- DEVELOPMENT IN MICROSOFT FROM 1976
March 27, Twenty-year old Bill Gates gives the opening address at the First Annual World Altair Computer Convention (WACC) held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. July 1, Microsoft refines and enhances BASIC to sell to other customers including DTC, General Electric, NCR, and Citibank. November 1, Paul Allen resigns from MITS to join Microsoft full time. November 26, The tradename "Microsoft" is registered with the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico "to identify computer programs for use in automatic data processing systems; pre-programming processing systems; and data processing services including computer programming services." The application says that the name has been in continuous use since November 12, 1975. Microsoft develops its first ad campaign, called "The Legend of Micro-Kid." Although still an informal partnership, Microsoft moves to its first real offices in One Park Central Tower in Albuquerque. Gates returns to Harvard for the spring term, but finds time to direct Microsoft in its efforts to license BASIC to General Electric, NCR, Citibank, and others
MITS sponsors the World Altair Computer Convention (WACC) in Albuquerque, for Altair owners, dealers, programmers, and anyone interested in microcomputers. The convention features a 20-year-old as the keynote speaker: Bill Gates. Microsoft develops its first ad campaign, called "The Legend of Micro-Kid."
Branching Beyond BASIC, Microsoft develops FORTRAN, COBOL, and Assembler, extending the capabilities of the PC into scientific and business realms. With the introduction of inexpensive microprocessors such as the Intel 8080 and the MOS 6502, a few people began to dream of actually having their own computers. February 3, 1977, A partnership agreement between Paul Allen and Bill Gates is officially executed. Their main product is still BASIC, but it's tied up with MITS, which has agreed to make a "best effort" to license it to other companies. In Bill and Paul's view, however, MITS is making less effort than it should. Bill Gates and Paul Allen shared the title of general partner until 1977, when Bill Gates became president and Paul Allen vice president of Microsoft Corp. - FOUNDATION OF MICROSOFT
MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, announced the MITS Altair 8800 on the cover of the 1st January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics. The MITS Altair inspired a new generation of technology enthusiasts, including Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who were among the first of these early hobbyists to realize that the key to the future of personal computing lay in the unlimited potential of software. On the cover is a mockup of the MITS Altair, the first personal computer. Allen, employed by Honeywell and his friend Bill Gates, a sophomore at Harvard, immediately set out to adapt BASIC( Biginner’ All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code ) for the machine, working in marathon 24-hour sessions. Jan 2, Bill Gates and Paul Allen complete BASIC. They license BASIC to their first customer, MITS of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the manufacturer of the Altair 8800 personal computer. This is the first computer language program written for a personal computerMarch 7, The MITS Altair newsletter, Computer Notes, declares, "Altair BASIC -- Up and Running." July 1, Bill Gates' and Paul Allen's BASIC officially ships as version 2.0 in both 4K and 8K editions. July 22, Paul Allen and Bill Gates sign a licensing agreement with MITS regarding the BASIC Interpreter. Microsoft is not yet an official partnership. In fact, the name has not even been chosen. Nov 29, In a letter to Paul Allen, Bill Gates uses the name "Micro-soft" to refer to their (60/40)(3) Partnership. This is the earliest known written reference.
Stats---Revenues: $16,005. Employees: 3(Allen, Bill Gates, and Ric Weiland)
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