Bill Gates Shares the Code That Started It All: A Look Back at Microsoft's Genesis
A Piece of Tech History Now Available: Bill Gates Unveils Original Microsoft Code
In a significant nod to the past and a treat for tech enthusiasts worldwide, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has publicly shared the original source code that laid the foundation for the global technology giant. To commemorate Microsoft's 50th anniversary, Gates took to his personal "Gates Notes" blog to reminisce about the company's formative years and, in a remarkable gesture, provided access to what he fondly calls "the coolest code I've ever written."
This release offers a unique glimpse into the minds and efforts of the young Bill Gates and his partner Paul Allen, showcasing the ingenuity and sheer determination that propelled them to create the first product of their fledgling company, originally named "Micro-Soft." This act of sharing is not just a historical footnote; it's an opportunity to witness the genesis of the software revolution firsthand.
Inspired by Innovation: From a Magazine Cover to a Revolutionary Code
Gates's journey to writing this pivotal code began with a spark of inspiration from the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. The cover story featured the Altair 8800, a groundbreaking personal computer developed by MITS, a small but ambitious company. This glimpse into the future of computing ignited an idea in the then 19-year-old Gates, a Harvard student at the time, and his friend Paul Allen.
Recognizing the potential of the Altair, Gates and Allen boldly contacted MITS, claiming they had developed a version of the programming language BASIC compatible with the Altair's chip. BASIC would be crucial software, enabling users to actually program and interact with the new personal computer.
The Birth of Micro-Soft: Coding Against the Clock
As Gates candidly admits in his blog post, there was a significant hurdle: "There was just one problem," he wrote. "We didn't." Undeterred, Gates and his collaborators embarked on an intense coding marathon. For two relentless months, they "coded day and night" to bring their claim to reality, creating the software they had promised already existed.
Their dedication paid off. Gates and Allen presented their newly developed code to the president of MITS, who was impressed enough to agree to license the software. This pivotal moment marked the birth of their company. "Altair BASIC became the first product of our new company, which we decided to call Micro-Soft," Gates recounted. The hyphen, as history shows, was eventually dropped.
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A Legacy in Code: Download a Piece of Computing History
Now, five decades later, this foundational code is available for public download through Bill Gates's blog post. This is an extraordinary opportunity for programmers, historians, and anyone curious about the origins of modern computing to examine the very code that helped launch a technological revolution.
"Computer programming has come a long way over the last 50 years, but I'm still super proud of how it turned out," Gates wrote, reflecting on the impact of his early work. This act of sharing underscores the significance of this code not just for Microsoft, but for the entire trajectory of the digital age.
Conclusion: A Rare Glimpse into the Dawn of Software
Bill Gates's decision to share the original Microsoft source code is a remarkable event for the tech world. It offers a tangible connection to the very beginnings of the personal computer era and the foundation upon which so much of our modern technology is built. This act of digital preservation and sharing is a testament to the enduring legacy of innovation and the power of those early lines of code that changed the world.
Have you downloaded the original Microsoft source code? What are your thoughts on this piece of tech history?
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