Microsoft is 50 on Friday. Born in 1975 to proud parents Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the computer company grew quickly to become one of the most transformative tech firms in history.
Some who have tracked Microsoft’s journey through the decades will point to the 1981 launch of MS-DOS as key turning point. The operating system became the standard for IBM-compatible PCs and established Microsoft as a dominant force in the tech industry.
Others might point to the arrival, 14 years later, of Windows 95, an operating system that truly revolutionized personal computing by making it more accessible and user-friendly.
And then there was the arrival of the Xbox in 2001, marking Microsoft’s entry into the gaming console market — a massively successful move that took it beyond software into hardware.
But for other folks, the main highlight from Microsoft’s half a century of existence will surely be that speech in 2000 by the company’s then-CEO Steve Ballmer. The one where he galloped around the stage at a huge Microsoft conference, sweating profusely and gasping for breath while yelling “developers” 14 times in a row in a bid to demonstrate where the company should be focusing its efforts (on developers, in case you weren’t sure).
The boisterous presentation — a reflection of Ballmer’s unique character, enthusiasm for the company, and possible habit of consuming numerous energy drinks before hitting the stage — has gone down in history as one of the most remarkable performances ever given by a CEO. Tim Cook has certainly never gotten close in any of his on-stage appearances.
Sadly for Steve, his devotion to the cause didn’t bring Microsoft the kind of success that many had been hoping for, with some describing his tenure as CEO — from 2000 to 2014 — as the company’s “lost years.” Although Microsoft’s revenue and profits did actually grow during his time at the top, the company struggled to adapt to emerging trends like smartphones and tablets, leading to a loss of market dominance in key sectors. Succeeded 11 years ago by Satya Nadella, the company has since undergone a significant and largely successful transformation, shifting its focus to cloud computing and AI, among other areas.
These days, Ballmer, now 69, spends considerably less time running around and sweating — well, certainly not on stage while wearing regular clothes — preferring instead to keep busy as the owner of his beloved LA Clippers NBA team.
