10 Things You Didn't Know About Microsoft And Bill Gates

Outlook Web Desk

Micro-Soft To Microsoft

Microsoft was originally called Micro-Soft, a combination of the terms microcomputer and software.

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Bill Gates Didn't Start Microsoft Alone

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates didn't start the company alone; his high school friend Paul Allen was the other half of the founding duo.

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Traf-O-Data

Before Microsoft, Gates and Allen created Traf-O-Data, a computerised machine that processed data from traffic counter tubes.

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The Blue Screen Of Death's Origin

The infamous Blue Screen of Death didn't debut in Windows; it first appeared in the OS/2 operating system.

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Gates' Da Vinci Purchase

In 1994, Bill Gates bought the Leicester Codex, a collection of Leonardo da Vinci's writings, and even featured some of the papers as a screensaver in Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95.

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MSNBC's Microsoft Connection

The "MS" in MSNBC stands for Microsoft, which co-founded the news network with NBC in 1996 before selling its stake in 2012.

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Gates' Record-Breaking Wealth

Bill Gates has been the richest person in the world since 1993, with a net worth exceeding $100 billion in 1999.

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Gates' Harvard Story

Although Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard, he attended for three years, had enough credits to graduate, and received an honorary doctorate in 2007.

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Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation 

Bill Gates co-founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with his ex-wife Melinda to tackle global issues like healthcare, education, and poverty.

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Stepping Down As CEO

Bill Gates stepped down as Microsoft CEO in 2000, before the release of Windows XP.

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