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[plix]

While normally I'd agree with you, are you at all serious? Bill-Gates-as-an-icon has never sold Microsoft products. Hard core techies don't really give a muck who runs the company, PHBs are far more interested in buzz-words and the bottom line, and MS already had a dominant market share by the time Gates really came into the limelight as the richest man in the world.

Microsoft has always been successful because of brilliant, underhanded, and often illegal business tatics. They've never needed to bank on the marketability of a single person. Think about it: what good are icons/brands but in instilling trust and familiarity? When is the last time that "Bill Gates" or "Microsoft" made you step back and say "now there's quality!"? Sure, you're familiar with the brand; but you're familiar with Microsoft, not Bill Gates. Microsoft has a monopoly they abuse and that's why they're successful. They aren't respected, their products aren't exactly beacons of quality, and no one in their right mind (including much of the non-technically-inclined public) trusts them.

[Lucullus]

Plix: I agree in some terms, but what is brilliant about Microsoft and BG is that the way he started it all... paying a small sum for a software that soon became super popular and installed on every computer is what makes Microsoft what they are... and where other software companies fail MS wins... they just keep at it because now they can afford it all.
And just because BG steps down, doesn't mean he leaves... he's just going to be the chairman of the board for as long as they elect him (let's face it... forever??)
Nothing will change... and Microsoft is still the biggest Software company in the world and will continue to control 90% of the market.

[Mighty Midget]

Well yes, to a tech wizz BG is not very relevant. But most of the world's pc buyers are NOT tech wizzes. Anyway, I was toying with a thought, I might be dead wrong, I don't know. But one thing seems clear: BG will still be able to pay his electricity bill.

[Tulac]

Well what stops Bill Gates from being a logo, he'll still be the president of (board of shareholders?) in Microsoft, and he will still appear in the media through his charity, and I betcha that every time when he'll appear in media they'll say Bill Gates the founder of microsoft has done that and that blah blah...

[Quintopotere]

But as far as I know, all the decisions in M$ were passing over the desk(top) of Bill... if he'll stop to supervise that, M$ is going to change in some way... well, I can say all the worst about him, but I can't deny that he have a "vision" of the future...

[Elon Yariv]

Bill Gates retires? What reason should he ever have? He has no worthy opponents so his job is really easy, it's no hard work. Thats the most common reason to retire on your own good will... as far as I know.

[Danny252]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Elon Yariv @ Jun 17 2006, 12:17 PM) [snapback]237307[/snapback]</div>

Bill Gates retires? What reason should he ever have? He has no worthy opponents so his job is really easy, it's no hard work. Thats the most common reason to retire on your own good will... as far as I know.
[/b]

Everyone said already... to work more with his charity...

[U-Boat Commander David]

I think I'll confound my critics by devoting this letter not to describing contumelious quidnuncs in general, but Microsoft in particular. To plunge right into it, once you understand Microsoft's remonstrations, you have a responsibility to do something about them. To know, to understand, and not to act, is an egregious sin of omission. It is the sin of silence. It is the sin of letting Microsoft rule with an iron fist. Microsoft seems to assume that superstition is no less credible than proven scientific principles. This is an assumption of the worst kind because the picture I am presenting need not be confined to its notions. It applies to everything Microsoft says and does. Do you understand the implications of what I have been telling you? Are you awake? Then you probably realize that Microsoft can't attack my ideas, so it attacks me. It could be worse, I suppose. It could make hooliganism socially acceptable. I have now said everything there is to say. So, to summarize it all, people like Microsoft make me sick.

From:

Scott Pakin's automatic complaint-letter generator

LOL

[Lucullus]

Nothing will get past Bill Gates. Now they have to get all ideas thru the board and guess who's chairman there? Yep... BG the man... so he'll not let any changes happen that go against what M$ has always been.
And yep... he will be able to afford he's yearly vacation to Arruba