is it true that Bill Gates/Microsoft founded the PC industry?

[angarahad]

Not sure if I'm putting this post in the correct sub-forum!
But my Mom really piqued my interest in this question.
She thinks Bill Gates is God's gift to computers
(much like she thinks Bush is God's gift to the presidency).

She truly believes that she would be unable to use a computer without the Windows Graphical User Interface--and since Gates is the first one (in her mind!) to come up with this technology--he must be beyond reproach.

my gut instinct says she has to be wrong in these misassumptions.

any thoughts?

[ronjor]

A little reading. :) http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa031599.htm

Apple popularized the Graphical User Interface. Windows was Microsoft's answer to Apple.

More reading: http://www.pc-history.org/

[monkeyman]

she must worship Al Gore then because Al Gore "invented the Internet"

[Firecat]

And Intel for making the first x86 Microprocessor..... :)

<No offense intended>

[big ed]

You're all WRONG!!

Any fool (especially this one) knows that 'Baked Bean Man' was the founder of most everything troublesome!!

Would I lie in Lynchburg, l'il ed

[tansu]

Instead I am a linux user, I must agree with her.
I always thought that, if we put a baby in room, with a pc (not installed an OS) and a Windows XP CD,
And if we put another baby in an another room with another pc (not installed an OS) and a FreeBSD or Slackware CD
What happens in the next 20 years?
Let me tell you, the baby with the XP cd, installs the OS to the PC, connects to the internet and became a PC guru in that room.
But the other baby with the linux cd, I guess he/she never will be able to run an OS in that pc, even if he/she runs the OS, he wont be able to use it properly.. You get what I mean...
So what Bill (which I personally hate) did a good job on that.

[big ed]

-{ Quote: "Instead I am a linux user, I must agree with her.
I always thought that, if we put a baby in room, with a pc (not installed an OS) and a Windows XP CD,
And if we put another baby in an another room with another pc (not installed an OS) and a FreeBSD or Slackware CD
What happens in the next 20 years?
Let me tell you, the baby with the XP cd, installs the OS to the PC, connects to the internet and became a PC guru in that room.
But the other baby with the linux cd, I guess he/she never will be able to run an OS in that pc, even if he/she runs the OS, he wont be able to use it properly.. You get what I mean...
So what Bill (which I personally hate) did a good job on that." }-

Sounds pretty clear to me! You end up w/two dysfunctional adults provided their diapers were changed weekly and were fed occassionally! What about shoes?

I assume that you know Billy personally! Hate!! WOW!!

I'm taken aback in Altoona, big ed

[MikeBCda]

Back to topic, whatever the heck that was ...

Our first office computer was an Osborne "portable" -- so named because it had a handle, although it weighed something like 70 pounds. Supposedly it was the very first commercially-available computer that you could simply plug in, turn on, and start entering commands, as opposed to having to do at least some "breadboarding".

Its OS was CP/M, which Billy liked so much that he "borrowed" huge chunks of it as a model for MS-DOS.

[Icewind]

Hmm... I thought Bill Gates was the chairman of Microsoft Corporation. :)

David.