1
1
1
I have always wondered what it would be like to spend the evening with Bill Gates. Never having known a billionaire before and being known for bad haircuts myself I thought that it might be interesting.
"Wow, Bill, this is some kind of place!"
"Thanks, Dave, we like it. Do you want a Coke?"
"No, thank you, Bill."
"Are you sure? If you like, I’ll ask you again later."
"Thank you, no."
"Do you see this view, Dave? It’s the finest view in the whole state."
"I agree, that is an amazing vista!"
"We don’t use the V word around here, Dave. Not now, not ever. It wasn’t a software problem; it was a hardware problem. People just weren’t ready for that much product innovation. Do you want a Coke now?"
"But, Bill, it is a market-driven environment. If the public was experiencing problems with your product, doesn’t the company hold some responsibility?"
"We fixed the problem. We added 800 numbers and we even started a multi-million dollar ad campaign to make sure people understand that it wasn’t our fault. For God sakes, not everyone can work an abacus, you know? Do you see the Chinese sending out representatives just because it’s missing a few beads? Besides, we fixed the problem; we changed the name. Do you want that Coke now?"
"No, thank you, Bill. I’ll just stand here and look out the window and admire the lovely Seven."
"Do you know that with Seven you can make panoramic photos?"
"Yes, Bill, I've heard that. But I’ve got a cheap digital camera I bought ten years ago that does that, too."
"Well, with you being a writer you’ll probably appreciate the new icons that we’ve added to Microsoft Word!"
"Honestly, Bill, I use an old version of Word; I don’t need seventy-five icons. I’m trying to write, not to play video games. The new Word reminds me of a tricked-out low rider; it does everything. It jumps up and down, it has flashy paint, it has a funny horn, but it can’t take you comfortably from A to B because of all the gimmicks."
