Greg Stewart wrote:
>
> Um...
>
> 1, Gates created the first version DOS.
---> snip
Greg: Actually, Gates didn't actually create the first DOS -- at least
not in the normal sense of "create". He bought it from a company called
Seattle Microsystems (I think that was their name). They had written it
as a 16 bit version of CP/M for use with their 16 bit computers -- real
bleeding edge stuff in those days. The neat part of the story (and quite
possibly totally inaccurate) is that some IBM executives went to Seattle
to talk to Gary Kildall, the President of Digital Research and the
author of CP/M) about licensing his CP/M-16 system, and then to see Bill
about acquiring rights to MicroSoft Basic. Kildall (a genuine character,
from all accounts) decided to play hard to get, and took off for Africa
on a safari. Gates heard about all of this, so he called Seattle
Microsystems and made them one helluva an offer. They took it. When the
IBM guys showed up at Microsoft, Gates said, "Oh, by the way, would you
be interested in my new operating system?" I don't know how much of the
above is true (other than Gates did buy the original DOS from Seattle
Microsystems), but it is a good story.
-- Carroll Grigsby
