The Founder of the Microsoft

It's hard to believe that the first personal computer, the prototype of the computer now found in homes and offices around the world, was developed less than twenty years ago. The original PC, as it's known, came in a form of an electronic kit, a piece of hardware strictly for the hobbyist. The software for that machine — the language that allows us to tell the computer what we want it to do — was developed by William Gates.

Bill was born in 1955 in Seattle. He became interested in computers when he was 13 years old. Bill attended Harvard University. There he began to develop the computer language called Basic. Later William returned to Seattle where he established the Microsoft Company in 1975. It employed only three workers at first. Microsoft developed software for established American companies like General Electric, City Bank and International Business Machines company, known as IBM. In 1981 IBM began selling a personal computer that used Microsoft products as part of its operating system. By then Microsoft had 129 workers. Today four out of five of the world's personal computers run on Microsoft software, on what is called Microsoft DOS or on its latest incarnation — Windows. Windows system makes it much easier to use a computer. It's through the Windows system that we may gain access to the Internet, the global computer network.

Microsoft does thousands of millions of dollars in business each year. It now has more than 16 thousand workers in 48 countries. Microsoft produces computer programs in 30 languages and sells them in more than 100 countries. Thanks to the success of his company, William Gates has earned a personal fortune estimated to be in excess of 7 billion dollars. He is one of the richest men in the world.

**Task X. Give the English equivalents to the following:

Світова комп’ютерна мережа, частина операційної мережі, отримувати доступ до Інтернету, заробляти мільйони доларів, електронний набір, останнє оновлення, працювати на програмному забезпеченні від Мікрософт, зразок апаратури тільки для хобі, працевлаштувати тільки 3 робітника, заснувати компанію, використовувати як частину операційної системи, заробити власний статок, оцінювати в мільярди доларів

**Task XI. Answer the questions to the text:

1. When was the first personal computer developed?

2. What form did the first PC come from?

3. Who was the software for that machine developed by?

4. What computer language did Gates used to develop when he studied at school?

5. When was the Microsoft company founded?

6. What companies did Microsoft develop software for?

7. What is the latest incarnation of Microsoft software?

8. What do you know about windows?

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