Exclusive interview with Bill Gates in c't 4/99
Microsoft boss names his toughest competitors
Hannover, February 12th, 1999 - In an exclusive interview
with editors of the German computer magazine c't Microsoft
boss Bill Gates let us have a look at the future strategy of
his company and his personal estimation of the competition.
"I will tell you who are our competitors this year. The
interesting thing is that our estimation of who are our most
serious competitors has been changing the last years",
explained Gates. "Today's competitors are Palm, Symbian,
JavaOS, Linux and Solaris." It is also interesting to see
which companies Gates does not look upon as competitors:
IBM is no longer important; Larry Ellison and his concept
of a network computer is somewhat ridiculous for Gates.
Apple also is no longer a serious competitor.
Gates thinks however that Linux might be a serious
alternative to Windows NT, an evaluation nobody expected
still some time ago. Windows CE, Microsoft's operating
system for handheld computers, also faces a good deal of
problems regarding the PalmPilot and Symbian, the
cooperation of Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson. Java, too,
cannot be passed over by Microsoft. In addition Gates
obviously evaluates the Solaris operating system of Sun
company as threat to Windows NT.
The complete text of the interview with Bill Gates will be
published in the current issue 4/99 of the computer
magazine c't. The software mogul among other things
answers questions about computers of the future, Microsoft's
business philosophy, anti-trust proceedings and Windows 2000.
Call +49 51 39/999 250 (c't radio service)
for a radio spot concerning the interview
and extracts of the original interview between
Jürgen Kuri and Microsoft boss Bill Gates.
Contact:
Jürgen Kuri - editorial office c't
Phone: +49 5 11/53 52-300
Fax: +49 5 11/53 52-417
EMail: jk@ct.heise.de
