They made traffic signal switches. They were rich do to Bill's dad who is an established lawyer and gave Bill the seed $ to play around with computers. Without DOS IBM would have gone with some other geek of the time. As for Apple...Xerox and Apple had much better technology vs. Microsoft. Unfortunately IBM picked Microsoft. Not like Apple wanted to compete with MSFT. They were the BETA vs. VHS of the time. Every Co. went with IBM platform and Apple was left to die. Until the late '90's Apple struggled and almost went bankrupt. Not many people know but Steve Job and MSFT went to bed together and Apple agreed to run Windows on their stuff. In return MSFT bailed them out for 2 billion. Using that $ they started the digital music craze and IPOD was born.
To summarize the thread, 1) Paul Allen, like every other wealthy person (please name any exceptions), got there mostly through luck, by being at the right place at the right time. 2) Paul Allen, like every owner, has friends and confidantes who aren't basketball experts. (The Oregonian has even more opinionating nonexperts, like Canzano, the guy who has the town in an uproar over Kolde.) 3) Paul Allen, like every owner, has made many personnel changes over the years. (I wish he'd make faster changes in the coaching job. As for GM, Pritchard and Cho were no loss.)
Bill's dad taught them how to make traffic signal switches? Truth is, they made a variety of products, and were the leading vendor of microcomputer software prior to the deal with IBM. Taking seed money isn't a black mark on their record. Microsoft had a lot less funding than many many less successful tech companies. No doubt. So what? Absolutely true. Well, it was $150 million, not $2 billion. And they didn't agree to run Windows. They agreed to put IE on Macs. And Apple had $1.2 billion cash at the time, so it isn't so clear that anyone can say that MSFT's $150 million was spent developing the iPod. barfo
The previous ownership group passed on the GOAT, so it seems this could be a case of the 'grass is always greener' mentality.
They were both millionaires the day they were born. They've really accomplished nothing special that 2 other blueblood spoiled nerds with a lack of basic morals couldn't have accomplished.
Hardly. Paul's dad was a librarian for UW, his mom a schoolteacher. Yet there is no shortage in the world of blueblood spoiled nerds with a lack of basic morals. How do you explain that there is only one Microsoft? barfo
OK, Mr. Allen, you want to win now. Rumor has it that Atlanta would love to get rid of Joe Johnson contract and are ready to trade Josh Smith. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...wojnarowski_josh_smith_hawks_nba_draft_062011 Miller, Camby and Mathews for Johnson and Smith; get it done now, try to get their draft pick also and an assurance they will release Miller.
