Parker Carlson

5-2-17

4B-Murray

Bill Gates

Bill Gates along with Paul Allen were the co-founders of the

highly successful company named Microsoft. Microsoft created

operating systems and software for computers that the general

consumer could now afford. By the age of 32 Gates had become the

world's youngest billionaire. Gates was a huge factor in the

technological revolution, was a trailblazer for quality computer

software to the masses and uses his wealth to be a philanthropist

and tackle some of the world's biggest problems.

From a young age gates used his talents and ingenuity to

prepare for the future and further his skills and learning.

Gates first combined business and his quick grasp of technology

at 16, when his Seattle high school paid him and Allen $2,400 to

write a program to arrange class schedules. It was at the same

institution, Lakeside Preparatory School, that he had first met

Allen when they spent long hours together working in the school's

new computer room. (Dalglish) By having this job with Allen they

formed a good relationship and acquired the programming skills

they needed to tackle major challenges in the future. Mainly the

ability to create programs effectively and efficiently. Having

this job was also a big wake up call that Gates and Allen could

make money through their knowledge of new technology. This can

be seen as the seed planted for Microsoft in the future.

When a company called MITS announced its revolutionary

first personal computer that stilled needed its own operating

system Gates and Allen saw an opportunity and took it. Gates and

Allen contacted the president of MITS and told him they had

already completed a program for the Altair. Panic set in when the

president asked to see the program, which they had not even

begun. Gates and Allen started working 24 hours a day in Gates'

dormitory room, using simulated 8800 software they created at

Harvard's computer lab since they had never seen the actual

microcomputer. (McPherson) After weeks of working on it they

completed the project and it was a success. Soon after Gates and

Allen birthed the company Microsoft and sold the programming

language they created as their first product.

Gates took advantage of the fact that computers would soon

be wide spread to the masses in order to provide a big boost to

his company. Gates "knew that people in schools everywhere would

have these computers." For the next six years, the BASIC language

that Gates and Allen wrote for the Altair was the industry

standard and dominated the software market. (McPherson) The

fact some software Gates and Allen created in a matter of weeks

dominated the market for 6 whole years exemplifies their spot as

a trailblazer for computer software. This span of 6 years also

helped put Microsoft on the map and raised a lot of attention

towards them.

Gates uses his billions to help the world through his

philanthropic foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

Microsoft is the world's largest developer and publisher of

software for personal computers. The companys success has made

Gates one of the wealthiest people in the world. Gates

contributes extensively to charitable causes through the Bill &

Melinda Gates Foundation. (Ferrell) Just through this

foundation they have significantly reduced the amount of cases of

polio and and are projected to completely rid it from the world

by 2018, this is only one of the few the foundation has worked to

solve.

Gates and his company revolutionized the computing industry

and paved the way for others to follow. He did this by being one

of the first companies that could provide the software everyone

needed to use. After achieving enormous wealth he has given

billions to help fight problems in the world like energy problems

and getting rid of polio.

 Works Cited

Dalglish, B. Genius at work. (cover story). Maclean's, Rogers Media Inc., 11 May 1992.

EBSCOhost, http://web.b.ebscohost.com/src_ic/detail/detail?sid=7083f59f-a01e-4345-

a09a-

838453bbbe43%40sessionmgr101&vid=0&hid=107&bdata=#AN=9205181036&db=f5h.

Accessed 18 Apr. 2017.

Ferrell, Keith. Gates, Bill | Article | World Book Student. World Book, 2017,

http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?

id=ar218320&st=bill+gates#tab=homepage. Accessed 18 Apr. 2017.

McPherson, James M. Bill Gates. American Government, 2000. ABC-CLIO,

https://americangovernment.abc-clio.com/Search/Results?q=196190. Accessed 18 Apr.

2017.