution that would change the world. The "brain" of the Altairthe inexpensive Intel 8080 microprocessor made possible a truly human-scale computer that could fit on a desk. In those days, when computers usually lived in air-conditioned glass rooms surrounded by trained technicians, that was an amazing achievement.To transform that achievement into a breakthrough, the Altair needed software that could make it perform useful computing tasks. That set Paul and me on the path to forming our own software company.We knew that microprocessors would become more powerful and less expensive, so the cost of computers would come down. We figured that would bring them within reach of far more people, from entrepreneurs to students to home users. And we concluded that this would create a huge demand for software. We formed a little partnership called Micro-Soft so we could be a part of this transformation.Over the years, the PC has grown from a hobbyist's toy into an indispensable tool that continues to change the world. It has revolutionized how we deal with information, how we communicate, and how we work, learn, and play. And the little company Paul and I dreamed up sitting around my college dorm room is now the world's biggest software company, employing almost 40,000 people in more than 50 countries. From our roots in programming languages andoperating systems, we've ventured into just about every kind of software you can imagine, from industrial-strength servers to games.We started with a vision of "a computer on every desk and in every home." This book tells the story of how we turned that visionwhich many critics saw as nothing but a fantasyinto reality. Hundreds of current and former Microsoft employees were interviewed about our first 25 yearsthe successes and failures, the personal and professional challenges, and their dreams for the future.Looking back at what we've achieved in 25 years, I feel certain that we'll have even more impressive things to remember in our 50th year. Every day, we're finding new ways for technology to enhance and enrich people's lives. We're really just getting started.Those storieswhich could fill ten bookschronicle our growth from scrappy start-up to industry leader. They tell of the risks we've taken, the intense competition we've weathered, and the new trails we've blazed. They explain the complex process that takes us from good ideas to great products. They reveal what we're thinking about how technology can improve society and change the world. And they offer insight into the principles and values that make our company tick.We don't often look back at what we've accomplished, but now seems like a good time to do so. Not only is nostalgia fun, but it's important to be reminded from time to time that anything is possible. In 25 years, we've accomplished so many things that people said were impossible, and we'veshattered every myth about what the PC can't do. As ambitious as we were at the outset, we had no idea that we'd become such a large and influential company, or that we'd lead an industry that's come to play such an important role in the global economy.