Check out Microsoft's original source code from 50 years ago that Bill Gates calls 'the coolest code' he's ever written
The Microsoft cofounder this week published the code that became the first product of the company.
Take a look at Microsoft's origins as the company turns 50 this month.
Microsoft is turning 50 this year, and Bill Gates is looking back at how the company got its start.
The Microsoft cofounder published a blog post on Wednesday about the code that would become the company's first product, which was the Altair Basic, an interpreter that translated code into instructions that the Altair 8800 microcomputer could read.
"That code remains the coolest code I've ever written to this day," Gates wrote. "It's amazing to think about how this one piece of code led to a half-century of innovation from Microsoft. Before there was Office or Windows 95 or Xbox or AI, there was the original source code — and I still get a kick out of seeing it, even all these years later."
At the end of his post, he included a PDF of the original source code for the Altair Basic — all 157 pages of it. You can check it out here.
In his blog post, Gates noted that late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen finished part of the code on a flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Microsoft was originally based. Gates shared other details on the source code, fittingly, in his memoir "Source Code," which came out in February.
Gates reflected on his childhood through his career into today in the book. He wrote that he was disinterested in school growing up, noting that his preschool teachers called him "rebellious" and said he showed a "complete lack of concern for any phase of school life."
Gates also wrote about his approach, decades later, to recruiting Steve Ballmer to Microsoft, saying he and Allen had agreed to a split of 64% and 36%, respectively, but Gates ended up giving a 4% stake to Ballmer to convince him to quit business school for Microsoft.
Gates' ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, has her own memoir, "The Next Day," out later this month.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
7 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Married childfree millennials have a $120,000 net worth advantage
A Business Insider analysis of new data from the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation finds that millennials who are married, but don't have children under 18 in the household, are sitting on net worths that exceed those of their parental, single, and divorced peers. It's yet another point in favor of what's fast becoming a new version of the American dream: Living in a high-earning household without kids. Many of those high-net-worth millennials are likely DINKs, meaning that they're in dual-income households with no kids. Others may have arrangements like stay-at-home husbands or wives, where the couple is able to comfortably live off one earner. This data is based on the most recent release of SIPP data; we looked at data from December 2023, which was the last month recipients were surveyed for this wave. We separated out Americans who were married, not a reference parent for any household children under 18, and then sorted by those who were ages 27 to 42 — the age bounds of millennials during the survey period. Childfree and married millennials had a few demographic differences from the larger millennial cohort. They were, for instance, more likely to have a bachelor's degree or a post-graduate degree. Married and childfree millennials were also more likely to be white than the wider millennial cohort, and far less likely to be Black. There were also some key economic differences between married and childfree millennials and the larger millennial group; married and childfree millennials had on average slightly more credit card debt, carrying around $2,456 compared to $2,203 for all millennials. But married and childfree millennials were also more likely to have money socked away for retirement — the average value of their retirement accounts was around $71,886, which far exceeds the $48,408 of the average millennial's retirement accounts. Of course, not all married and childfree millennials are sitting on large net worths. The net worths represent an average across the group, meaning a swath of married and childfree millennials have far less in the bank. Some married and childfree Americans don't want to be in that position — as Business Insider has previously reported, one subset of DINKs would like to have children, but can't afford it, struggle with infertility and uncertainty over family planning, or are turned off by the lack of support for parents in the US. It's also entirely possible that some of those surveyed millennials are biding their time and waiting to have children later in life, a rising trend among some in their generation. There's also another barrier for childfree and married millennials, who are already paying on average around $3,447 in rent or mortgage — the US just doesn't have the housing to accommodate a potentially growing family. Even so, the numbers show it's paying for some millennials to get hitched, but not add to their families. And as Gen Zers think about their futures, financial security is top of mind, while growing their families isn't as high a priority — indicating that the ranks of the financially secure and childfree might only grow.
