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Time of India
31-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard: Here's how this decision shaped two of the world's biggest tech empires
Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard. In the hallowed halls of Harvard, ambition is a given. But few stories rival the paths of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg , two students who walked away from the Ivy League. Not out of failure or rebellion, but to chase visions that would eventually define the digital age. Their decision to drop out of one of the most prestigious universities in the world is now etched into tech folklore. But what really made this bold move possible? And how did it lead to the creation of Microsoft and Facebook, two of the largest tech empires the world has ever known? The Harvard beginning Bill Gates enrolled at Harvard in 1973. Already a programming prodigy, he initially leaned toward mathematics and even flirted with pre-law before settling into computer science. Known for his laser-sharp focus and obsession with computing, Gates spent much of his time programming on Harvard's mainframes and exploring the emerging world of microprocessors. Mark Zuckerberg, on the other hand, arrived in 2002 with a reputation as a whiz kid from Phillips Exeter Academy. At Harvard, he pursued psychology and computer science while experimenting with social networks and data-sharing tools. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Donating Sperm May Boost Your Income SpellRock Undo In 2004, he launched 'TheFacebook' from his dorm room, first for Harvard students, then quickly spreading to other campuses. In both cases, Harvard provided the intellectual environment, technical infrastructure, and peer networks that served as springboards for their ideas. The decision to drop out: Not rebellion, but acceleration Neither Gates nor Zuckerberg dropped out because they lacked academic ability. Gates left in 1975, during his sophomore year, after reading an article in Popular Electronics about the Altair 8800. Sensing a golden opportunity in the dawn of personal computing, he teamed up with childhood friend Paul Allen to write software for it. Thus, Microsoft was born. Zuckerberg left in 2005, a year after launching Facebook. What began as a niche platform had exploded into a social phenomenon, with rapid user adoption across major universities. With venture capital knocking and momentum surging, he chose to focus entirely on scaling the platform. In both cases, dropping out was less about leaving Harvard and more about racing toward a larger vision. The classroom simply couldn't keep up with the market reality unfolding outside. From dorm room projects to global powerhouses Microsoft: Building the Operating System of the World Founded in 1975, Microsoft revolutionised the software industry by developing an operating system (MS-DOS) for IBM PCs, followed by the launch of Windows. Gates's strategy of licensing software, rather than selling hardware, flipped the computing model and made software the most valuable component of tech infrastructure. Under his leadership, Microsoft became a household name and one of the most valuable companies in history. Facebook: Redefining Social Connection By the late 2000s, Facebook had evolved from a college project into the dominant global social network. Zuckerberg's vision of a connected world materialised through a series of expansions, acquisitions (like Instagram and WhatsApp), and innovations. Facebook (now Meta) didn't just reshape communication, it rewired the internet around social behavior. Together, Gates and Zuckerberg helped create and define the modern digital ecosystem, shaping industries from enterprise software to advertising, communication, education, and entertainment. Still a Harvard story Ironically, even as dropouts, Gates and Zuckerberg are products of Harvard's unique environment: Talent Density: Both met key collaborators (Paul Allen, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz) at or through Harvard networks. Freedom to Experiment: Harvard offered computing access and a culture where unorthodox projects were encouraged. Brand Power: Being from Harvard opened doors in the venture capital world and gave their early ideas instant credibility. They left without degrees, but not without Harvard's influence. Return to campus: Full circle with honour Both tech moguls eventually returned to Harvard, not as students, but as commencement speakers. In 2007, Gates received an honorary Doctor of Laws and delivered a speech on global inequality and philanthropy. In 2017, Zuckerberg returned to accept an honorary degree and shared reflections on purpose, risk-taking, and building meaningful communities. Their stories became case studies in alternative pathways to success, inspiring generations of entrepreneurs and sparking debates on the value, and limitations, of formal education in fast-moving industries. Lessons beyond the legend While it's tempting to romanticise the 'Harvard dropout' narrative, it's worth noting: Both Gates and Zuckerberg were outliers, armed with once-in-a-generation ideas, early access to tech, and support networks. Their departures weren't acts of defiance, but of strategic vision. Their success underscores that education is more than a degree, it's a launchpad for those who know how to use it. For students, educators, and entrepreneurs alike, their journeys serve as a reminder: sometimes the biggest decisions aren't about what you walk away from, but what you're walking toward. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Forbes
How Smart Glasses Could Redefine Personal Computing—Again
