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Gates To Leave Microsoft, How Will He Be Remembered?

Bill Gates showed a hilarious film and gave his retirement keynote this week at the Consumer Electronics show. After mid-2008, he'll retain the title of chairman and dabble in a few pet projects. Yet I am starting to wonder if, 100 years from now, the world will even associate the Gates name with computers.

There's no doubt that Gates has shaped the computer industry over the past 25 years. Those of us who have lived through that era will never forget what Gates did as leader of Microsoft during its formative years. Those years are over, though; today's Microsoft looks more like the slow-moving IBM they trumped with Windows 3.0 than the risk-taking gang that had the guts to sell a non-existent disk operating system.

Perhaps Gates will follow models like Andrew Carnegie and Alfred Nobel. In his time, Nobel was known for his invention of dynamite and smokeless powder -- and reviled by many for increasing the killing power of weapons. Today, many people only know the name through the Nobel Prizes that are awarded each year. Gates could make the same transformation; instead of being associated with the "Blue Screen of Death," he might be known for the way he spends his fortune.

Even before Gates announced his transition out of Microsoft, there were signs that he was becoming more interested in the philanthropic work of the Gates Foundation than in technical work at Microsoft. Over the past few years, Gates seemed much more likely to speak passionately about eradicating infectious diseases or providing safe water sources than implementing the latest computer technologies.

It's hard to predict the specific impact Bill Gates' philanthropy will have in the future. So far, it's been relatively low-key and focused efforts on helping third-world countries with basic needs. With Gates now spending more time at the foundation, perhaps he will try some higher-profile endeavors. Who knows, maybe we'll see the Gates equivalent of a Nobel Prize or Carnegie Hall in 20 years time.

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