Bill Gates
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Not specifically this quote, but Microsoft had come to the same conclusion too of, oh my God, if the web becomes the platform of the future, all the reasons why we have all this incredible business, you know, people feeling the need to use our operating system to be able to get access to their favorite software and for developers to build applications on our platform to get access to the users, that could go away.
Not specifically this quote, but Microsoft had come to the same conclusion too of, oh my God, if the web becomes the platform of the future, all the reasons why we have all this incredible business, you know, people feeling the need to use our operating system to be able to get access to their favorite software and for developers to build applications on our platform to get access to the users, that could go away.
And in the same memo that you were quoting earlier, the internet tidal wave, Bill Gates famously says, and when I say famously, it's because the Department of Justice later grabbed this quote and used it as an exhibit. Bill writes, "...a new competitor born on the internet is Netscape.
And in the same memo that you were quoting earlier, the internet tidal wave, Bill Gates famously says, and when I say famously, it's because the Department of Justice later grabbed this quote and used it as an exhibit. Bill writes, "...a new competitor born on the internet is Netscape.
Their browser is dominant with a 70% usage share, allowing them to determine which network extensions will catch on." They are pursuing a multi-platform strategy where they move the key API, the application programming interface, into the client to commoditize the underlying operating system. I mean, they got it immediately. The web is an application platform that completely reduces our value.
Their browser is dominant with a 70% usage share, allowing them to determine which network extensions will catch on." They are pursuing a multi-platform strategy where they move the key API, the application programming interface, into the client to commoditize the underlying operating system. I mean, they got it immediately. The web is an application platform that completely reduces our value.
And how amazing is this? It's an application platform of the future that is distributed as a Windows app. I mean, Windows had huge market share at this point. I don't know, 80, 90 percent, eventually over 90 percent market share. The way that Netscape could get to consumers was because Microsoft had all these computers out there running Windows.
And how amazing is this? It's an application platform of the future that is distributed as a Windows app. I mean, Windows had huge market share at this point. I don't know, 80, 90 percent, eventually over 90 percent market share. The way that Netscape could get to consumers was because Microsoft had all these computers out there running Windows.
It was like this ultimate Trojan horse that they could build the platform of the future through Microsoft.
It was like this ultimate Trojan horse that they could build the platform of the future through Microsoft.
Right. If Microsoft's goal is to cut off the air supply, David, as you already quoted, of Netscape, the goal is ubiquity instantly. And we don't care about making money. We just need to get this thing out so the Internet doesn't kneecap our business and we can sort of embrace and control it or perhaps embrace and extend it.
Right. If Microsoft's goal is to cut off the air supply, David, as you already quoted, of Netscape, the goal is ubiquity instantly. And we don't care about making money. We just need to get this thing out so the Internet doesn't kneecap our business and we can sort of embrace and control it or perhaps embrace and extend it.
And I don't think making very much money on their server software yet. All the market cap creation is attributable to people believing they have the dominant platform of the future and not based on their current financials.
And I don't think making very much money on their server software yet. All the market cap creation is attributable to people believing they have the dominant platform of the future and not based on their current financials.
That's true. What's our tracker for the internet? Netscape. Everybody pile in.
That's true. What's our tracker for the internet? Netscape. Everybody pile in.
Yep. And for good reason. I mean, there's a very difficult to learn lesson, but you learn it once, you never forget it. If your distribution decides to compete with you and decides to make that a priority, your business is over in a minute.
Yep. And for good reason. I mean, there's a very difficult to learn lesson, but you learn it once, you never forget it. If your distribution decides to compete with you and decides to make that a priority, your business is over in a minute.