If Bill gates enter

Probally wouldn't ask him anything, I would much rather ask a million air questions then a billionair . But if I did ask him something it would be about there online marketing strategies.

I would ask him who he thinks would win in a fight between him and Woody Allen.

You want ME to tell you how Microsoft took off?!?!?!? OK, HERE is what happened!

1. There was a fairly WORTHLESS commodity that had POTENTIAL! It was called the computer. WHY was it worthless? You had to program it in a VERY unique and complex way. The average person would NOT even ATTEMPT such a feat. Large companies often wanted a bigger audience, to reduce costs. Without software, a computer is a worthless hunk of junk!

2. Bill Gates got an EASY language, and tailored it to the systems. A manufacturer could SLIGHTLY modify their system, plug in M/Ss chip, and viola! A WORTHLESS hobbyist curiousity could become a present for some kid that could later make it BETTER!

3. He tried to get everyone on board because HIS product could make that WORTHLESS commodity actually WORTH something.

SURPRISINGLY, he almost FAILED! That was difficult to do, but he almost did. Until a little company by the name of apple approached him.

BTW Apple succeeded because it was a neat package that came with enough to get going. The market caused other companies to make software for it. Some popular software for a time really only ran on APPLE! THEN, Apple added the UCSD system, that almost became the java of its day, and an emulator to run CP/M.

Later, M/S did the same with DOS, that they had with basic, but that was "licensed" from seattle microworks, and a knock off of CP/M(an already popular product). He then did it again with windows. Windows needed a different type of software, so they really took off into the application market. By that time, visicalc, for example, probably really only supported one other computer. One guess as to WHICH! 8-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VisiCalc

Oh sure, they DID have other languages, etc... after basic and before DOS, but how many here even know NOW that they once sold a COBOL compiler, for example? And they DID get XENIX, but how many here remember THAT!?!?

Steve