Follow this blog:: RSS; Email Alert

Geekend

Video: Bill Gates, meet the Blue Screen of Death

April 13, 2007, 5:00 AM PDT

Takeaway: In just one week's time, we'll celebrate the ninth anniversary of Bill Gates getting pwned by Windows 98 in front of a live studio audience. At Comdex '98, Gates and one of his flunkies were demonstarting an early iteration of Plug & Play tech to be found in the as-yet-unreleased WIndows 98 operating system. Like [...]

In just one week's time, we'll celebrate the ninth anniversary of Bill Gates getting pwned by Windows 98 in front of a live studio audience. At Comdex '98, Gates and one of his flunkies were demonstarting an early iteration of Plug & Play tech to be found in the as-yet-unreleased WIndows 98 operating system. Like it did for most of us, the Win98 experience went a little awry, forcing Gates to confront every Windows user's worst nightmare, the Blue Screen of Death! Poetic justice if ever I saw it.

Get IT Tips, news, and reviews delivered directly to your inbox by subscribing to TechRepublic’s free newsletters.

About Jay Garmon

Jay Garmon has a vast and terrifying knowledge of all things obscure, obtuse, and irrelevant. One day, he hopes to write science fiction, but for now he'll settle for something stranger -- amusing and abusing IT pros.

R.I.P. - Kurt Vonnegut

Video: Knight Rider PC case mod

Comments

Add Your Opinion

Join the conversation!

Follow via:: RSS; Email Alert

See All Comments

Staff Picks
Top Rated
Most Recent
My Contacts

No messages found

0 Votes

+ -

RE: Video: Bill Gates, meet the Blue Screen of Death

mobimation Updated - 24th Feb

Chris Capossela survived the blue screen incident quite well and is nowadays the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Microsoft. He was 29 at time of the Comdex demo in 1998, check out this 2012 interview, as if no time has passed !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TolMjmevv0
This interview reveals he is playing tennis frequently, and he comments on the Comdex incident: http://www.pcworld.com/article/184669/Microsoft_Exec_on_Google_Blue_Screen_of_Death.html

View in thread

0 Votes

+ -

RE: Video: Bill Gates, meet the Blue Screen of Death

steve.mcginn@... 29th Dec 2007

i love how everyone claps at the fact it crashed

View in thread

0 Votes

+ -

Cold Hard Truths; ease up, George.

Dr_Zinj 1st May 2007

We're talking about someone working, or formerly working, for Bill Gates, right?

The fact of the matter is the other person working for Bill fits the definitions of the word.

Yes, it would be borish and rude of someone to walk up to a person and call them a flunky to their face; but it is more acceptable in the third person.

On the other hand, there are worse things than being called a flunky. And this particular fellow at least has the good reply of, "Yep, I'm his flunky. I have a job and I probably get paid more than you do, so what?"

------------------------------------
Flunky, also flunkey

1. A person of slavish or unquestioning obedience; a lackey.
2. One who does menial or trivial work; a drudge.
3. A liveried manservant.
---------------------------------------------
[Scots, perhaps from flanker, an attendant at one's flank.]
---------------------------------------------
Word History: The word flunky has come into Standard English from Scots, in which the word meant "liveried manservant, footman," coming at least by the 19th century to be a term of contempt. The word is first recorded and defined in a work about Scots published in 1782. The definition states that a flunky is "literally a sidesman or attendant at your flank," which gives support to the suggestion that flunky is a derivative and alteration of flanker, "one who stands at a person's flank."

View in thread

Once logged in, adding contacts is simple. Just mouse over any member's photo or click any member's name then click the "Follow" button. You can easily manage your contacts within your account contacts page.

See all comments