Sounding off on Gates' farewell

One of the best parts of working on the Bill Gates transition stories was checking in with some of the pioneers of our industry.

Although the audio here was part of the reflections package that posted earlier Tuesday, I thought it was worth calling out our files of three luminaries reminiscing about Gates.

Below are the words of Ethernet creator Robert Metcalfe, Lotus founder Mitch Kapor, and VisiCalc's Dan Bricklin.

AUDIO

Robert Metcalfe

Gates 'isn't evil'
Ethernet co-inventor Robert Metcalfe heavily criticized Gates in the 1990s on issues of Micrsoft's anticompetitiveness. Yet, he admits he likes Gates, even if the sentiment is unreturned.
Download mp3 (999KB)

Dan Bricklin

Dancing Gates memories
Dan Bricklin, co-creator of VisiCalc spread sheets, talks about Gates' willingness to do anything--including dancing at conferences--for his business and for the industry.
Download mp3 (3.85MB)

Mitch Kapor

Competing with Gates
Mitch Kapor, the creator of Lotus 1-2-3 software, acknowledges Gates' early intensity and drive.
Download mp3 (2.77MB)

[Penguinisto]

Damn - it's like the unpopular guy leaving the party... always sticking his head back in the door to say One More Thing, while the rest of the party is wishing he'd just go already...

[MSSlayer]

In 29 years Gates is going to be seen a he truly was, an impediment to innovation and progress, incompetent, unethical, and immoral. His current attempts to erase 30+ years of evil and laughable incompetence is not going to work on anyone but the mindless pro-MS sheep.

[JTMontgomery]

Well what would life be with out challanges? Bill Gates is no more evil than the people who are making the comments. What would the business world be with out Microsoft. Bill Gates is a winner and will be missed.

[MSSlayer]

Where would the computing business be without Microsoft? A lot further along than it is now. Microsoft has kept the industry down by silencing the true innovators down. Gates is only a winner in the greed category. If you count competence, ethics, helpfulness to the industry and humanity at large(aka things that matter) Gates and MS is a big loser. No one will miss him because he does not matter.