Хвалебная песнь Биллу (знание английского приветствуется) :)
реклама
Bill Gates – The Man Behind Technological Revolution
Personal computer plays an enormous role in today’s society. Modern systems can do practically anything human wants them to do. However, some quarter of a century ago the development of technology was fairly slow, and nobody even had an idea as to what computers can be capable of. However, these misconceptions, being common among users, were not accepted by a very small number of innovators, who believed that determination and hard work can stimulate the industry to rapid development. They saw it as an open field, a new land full of discoveries, opportunities, and infinite ways of further development. One of those innovators was Bill Gates, founder and present-day CEO of Microsoft Inc. He is a living legend, a person that created world’s biggest corporation, and who revolutionized the role of computer industry in entertainment, education, business, communication, and the majority of aspects of today’s technology-based society.
William H Gates was born on October 27, 1955 in Seattle, Washington. Showing early interest in computers, he as early as in middle school debugged (or eliminated errors from) programs at a local company. In high school, he together with his friend and future business partner Paul Allen created a firm that dealt with local traffic patterns. Gates entered Harvard University in 1973. After a year and a half of college, he read about a computer called Altair made by a small company in New Mexico, which is believed to be the first true personal computer. He realized that the forefront of computer software technology was the place to be. Gates and Allen co-founded Microsoft in 1975, only days after Gates dropped out of Harvard, in such a way creating the new branch of industry – software engineering, since there was no such thing before. Approximately five years later, he created MS-DOS, the most successful and well-sold piece of software in history – the company ended up selling around 10 million copies. It was an indisputable success. However, even bigger success was waiting right around the corner: the new operating system, Microsoft Windows, totally revolutionized everything about operating systems, coming up with multitasking and window interface to which we are so used today. Michael Moritz said, “It is difficult to think of a company in the history of the world that positioned to influence so many aspects of life as Microsoft”(1).
Microsoft Corporation nearly has a monopoly on the computer operation systems market: “ By late 1996, over 90% of all PCs had a Microsoft operating system” (“Bill Gates” 4). This fact says that Microsoft plays a near-vital role in society in general, and its products are necessary and helpful tools that are used in a lot of aspects of business, education, and communication. The integration of computers into such areas as scientific research and medicine helped to advance and speed up progress in those areas significantly. With the help of computers, scientific calculations that used to take hours or even days to process now take only seconds or even fractions of a second, development of new medications or further study of chemical substances had become easier and faster. The most standout benefit of computers is that they can handle enormous amounts of information, perform the tasks quickly, efficiently, and promptly, and therefore, they are useful helpers in solving scientific problems. “The boundary between computer science and the other sciences historically was a fairly hard boundary, and that is breaking down” (Gates 14). However, as important information technologies are in those areas, it is nowhere near the influence they have in business. Majority of today’s companies simply cannot function without perfectly working communications and word processing programs, file sharing and conferences demand high-speed and reliable network connections. And here Microsoft steps into the spotlight: its server and desktop operating systems, as well as commonly known Microsoft Office software packages provide everything large offices need today.
Gates’ accomplishments as a software engineer and a businessman in relatively small period of time were significant in establishing computer as an essential part of modern life. Not only he provided the ideas, but also he put his mind into it, he believed in his success. His incredible energy and determination helped him create an industry where there was literally nothing. “Great ideas alone don’t guarantee success – you have to create an environment where those ideas can be transformed into products that are easy to use, a great value, and widely available”(“Inside Out” 1). He is a true innovator, a person, who revolutionized the world of information technologies, since everything Microsoft Inc. had accomplished, especially in early years of it’s activity, belongs to hands and mind of this man. His success many times changed the way people think about computers, opened minds of scientists and businessmen to new horizons in their occupations. Without Gates and his corporation, technology would most likely be tens of years behind the position it is now in.
Great advances and breakthroughs were made, but there is a lot more that can be done. It is hard to believe that computers are only on their early stages of their evolution, similar to where cars were in 1930s. Hardly anyone can even imagine what can be accomplished before computer technology exhausts its potentialities, most of researchers believe that there is actually no limit to what a computer can do. According to prognoses, current generation will most likely witness the birth of artificial intelligence, which means that in 50 years having a robot at home will be almost like having a dishwasher or a refrigerator today. Thus not only software, but also hardware will undergo rapid and extreme advancements. Moore’s law states that computational power of a computer chip doubles every 18 months. Looking at the abilities today’s computers have, it is hard to imagine how powerful they will be in 15 years. “We’re lucky enough to live in the age when the potential of computer technology to change our lives still appears limitless”(“Inside Out” 70).
Bill Gates’ part in changing the shape of information technologies over last 25 years is without any doubt the biggest commitment anybody has ever had in one particular field. His talents, determination, and business skills turned a hobby of a few into an essential part of life of millions. Together with creating world’s biggest and most influential corporation, he made computers get into every house, every school, and every office. There is no doubt that Bill gates is a bright example of twenty-first century revolutionary, that uses the power of mind to change the world.
реклама
Лента материалов
Соблюдение Правил конференции строго обязательно!
Флуд, флейм и оффтоп преследуются по всей строгости закона!
Комментарии, содержащие оскорбления, нецензурные выражения (в т.ч. замаскированный мат), экстремистские высказывания, рекламу и спам, удаляются независимо от содержимого, а к их авторам могут применяться меры вплоть до запрета написания комментариев и, в случае написания комментария через социальные сети, жалобы в администрацию данной сети.
Сейчас обсуждают