As he ages, Bill Gates, the visionary behind Microsoft, remains nostalgic about the pivotal computer code he authored five decades ago. This code, although rudimentary compared to the sophisticated systems fueling today’s artificial intelligence, was instrumental in the formation of Microsoft in April 1975. On Friday, the company headquartered in Redmond, Washington, will commemorate this significant milestone with a special celebration.
In anticipation of this jubilee, Gates, now 69, penned a reflective blog post. He reminisced about the hurried pace he and his high school companion, Paul Allen – who has since passed away – set to establish the globe’s inaugural “software factory.” Their drive was sparked by an article in the January 1975 Popular Electronics magazine. The piece highlighted the Altair 8800, a minicomputer powered by a small processor from Intel, then a little-known tech firm.
This magazine article galvanized Gates, a Harvard freshman at the time, and Allen to reach out to Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, the creator of the Altair. They assured CEO Ed Roberts that they had developed the necessary software to operate the hardware. The catch was that they hadn’t actually devised the promised code yet.
To meet this challenge, Gates and Allen utilized the existing BASIC computer language, created at Dartmouth College in 1964. They embarked on adapting this language to be compatible with the Altair computer, despite not possessing a prototype for reference. After two months of intense work and little sleep, Gates completed the code, forming the foundation of the Altair’s pioneering operating system. “That code remains the coolest I’ve ever written,” Gates remarked in his blog, where readers can download the original program.
This code laid down the groundwork for a company that would transform personal computers into an essential part of daily life. Microsoft developed a range of software that included Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the Windows operating system, which continues to power a majority of PCs worldwide. Gates commented in an accompanying video, “That was the revolution. That was the thing that ushered in personal computing.”
This reminiscence is part of Gates’ reflective period this year as he nears his 70th birthday in October. His sentimental journey also included the publication of a memoir in February detailing his early years, characterized by being often misunderstood and having few friends. Moreover, he celebrated the 25th anniversary of the philanthropic foundation he established following his departure as Microsoft’s CEO in 2000. Although Microsoft initially faced challenges after Gates’ exit, it has flourished under CEO Satya Nadella, reaching a market value of approximately $2.8 trillion.
In his memoir, Gates also delves into his complex relationship with Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple, whose company will mark its 50th anniversary next year. “Fifty years is a long time,” stated Gates, whose wealth is estimated at $108 billion. “It’s crazy that the dream came true.”