As smart glasses evolve, more competition enters the fast moving market, redefining personal ... More computing. When I started using a computer in the mid-1970s, it was on a DEC PDP-11 minicomputer connected to a video terminal. Then, in 1981, I began using an IBM PC connected to an external monitor. By 1987, I had transitioned to laptop PCs, featuring screens embedded in the laptop design. In 2007, I began using a smartphone with a built-in screen as part of the handheld pocket computer device. From the beginning of computers, the need to have a computer tied to a screen has been constant. However, we are about to witness one of the most significant transitions in computing, where the screen connected to a CPU will become wearable. This emerging computing platform has many names, including face computing, AI smart glasses, and smart glasses with integrated screens in the lenses, to name a few. We are in the earliest phase of this type of wearable computer concept. I liken it to the original PC from Eddie Roberts and his Altair 8800 in 1974, which became the forerunner of personal computers. The Altair is the computer that got Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak excited and drove him to create the original Apple I computer, which helped launch the PC revolution. Smart glasses are beginning to evolve into a new computing platform, albeit a wearable one. If history is our guide, it should follow the same pattern and trajectory as the PC and smartphones. With all computers, past and present, they start at a hardware level, tied to an OS and some form of SDK to develop apps for these computers. Starting in 1981, the PC used Microsoft's DOS as its OS, and they created the fundamental SDKs so third-party developers could write programs for the PC. This creation evolved into Windows, the dominant OS for X86 PCs today. In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh and the Mac OS, creating its own SDK so developers could write applications for this platform. This new OS ushered in the first significant battle between systems, and to this day, both continue to compete for developers to support their PC platforms. The next significant wave in personal computing began in 2007 when Apple introduced the iPhone, launching what became known as pocket computing. To support it, Apple created iOS and released a software development kit for third-party developers. In 2010, Apple followed with the iPad, along with an updated version of iOS and a dedicated SDK explicitly designed for building tablet apps. Just after the iPhone was launched, Google introduced its Android OS for smartphones and developed its OS and SDK to support smartphones and tablets as an alternative to Apple's products. I am seeing a similar phenomenon happening now with smart glasses, a newer form of wearable computers. Although we are still in the early stages of designing the hardware that could drive the market for AI and AR smart glasses, the OS and SDK battles are beginning to emerge. For example, Meta has introduced the Meta Ray-Ban Wayfarer smart AI glasses and has sold over two million of them to date. They also have new designs and models of smart glasses in development that will focus more on AR in the future. Although they don't have a dedicated SDK yet, you can be sure that one is coming to support new AR glasses, such as the Orion model they demoed at last fall's Meta Connect conference. In December 2024, Google introduced Android XR, its OS and SDK for headsets and smart glasses. Google will design and manufacture the headsets and smart glasses. However, companies like Samsung, Lenovo, and Xreal, as well as eyewear companies like Warby Parker and Kering Eyewear, among others, will also support Android XR late this year and in 2026. I expect Apple to enter the smart glasses market in 2026 or, at the latest, in 2027. If so, we will have a third smart glasses company entering the market for face computers and smart glasses. Then there is Snap, and its Snap Spectacles which has already established itself as a leader in smart glasses. It, too, has its own OS and SDK and already have thousands of developers supporting its platform. To date, Snap has sold over 600,000 glasses. I tested Snap Spectacles at AWE in June. It is by far the best of breed in the market today. Here is a link to an overview of Snap Spectacles, which provides a better understanding of what they can do today. Snap will be a major player in the smart glasses market, and its success so far should give it an edge in the early stages of competition. While the primary goal of these smart glasses and developing platforms targets a broad business and consumer market, we will see dedicated smart glasses for specialized markets as we have with PCs and smartphones today. For example, there is a set of smart glasses now from Nuance Audio that are eyeglasses with hearing aids built in, designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. We will also see other smart glasses designed specifically for vertical markets. However, the holy grail is to bring smart glasses to the mass market, and that is what these smart glasses platforms will focus on, becoming the next major personal computing battleground over the next two to five years. As mentioned earlier, acquiring the proper hardware to support these new wearable computing platforms is still in its early stages. It remains a significant challenge that must be overcome for this emerging market to succeed. The activity at both the hardware and software levels in smart AI and AR glasses is intensifying, and interest in smart glasses is accelerating. Wearable PCs, such as those via smart glasses, will likely be the next central personal computer to drive an even more personalized form of computing in our digital age. Disclosure: Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Lenovo and Apple subscribe to Creative Strategies research reports along with many other high tech companies around the world.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Check out Microsoft's original source code from 50 years ago that Bill Gates calls 'the coolest code' he's ever written