Business Insider
37 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Married childfree millennials have a $120,000 net worth advantage
It turns out that some millennials have been able to get ahead — they just had to put a ring on it, while holding off on having kids. A Business Insider analysis of new data from the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation finds that millennials who are married, but don't have children under 18 in the household, are sitting on net worths that exceed those of their parental, single, and divorced peers. It's yet another point in favor of what's fast becoming a new version of the American dream: Living in a high-earning household without kids. Many of those high-net-worth millennials are likely DINKs, meaning that they're in dual-income households with no kids. Others may have arrangements like stay-at-home husbands or wives, where the couple is able to comfortably live off one earner. This data is based on the most recent release of SIPP data; we looked at data from December 2023, which was the last month recipients were surveyed for this wave. We separated out Americans who were married, not a reference parent for any household children under 18, and then sorted by those who were ages 27 to 42 — the age bounds of millennials during the survey period. Childfree and married millennials had a few demographic differences from the larger millennial cohort. They were, for instance, more likely to have a bachelor's degree or a post-graduate degree. Married and childfree millennials were also more likely to be white than the wider millennial cohort, and far less likely to be Black. There were also some key economic differences between married and childfree millennials and the larger millennial group; married and childfree millennials had on average slightly more credit card debt, carrying around $2,456 compared to $2,203 for all millennials. But married and childfree millennials were also more likely to have money socked away for retirement — the average value of their retirement accounts was around $71,886, which far exceeds the $48,408 of the average millennial's retirement accounts. Of course, not all married and childfree millennials are sitting on large net worths. The net worths represent an average across the group, meaning a swath of married and childfree millennials have far less in the bank. Some married and childfree Americans don't want to be in that position — as Business Insider has previously reported, one subset of DINKs would like to have children, but can't afford it, struggle with infertility and uncertainty over family planning, or are turned off by the lack of support for parents in the US. It's also entirely possible that some of those surveyed millennials are biding their time and waiting to have children later in life, a rising trend among some in their generation. There's also another barrier for childfree and married millennials, who are already paying on average around $3,447 in rent or mortgage — the US just doesn't have the housing to accommodate a potentially growing family. Even so, the numbers show it's paying for some millennials to get hitched, but not add to their families. And as Gen Zers think about their futures, financial security is top of mind, while growing their families isn't as high a priority — indicating that the ranks of the financially secure and childfree might only grow.
Business Insider
37 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Student-loan borrowers on Biden's SAVE plan are struggling to plan for higher payments: 'We're all in limbo'
Mary Smith is considering bankruptcy. "I don't have it," Smith said, referring to the extra money she would need to afford the higher student-loan payments she's facing in the coming year. "Everything we've done, we've done ourselves," Smith said. "Nobody handed me anything. I didn't grow up in a rich family. We live paycheck to paycheck, like most of the country." The 50-year-old nurse is enrolled in former President Joe Biden's SAVE plan, an income-driven repayment plan that offers cheaper monthly payments and a shorter timeline to debt relief. The plan is now on its last legs — it has been blocked since July 2024 due to legal challenges, and Trump's spending law eliminated the plan, replacing it with two less generous options that will go into effect next summer. In addition, the Trump administration restarted interest charges on SAVE balances on August 1 after a yearlong pause. This means Smith and the 8 million other borrowers enrolled in SAVE can either switch to a new plan and likely face higher monthly payments or remain on SAVE for now and watch their balances grow. Smith said that she asked her servicer for an estimate on her interest charges, and she was told it would be about $468 a month. "I did vote for Trump," Smith said, "I am a Trump supporter, but there are a couple of things I don't really agree with, and this is one of them." On the SAVE plan, Smith said her payments were around $150. Federal Student Aid's loan simulator predicted that her payments could surge to nearly $1,000 off the SAVE plan, which Smith said she "definitely cannot afford." Business Insider heard from dozens of student-loan borrowers enrolled in SAVE who are concerned about interest charges restarting and eventually having to move to a different