Microsoft's Albuquerque Group--then and now

(Credit: Microsoft)

Almost 30 years ago, as Microsoft was preparing to leave Albuquerque, N.M., for Seattle, the original team gathered on Dec. 7, 1978, to pose for a photo. Pictured are, back row, from left: Steve Wood, Bob Wallace, Jim Lane; second row, from left: Bob O' Rear, Bob Greenberg, Marc McDonald, Gordon Letwin; front row, from left: Bill Gates, Andrea Lewis, Marla Wood, Paul Allen.

(Credit: Microsoft)

In this recent update of the original "Albuquerque Group," almost all are in their same positions. The notable changes are the addition of Miriam Lubow, an office manager who missed the original seating because of a snowstorm, and the absence of Bob Wallace, inventor of the term shareware, who died in 2002.

For more on the photo participants, see Newsweek.

[sanverim]

Gates and Allen management created a great CO, they were the right characters to create this giant phenomenum in the start of the hightech revolution. Time for them to step aside as honoraries and replaced by new aggressive management that will develope MSFT potential to new highs. The CO, that controle 95% of global PCs, is sitting on a huge undeveloped "treasury DATA" and currently its mindset is: "the neighbor grass is greener". Software and Internet developments must continue, it's possible the accumulated DATA contains unlimited horizons that must be examined.

[t8]

Bunch of old farts now.

Let Google take the lead because it is the 21st century and what do these 60s hippies know about the Internet?

[skguine]

You are missing the point.

[exmsft]

Well, considering Bill is the last of the as you call them "old farts" in the picture to leave Microsoft, looks like you needn't worry about how Internet-savvy they are.

[UITD]

Watch Google crash in 2009. People are sick and tired of the young, arrogant, **** head. All you Google-bots all in for a real wake-up call.

[Kwasiowusu]

Letting Google "takeover", as you call it, would be tantamount to letting the Great Satan takeover. Google is the greatest source of evil on the internet right now. Luckily, no one,least of all Google, is going to take over the internet. Out of outfits like Facebook, have come out of nowhere and smoked Google in social networking and aquired close to a 100 million users in next to no time, not to mention Myspace(over 150 million registered users). Meanwhile, Google's own social networking efforts continue to go nowhere.

[holzfaller]

As far as I know, social networking sites, while having a lot of users, have not yet made any money. Google is making billions.

[mombourquette]

Say what you will about Microsoft and the practices that made them the most successful and influential software company in history; but without Gates and company the software industry would still be a bunch of good intentioned engineers working on small scale academic projects. Gates and Microsoft forced all of us to take notice of the business of software and factor it into our development efforts. They made us realize that we need to solve the problems that people actually want solved. I for one say, "thanks" to all of them.

All that being said.....I am current using Firefox 3 on a Ubuntu box reply to this post.

INNOVATE....AND FEAR GOOGLE!

[mombourquette]

Say what you will about Microsoft and the practices that made them the most successful and influential software company in history; but without Gates and company the software industry would still be a bunch of good intentioned engineers working on small scale academic projects. Gates and Microsoft forced all of us to take notice of the business of software and factor it into our development efforts. They made us realize that we need to solve the problems that people actually want solved. I for one say, "thanks" to all of them.

All that being said.....I am current using Firefox 3 on a Ubuntu box reply to this post.

INNOVATE....AND FEAR GOOGLE!

[falkensmaze]

Obviously its plain to see that something is still not right with your ubuntu/firefox setup then when u had to post this twice, try i.e. on vista, never gives gives you that prob ;)

[bugma302]

One of the things I love about MS. The people in photo two are worth more than many small countries and they all look like they shop at Asda (Wal-Mart).

[holzfaller]

I have always admired what Bill Gates and his team accomplished. They had a vision, and worked tirelessly to make it a reality.