Here’s a thought… What if Gates is actually leaving Microsoft to start a new venture? Can Gates (being a visionary) see the handwriting on the wall that fat clients like Windows are fast becoming irrelevant? No the industry is not in trouble yet, but think of the things you can do without a PC now – startling isn’t it! Yes, you still need a good beefy PC to run your streaming media, CD/DVD ripping, photo/video editing, gaming, etc… at home, but for most things a simple device will do quite nicely.
However, think about the average person who mainly consumes information? Do they need a full blown computer with a big expensive OS like Windows, and big fat expensive apps like Office? Nope. Gates knows this, and his competitive spirit will not be sitting idle giving away his fortune. Don’t get me wrong on this, I have no doubt that Gates and his foundation will do great things, and I believe he has every intention to do so.
My main thought here is not to count Bill Gates out of the industry by any means. With a quick sharp intellect, and his ability to see trends others may miss, I’m betting he won’t be sitting on the sidelines for long. The June 2008 timetable is set for a reason – we’ll have to see what that will end up being. Interesting I’m sure.
Any hints Bill?