(fwd) how Microsoft has changed...

["Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom" <carls@agritech.com>]

        interesting anecdote from alt.humor.best-of-usenet. Imagine Bill G.
writing a letter by hand these days. :)

Carl Soderstrom
****************************
On 19 Jan 2000 18:34:45 GMT, in alt.humor.best-of-usenet Fabian
<rhialto@chikyuujin.earthling.net> wrote:

Subject: Re: e-commerce the Microsoft way 
From: james@marage.demon.co.uk (James Follett)
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english

On Sunday, in article <JIiBON+A0Pa3zFg7SgRCumHS8iBd@4ax.com>
     trulyd@ibm.net "Truly Donovan" wrote:

(Snip horror story)
>
>Microsoft wants your business and wants your money--they just don't
>want you.

They've changed, Truly. I wrote to Microsoft in 1982 regarding
what appeared to be a bug in their firmware for the Tandy Radio
Shack Model 100 laptop computer -- a nifty machine which I still
use. The problem was that any printer attached merely overprinted
the preceding line -- the WP firmware didn't include an end of line
carriage return -- a bad case of new stuff on top.

The reply was prompt -- a handwritten note from a Mr Bill Gates
in which he apologized for the error and provided clear
instructions on opening the file, correcting one line, and
closing the file. His solution worked a treat. Some time later
I saw that Microsoft had floated and were seeking investors.
I resisted the temptation because I couldn't see any future for
a company that released word-processing software without testing
it on a printer.

I've now read that Microsoft and Mr Gates have parted company.
A pity -- he was one of their more personable employees, and he
had legible handwriting.

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