Microsoft and William Gibson...is there any connection?
hardcrag
I've been a Gibson fan for some time, and a friend of mine who
recently began Neuromancer commented on the term 'microsoft' usen
in Gibson's writing. Microsofts are just what he calls programs
or software. Was this term used before William Gibson's books?
Or did Microsoft (tm) take their name from Gibson's books? (i am
mainly thinking of Neuromancer which was out in 82 or something).
Just curious...
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Lalbert1
<craig_bail...@ssga.com.invalid> writes:
>Hello all,
>
>I've been a Gibson fan for some time, and a friend of mine who
>recently began Neuromancer commented on the term 'microsoft' usen
>in Gibson's writing. Microsofts are just what he calls programs
>or software. Was this term used before William Gibson's books?
>Or did Microsoft (tm) take their name from Gibson's books? (i am
>mainly thinking of Neuromancer which was out in 82 or something).
>Just curious...
Hello -
Microsoft was founded as a partnership in 1975, and incorporated in 1981. I
think Gibson is the name usurper.
Les
James Gifford
> I've been a Gibson fan for some time, and a friend of mine who
> recently began Neuromancer commented on the term 'microsoft' usen
> in Gibson's writing. Microsofts are just what he calls programs
> or software. Was this term used before William Gibson's books?
> Or did Microsoft (tm) take their name from Gibson's books? (i am
> mainly thinking of Neuromancer which was out in 82 or something).
My god, he must have invented Microsoft, too! Just like he invented
every other concept in speculative fiction! Wow!
(Nothing like newgen sf fans with a kindergartener's sense of
history...)
--
| James Gifford - Nitrosyncretic Press - gif...@nitrosyncretic.com |
| See http://www.nitrosyncretic.com for the Robert Heinlein FAQ |
| and information on "Robert A. Heinlein: A Reader's Companion" |
hardcrag
There was no need to get personal.
As for snubbing 'newgen sci fi' readers, I'm afraid I dont see
the point.
hardcrag
hard info.
James Gifford
>> My god, he must have invented Microsoft, too! Just like he invented
>> every other concept in speculative fiction! Wow!
>>
>> (Nothing like newgen sf fans with a kindergartener's sense of
>> history...)
> Even Gibson is a bit humble and wary of the cult that may have risen
> around his fiction- he doesn't think it as groundbreaking or
> prescient as many others might.
Riiiighhht. That's why he's all over the place as a spokesman for
everything that is future-cool, and why he has graciously acknowledged
inventing both the term and the genre cyberpunk...
Rich Clancey
+ Hello -
+ Microsoft was founded as a partnership in 1975, and incorporated in 1981. I
+ think Gibson is the name usurper.
Why haven't they sued? Remember the "Windows" suits?
--
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:
rich clancey r...@world.std.com rcla...@massart.edu
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than at any other time of year.
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Lalbert1
>Lalbert1 (lalb...@aol.com) wrote:
>
>+ Hello -
>
>+ Microsoft was founded as a partnership in 1975, and incorporated in 1981. I
>+ think Gibson is the name usurper.
>
> Why haven't they sued? Remember the "Windows" suits?
>
>
Even if Microsoft was aware of the name use, in 1982 it was good publicity.
And Mr. Gibson probably didn't have enough sue-able assets to pay for the
Microsoft cafeteria food bill for a week.
Les
GrapeApe
GrapeApe
>> around his fiction- he doesn't think it as groundbreaking or
>> prescient as many others might.
>
>everything that is future-cool, and why he has graciously acknowledged
>inventing both the term and the genre cyberpunk...
He has books to sell, and he is usually invited, if his agent hasn't thrown him
out there. It is also his main product.
He was no braggart on ZDTVs Big Thinkers, which is where I got the impression
of his humility during a long TV interview. Of course he did show up on a show
with that title, but he was by no means "me...me...me"- he downplayed as much
as he could the lofty softballs being tossed his way.
Gary S. Callison
: GrapeApe wrote:
: >> My god, he must have invented Microsoft, too! Just like he invented
: >> every other concept in speculative fiction! Wow!
: >> (Nothing like newgen sf fans with a kindergartener's sense of
: >> history...)
: > prescient as many others might.
: Riiiighhht. That's why he's all over the place as a spokesman for
: everything that is future-cool, and why he has graciously acknowledged
: inventing both the term and the genre cyberpunk...
...Just like he invented every other concept in speculative fiction! Wow!
(Nothing like newgen sf fans with a kindergartener's sense of history...)
I like Gibson's stuff a lot; I think the wife an I own everything he's
written. But he invented the genre and the term much in the same fashion
that Al Gore invented the Internet.
--
Huey
Dave
>
> GrapeApe wrote:
>
> >> My god, he must have invented Microsoft, too! Just like he invented
> >> every other concept in speculative fiction! Wow!
> >>
> >> (Nothing like newgen sf fans with a kindergartener's sense of
> >> history...)
>
> > Even Gibson is a bit humble and wary of the cult that may have risen
> > around his fiction- he doesn't think it as groundbreaking or
> > prescient as many others might.
>
> Riiiighhht. That's why he's all over the place as a spokesman for
> everything that is future-cool, and why he has graciously acknowledged
> inventing both the term and the genre cyberpunk...
'Cyberspace' as well.
Jeez, James. Your response seemed a bit over-the-top considering the
innocuousness of the initial post. Whassupwithat?
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Greg Goss
>Hello all,
>
>I've been a Gibson fan for some time, and a friend of mine who
>recently began Neuromancer commented on the term 'microsoft' usen
>in Gibson's writing. Microsofts are just what he calls programs
>or software. Was this term used before William Gibson's books?
>Or did Microsoft (tm) take their name from Gibson's books? (i am
>mainly thinking of Neuromancer which was out in 82 or something).
>Just curious...
Microsoft is much older than Neuromancer. The company made its first
software sales to buyers of the original Altair in ?76? (sorry, my
web connection
Microcomputer Software. Straigntforward name.
Now ask me about Bill (?) Tate's parrot.
Greg Goss
Greg Goss
>I have a T-shirt from the very first annual New Mexico Computer Fair and Expo
>celebrating the 20th anniversary of personal computing and Microsoft in 1995.
>Microsoft seems to have started about the same time as the Altair 2000 came out
>in 1975. Both events occured in Albuquerque. The movie "Triumph of the Nerds"
>covers the whole thing.
The business entity "Microsoft" has a rather blurry demarcation from
"Traf-o-data", a business Gates (and friends?) built to sell a
punched-tape analysis device. Surrey, BC, Canada is, in some senses,
Microsoft's first customer.
Sean Houtman
>Microsoft is much older than Neuromancer. The company made its first
>software sales to buyers of the original Altair in ?76? (sorry, my
>web connection
>
I have a T-shirt from the very first annual New Mexico Computer Fair and Expo
celebrating the 20th anniversary of personal computing and Microsoft in 1995.
Microsoft seems to have started about the same time as the Altair 2000 came out
in 1975. Both events occured in Albuquerque. The movie "Triumph of the Nerds"
covers the whole thing.
Sean