How Microsoft Got So Big #Shorts
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Description
ever wonder how Microsoft got so big you can thank Bill Gates's Mom Mary who met IBM's chairman while they were serving on a non-profit board together back in 1980. IBM needed to find an operating system for its new personal computer you might have heard of it and their chairman John Opel remembered working with Mary Gates and reached out to Microsoft who developed a variation of the then popular operating system CPM for big blue which they eventually named PC dos at only 40 bucks a copy most users opted for PC dos over the more expensive CPM and it quickly became the standard for the hugely popular IBM PC establishing Microsoft as the biggest name in software by the mid-1980s thanks Mom
The Short recounts how Microsoft rose to prominence in the early PC era through a pivotal connection facilitated by Mary Gates, the mother of Bill Gates, who served on a nonprofit board with IBM's chairman. IBM needed an operating system for its new personal computer, and through this personal link IBM reached out to Microsoft. Microsoft delivered a variant of the CPM operating system and eventually branded it as PC DOS, pricing it at about 40 dollars per copy. The low price coupled with IBM’s widespread adoption helped PC DOS become the standard for the IBM PC, solidifying Microsoft’s position as the leading software company by the mid-1980s. The narrative clamps onto the idea that this IBM-PC alliance and the affordability of PC DOS were decisive in Microsoft’s ascent, culminating in the company becoming the biggest name in software by the mid-1980s. The Short wraps by highlighting the influence of that early collaboration and the family connection in shaping the industry’s trajectory.
Topics · technology · business_history · tech_industry · corporate_history
Questions answered
- What key event helped Microsoft become a major software player in the 1980s?
- Microsoft secured a relationship with IBM to provide an operating system for its PCs, delivering PC DOS at a low price, which helped standardize the IBM PC and boosted Microsoft's software dominance.
- Why do viewers debate Microsoft’s historical impact beyond this short?
- Views diverge over whether Microsoft’s rise was due to business strategy and partnerships or criticisms about antitrust issues and competition with other firms, reflecting a broader discourse on tech industry power.