Bill Gates

Yes. It's so funny because we sort of intentionally left all the internet components out of Windows 95 in the previous episode because once you start talking about the internet, you're really talking about the next chapter of Microsoft and you can't help but dive into it all.

Yes. It's so funny because we sort of intentionally left all the internet components out of Windows 95 in the previous episode because once you start talking about the internet, you're really talking about the next chapter of Microsoft and you can't help but dive into it all.

But in retrospect, the thing that mattered about Windows 95 all these years later is that's the platform that everyone started using the internet on. And everything that we talked about in the last episode, yeah, it's all important, but it's not nearly as important as it being the internet operating system. So how did this come to be?

But in retrospect, the thing that mattered about Windows 95 all these years later is that's the platform that everyone started using the internet on. And everything that we talked about in the last episode, yeah, it's all important, but it's not nearly as important as it being the internet operating system. So how did this come to be?

Yeah. For consumers, it was kind of a similar experience. You could get content on your computer. But the main difference was how to put content on that network. It wasn't like anyone could just plug in a server and then boom, you have a website. It was like you had to have some negotiating power and know someone at AOL to go do a deal to get your content on their platform.

Yeah. For consumers, it was kind of a similar experience. You could get content on your computer. But the main difference was how to put content on that network. It wasn't like anyone could just plug in a server and then boom, you have a website. It was like you had to have some negotiating power and know someone at AOL to go do a deal to get your content on their platform.

So there's a little sleight of hand that you just did there. You said it becomes MSN. Marvel, when it initially was conceived, was a proprietary online service. Eventually, when that completely failed, which you're about to get to, they repurposed the name MSN for their internet-based media property. Complete shift in strategy.

So there's a little sleight of hand that you just did there. You said it becomes MSN. Marvel, when it initially was conceived, was a proprietary online service. Eventually, when that completely failed, which you're about to get to, they repurposed the name MSN for their internet-based media property. Complete shift in strategy.

Well, think about the number of things required to create some sort of networked entertainment interactive thing. You would need screens. You would need some way to control those screens to create a feedback mechanism. You would need content. You would need infrastructure connecting people's homes. all of those already existed by the cable companies and their endpoints, the televisions.

Well, think about the number of things required to create some sort of networked entertainment interactive thing. You would need screens. You would need some way to control those screens to create a feedback mechanism. You would need content. You would need infrastructure connecting people's homes. all of those already existed by the cable companies and their endpoints, the televisions.

And if you pitched me on the idea that actually everyone's going to go buy a brand new device, like a PC, like a computer, and we're going to have a different set of wires that actually bring all of that to the home, or maybe we'll repurpose some of the same wires, but gosh, we need to like bring in new networking equipment everywhere along the way.

And if you pitched me on the idea that actually everyone's going to go buy a brand new device, like a PC, like a computer, and we're going to have a different set of wires that actually bring all of that to the home, or maybe we'll repurpose some of the same wires, but gosh, we need to like bring in new networking equipment everywhere along the way.

Oh, and there's going to be completely different content companies that figure out how to create the content for their... It's like, all of that falls flat. Of course you're going to use all the existing infrastructure and content. You're not going to bank on standing it all up new from whole cloth.

Oh, and there's going to be completely different content companies that figure out how to create the content for their... It's like, all of that falls flat. Of course you're going to use all the existing infrastructure and content. You're not going to bank on standing it all up new from whole cloth.

Well, this is so interesting because we're talking about this general idea of interactive computing involving other people. And Microsoft so far has two initiatives, Marvel and the information superhighway, neither of which are the internet or the web browser. Yes, correct.

Well, this is so interesting because we're talking about this general idea of interactive computing involving other people. And Microsoft so far has two initiatives, Marvel and the information superhighway, neither of which are the internet or the web browser. Yes, correct.

You're already getting this picture of Microsoft's business strategy, which is until we know exactly what the future looks like, start placing bets that approximate so that we're sort of in the mix, even though we don't know exactly what the future is.

You're already getting this picture of Microsoft's business strategy, which is until we know exactly what the future looks like, start placing bets that approximate so that we're sort of in the mix, even though we don't know exactly what the future is.

Yeah, this is one of these moments on an Acquired episode where we have just a delightfully concrete illustration of this year it was unclear, the next year it was extremely clear. And David, look up in the indexes of both of those books the number of references to the internet.

Yeah, this is one of these moments on an Acquired episode where we have just a delightfully concrete illustration of this year it was unclear, the next year it was extremely clear. And David, look up in the indexes of both of those books the number of references to the internet.