Gates no longer a force to reckon with

Sam Varghese
Friday, 16 December 2011 10:33

Opinion and Analysis

How the mighty have fallen! Bill Gates, once the most sought after figure in the tech world, now can't buy an interview.

When Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates last visited Sydney, in 2004, he held a single press conference and limited journalists to one question apiece.

Journos had to submit their passports for verification before they were allowed to enter the room where the press conference was held.

In short, Gates was his usual obnoxious self, trying to manipulate the media.

And Gates gave then prime minister John Howard a stage-managed photo opportunity too, as the Australian elections were around the corner. Howard wanted to be seen with him.

This time, no politician is lining up to be photographed with William Gates III.

There was no good reason for Microsoft to be so triumphalist back in 2004 - Gates' visit came a few months before the company released service pack 2 for Windows XP which amounted to well over 800 fixes, surely the largest number of patches ever released at one time for any operating system or application.

This time, Gates is on a private visit. But he is spreading himself thin, giving interviews as though they are going out of style. Problem is, he has nothing worthwhile to say any more. What he says doesn't count for anything in the tech industry.

In short, Gates is a spent force. He says he will not lead Microsoft again as rumoured in some media outlets recently - but then it wouldn't matter even if he did.