The Logic Off Topic list

>True but it's worth noting that a few years back Microsoft's core 
>business was programming languages.  Now where would they be today if 
>they just sat back and let IBM or whoever do operating systems and 
>applications just because it wasn't their core business?

This is not the legend I heard. Are you implying Microsoft was actually a 
business before DOS? I heard that Bill Gate's mother knew someone at IBM, 
and on the basis of that got her Billy boy an interview. Bill, who may 
not have any talent at computers, but who does have a huge talent as a 
bullshit artist, claimed to have a wonderful OS to run on the upcoming 
PC's. He was awarded  a contract, then decided he actually needed an OS. 
So he found this guy who wrote DOS, and not telling him what he wanted it 
for, bought for $25,000 or so with no royalties. 

Then when the Mac came out, Gates wanted to copy it immediately. So he 
got his hands on the Mac OS under the guise of writing Excel, then 
proceeded to copy it lock, stock and barrel but they never got it quite 
right.

In general, the history of Microsoft is one of outrageously aggressive 
marketing of bugware. Everyone in the computer industry seems to know 
this, and the US justice dept, its only the end users who don't keep up 
on the history that think Gates is some kind of nerd god.

Steve Jobs is the true innovator that Gates wrongly gets the credit for.