repayment plan. Some borrowers are balancing their agreement with Trump that loans should be repaid with the reality of the financial strain that comes with losing SAVE. Linda McMahon, Trump's education secretary, said in a statement announcing the interest charges restart that the administration is focused on "strengthening the student loan portfolio and simplifying repayment to better serve borrowers." "As part of this effort, the Department urges all borrowers in the SAVE Plan to quickly transition to a legally compliant repayment plan — such as the Income-Based Repayment Plan," McMahon said. "Borrowers in SAVE cannot access important loan benefits and cannot make progress toward loan discharge programs authorized by Congress." Smith is hoping she'll be able to cover the interest charges, but she doesn't have a plan for potentially much higher payments down the road. "It's a struggle. I do agree we have to pay them, but it's really hurting us," Smith said. "It's a shame." 'A wait and see game' Justin Krull's goal is to pay off his student-loan balance. He was never trying to find a way out of repayment, and he wants a concrete plan to fit monthly student-loan payments into his budget. The constantly changing student-loan policies make that difficult. "We're not trying to cheat, we're not trying to not pay our bills," Krull, 42, told BI. "We want to take care of our responsibilities. We just want a system in place that we can rely on and be able to financially plan for our futures and endeavors that exist out there." Krull went back to school in his late 20s on the pre-law track with the goal of earning a law degree, but his priorities changed. He got married and had children, and once the pandemic hit, he lost his job as a retail manager and now works in operations at a factory. He said he qualified for $0 monthly payments on the SAVE plan, and he's been unable to get an estimate of his new payment on a different repayment plan. He plans to see how much interest starts building on his balance and determine at that point whether it makes the most sense for him to remain on SAVE and pay off the interest or take action to get on a new plan. Either way, the uncertainty is taking a toll. "At this point, I'm playing a wait-and-see game and making the move that makes the most sense financially once I can determine what those finances are going to be," Krull said. He added that he's worried he'll have to scale back on his retirement and health savings should his payments surge. Alannah is in a similar boat. Working in public health, she said the SAVE plan halved her payments from around $800 a month to just over $400, which allowed her to put more money into savings and put a down payment on a house. The uncertainty with SAVE has been frustrating, she said, because she planned her budget around her lower monthly payments. Additionally, she heeded the administration's advice and submitted an application to switch to an income-based repayment plan earlier this year, but she said the application is still processing, keeping her in limbo. The Department of Education also posted a notice that loan forgiveness through IBR plans is paused to comply with a court order. Alannah said she plans to hold off on making any student-loan payments until she has certainty that the plan she is on will count toward debt relief. She said that if she paid off her loans aggressively, she would run through her savings — and be left with nothing for retirement. 'Everything right now is backlogged' The changes to SAVE come as the Department of Education itself is undergoing a major overhaul. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to begin dismantling the department, and the Supreme Court recently ruled that the agency can proceed with firing 1,400 workers, about half of its staff. McMahon said following the ruling that it was "a significant win for students and families" and allows the department the " authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations." Still, it leaves the department with fewer resources to manage major tasks, including creating a new repayment system and processing millions of borrowers' applications. It has Holly Atkinson, a 57-year-old nurse who voted for Trump, concerned. "It's such a hot mess over there," Atkinson told BI. "Everything right now is backlogged as it is, and if they lay off these people at the Department of Education, it's going to make the situation worse." Atkinson said she was enjoying low monthly payments on the SAVE plan before it was blocked. With her repayment future up in the air, she's now unsure if she'll ever be able to retire with student loans hanging over her head, while also managing a separate private student-loan balance and mortgage payments. "I just feel like it's a weight on my shoulder that's never going to get lifted," she said. "And I see people my age planning to retire and go on vacations and travel, and I don't see any of that happening for me." The department said it would be communicating with SAVE borrowers over the next few months regarding their options to switch to a new repayment plan. Atkinson wishes there was more clarity upfront. "I don't regret voting for him, but what I'm seeing right now makes me very uncomfortable," Atkinson said. "We're all in limbo right now, and I don't like being in limbo."