Bill Gates is taking a look back at the code that started it all. The Microsoft cofounder this week published the code that became the first product of the company. Take a look at Microsoft's origins as the company turns 50 this month. Microsoft is turning 50 this year, and Bill Gates is looking back at how the company got its start. The Microsoft cofounder published a blog post on Wednesday about the code that would become the company's first product, which was the Altair Basic, an interpreter that translated code into instructions that the Altair 8800 microcomputer could read. "That code remains the coolest code I've ever written to this day," Gates wrote. "It's amazing to think about how this one piece of code led to a half-century of innovation from Microsoft. Before there was Office or Windows 95 or Xbox or AI, there was the original source code — and I still get a kick out of seeing it, even all these years later." At the end of his post, he included a PDF of the original source code for the Altair Basic — all 157 pages of it. You can check it out here. In his blog post, Gates noted that late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen finished part of the code on a flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Microsoft was originally based. Gates shared other details on the source code, fittingly, in his memoir "Source Code," which came out in February. Gates reflected on his childhood through his career into today in the book. He wrote that he was disinterested in school growing up, noting that his preschool teachers called him "rebellious" and said he showed a "complete lack of concern for any phase of school life." Gates also wrote about his approach, decades later, to recruiting Steve Ballmer to Microsoft, saying he and Allen had agreed to a split of 64% and 36%, respectively, but Gates ended up giving a 4% stake to Ballmer to convince him to quit business school for Microsoft. Gates' ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, has her own memoir, "The Next Day," out later this month. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Check out Microsoft's original source code from 50 years ago that Bill Gates calls 'the coolest code' he's ever written
Bill Gates is taking a look back at the code that started it all. The Microsoft cofounder this week published the code that became the first product of the company. Take a look at Microsoft's origins as the company turns 50 this month. Microsoft is turning 50 this year, and Bill Gates is looking back at how the company got its start. The Microsoft cofounder published a blog post on Wednesday about the code that would become the company's first product, which was the Altair Basic, an interpreter that translated code into instructions that the Altair 8800 microcomputer could read. "That code remains the coolest code I've ever written to this day," Gates wrote. "It's amazing to think about how this one piece of code led to a half-century of innovation from Microsoft. Before there was Office or Windows 95 or Xbox or AI, there was the original source code — and I still get a kick out of seeing it, even all these years later." At the end of his post, he included a PDF of the original source code for the Altair Basic — all 157 pages of it. You can check it out here. In his blog post, Gates noted that late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen finished part of the code on a flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Microsoft was originally based. Gates shared other details on the source code, fittingly, in his memoir "Source Code," which came out in February. Gates reflected on his childhood through his career into today in the book. He wrote that he was disinterested in school growing up, noting that his preschool teachers called him "rebellious" and said he showed a "complete lack of concern for any phase of school life." Gates also wrote about his approach, decades later, to recruiting Steve Ballmer to Microsoft, saying he and Allen had agreed to a split of 64% and 36%, respectively, but Gates ended up giving a 4% stake to Ballmer to convince him to quit business school for Microsoft. Gates' ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, has her own memoir, "The Next Day," out later this month. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill Gates Shares Original Code That Started It All As Microsoft Celebrates 50 Years: 'That Was The Revolution'
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) founder Bill Gates nostalgically looks back on the computer code he wrote 50 years ago, which played a pivotal role in the creation of the tech giant. What Happened: Gates reminisced about the early days of Microsoft in a blog post. He and his late high school friend, Paul Allen, were inspired by a 1975 article about the Altair 8800, a minicomputer powered by a chip from the then-unknown tech company, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC). This prompted them to assure Altair's manufacturer, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, that they had developed software to operate the hardware, even though they had not yet written the code. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. After two months of rigorous effort, Gates finished the code that laid the groundwork for Altair's first operating system. This code later formed the basis for Microsoft's suite of software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the Windows operating system. 'That code remains the coolest I've ever written,' Gates mentioned in his blog post, which also provides an option to download the original program. 'That was the revolution,' he added in his official YouTube video, 'That was the thing that ushered in personal computing.' 80 per share. Why It Matters: As Bill Gates nears his 70th birthday in October, he has been reflecting on his past. His February memoir delves into his early years and his relationship with the late Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) co-founder, Steve Jobs. Gates' reflection on the early days of Microsoft comes at a time when the company is thriving more than ever. Despite Gates' initial fears about Microsoft's future when he stepped down as CEO in 2000, the company has charted an impressive course over the years. The co-founder once expressed a deep concern about Microsoft's future when he stepped down as CEO. He worried the company might lose its famed standard of excellence and that the chance to guide it back might one day be missed. Despite these early misgivings, Microsoft is now worth $3 trillion and continues to thrive. Microsoft holds a momentum rating of 36.54% and a growth rating of 64.54%, according to Benzinga's Proprietary Edge Rankings. For an in-depth report on more stocks and insights into growth opportunities, sign up for Benzinga Edge. Read Next: Are you rich? Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. These five entrepreneurs are worth $223 billion – they all believe in one platform that offers a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends Image via Shutterstock Send To MSN: Send to MSN UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Bill Gates Shares Original Code That Started It All As Microsoft Celebrates 50 Years: 'That Was The Revolution' originally appeared on Sign in to access your portfolio
