Bill Gates' computer freezes during keynote presentation

[urban1985_]

Microsoft's Gates endures PC crash during keynote speech at U.S. tech show


January 6, 2005
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Despite suffering through an embarrassing computer crash that prompted jokes and guffaws, Bill Gates promised that Microsoft Corp. would help consumers stay plugged into technology, during a keynote speech Wednesday.


In his seventh annual keynote speech at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft's chairman explained that the proliferation of high-speed Internet access and the falling price of data storage are compelling people to put music, photos, movies and other aspects of their life into a digital format.
But while promoting what he calls the "digital lifestyle," Gates showed how vulnerable all consumers - even the world's richest man - are to hardware and software bugs.

During a demonstration of digital photography with a soon-to-be-released Nikon camera, a Windows Media Center PC froze and wouldn't respond to Gates' pushing of the remote control.

Later in the 90-minute presentation, a product manager demonstrated the ostensible user-friendliness of a video game expected to hit retail stores in April, Forza Motor Sport. But instead of configuring a custom-designed race car, the computer monitor displayed the dreaded "blue screen of death" and warned, "out of system memory."

Full story at Canada.com (http://www.canada.com/news/story.html?id=7d5a65b1-8260-44c6-8354-ff4a1ef5d39b)

[zelmo]

Ahhhhhhhh. :)

I'll have a smile for the rest of the day.

Gawd, can you imagine if that happened to Steve next week? I'd feel sorry for anyone he came in contact with for the first hour after he stalked off stage. :eek:

[Nermal]

I remember in one of Steve's keynotes a couple of years ago, some app (iPhoto?) wouldn't respond to his mouseclicks. :eek:

[wordmunger]

I remember in one of Steve's keynotes a couple of years ago, some app (iPhoto?) wouldn't respond to his mouseclicks. :eek:
I think that's right -- can't remember which app either. But the whole system didn't go down, like it did for Bill, and certainly not TWICE in the same presentation. Egads!

[keysersoze]

I think that's right -- can't remember which app either. But the whole system didn't go down, like it did for Bill, and certainly not TWICE in the same presentation. Egads!

I love it they got the blue screen of death! not just a lock up, but a royal F-U from the computer. hahaha

[FoxyKaye]

Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

I think this happened a few years ago too, when he was demo-ing Windows '98. Shows you just how fragile of an OS Windows really is. Perhaps now Bill knows what it's like to be an everyday Windows user, when the OS crashes once or twice a day. :eek:

[rhpenguin]

Also durring this keynote they announced basically another delay to Forza Motorsports from February to April.... God damnit im getting impatient waiting for this game. My xbox needs a really good racing game!

[Bozola]

Original post here:

Link (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=103583)

Copies of pics here..

Link (http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000293026218/)

[solvs]

I remember in one of Steve's keynotes a couple of years ago, some app (iPhoto?) wouldn't respond to his mouseclicks. :eek:
Actually, it was the camera. Batteries died or something. iPhoto was working fine when they got him a new camera, but he threw the old one off stage. People say it was at someone, but he might have just wanted it gone.

Oh, and :D

[dejo]

Interesting how News.com is not carrying this story.

[OutThere]

Ahhh....the blue screen of death, a plague that affects all but the maker of the computer...err woops, I take that back. ;)

[MacNeXT]

I hope Jobs will have some kind of witty remark about this next Tuesday.

[OutThere]

I hope Jobs will have some kind of witty remark about this next Tuesday.

And hopefully he won't get a kernel panic in the process :eek:

*Bill Gates sneaks off the stage with the real g5 that steve had brought* ;)

[mcmav37]

Interesting how News.com is not carrying this story.

I assume you are referring to the belief that news.com.com (what is that second .com for???) is somehow anti-Mac?

Actually, they do have info about it:
Link (http://news.com.com/Gates+touts+TiVo+deal+at+CES/2100-1040_3-5514117.html?tag=nl)

Check out the 4th full paragraph. I was hoping the video snippet on the site would have that part of the presentation, but no.

[Lancetx]

Delicious. I saw a clip of it on a TV news network earlier and even the news anchor got a chuckle out of it.

[MacDawg]

But while promoting what he calls the "digital lifestyle," Gates showed how vulnerable all consumers - even the world's richest man - are to hardware and software bugs.

Promoting the 'digital lifestyle' huh...

Makes you wonder if some sleazy underworld mole type comes in to Bill's office and whispers in his ear about iLife and any of the newest developments on the Mac and Bill races off to take credit for having invented technology.

M$ is always behind the curve... always!
I guess their R&D team consists of attending Steve's Keynotes so they know what they are going to be working on for the next few years!

Woof, Woof - Dawg

[Phat_Pat]

man thats funny :D

[maya]

I hope Jobs will have some kind of witty remark about this next Tuesday.

Not really, however Steve Jobs will mention the tsunami. You can beat on it. :)

[Daveway]

This reminds me of that video of when Bill and a co worker was demoing Windows 98 and it BSODed when installing device drivers. Bill responded with a quick, "..and this is why we aren't shipping windows 98 yet."

I remember downloads it from a website that had a lot of Apple movies.

[Brian Hickman]

Footage of the crashes on the Screensavers now.

Hickman

[CaptainCaveMann]

Anynow know if we can watch the video of this happening to Bill thatd be so funny to see :D

[Mechcozmo]

I made this recently. :D

What it really means, that gold 'ole BSOD:

http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19913&stc=1

[virividox]

hahah made me smile today :)

[aricher]

What a great way to start the weekend :D

[Mr Maui]

During a demonstration of digital photography with a soon-to-be-released Nikon camera, a Windows Media Center PC froze and wouldn't respond to Gates' pushing of the remote control.

Later in the 90-minute presentation, a product manager demonstrated the ostensible user-friendliness of a video game expected to hit retail stores in April, Forza Motor Sport. But instead of configuring a custom-designed race car, the computer monitor displayed the dreaded "blue screen of death" and warned, "out of system memory."

Full story at Canada.com (http://www.canada.com/news/story.html?id=7d5a65b1-8260-44c6-8354-ff4a1ef5d39b)
Maybe at his next keynote or demonstration, Bill should use a Mac. :D

[Hemingray]

Bwahaha! :D

[Bob Knob]

This reminds me of that video of when Bill and a co worker was demoing Windows 98 and it BSODed when installing device drivers. Bill responded with a quick, "..and this is why we aren't shipping windows 98 yet."

Yep, things never change at MS:
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9804/20/gates.comdex/gates.30.240.mov

[wdlove]

At least he is showing his human side. For even the mighty can fall. :D

[starcrossed]

I made this recently. :D

What it really means, that gold 'ole BSOD:

http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19913&stc=1


You know what would be great. If someone could create a little program that you could install on someone's Mac that out of nowhere display the blue screen of death, then display something like "oops wrong computer, you can keep working", or "haha just kidding, go on" or something funny like that. This would be a great gag for your switcher friends!!! :D

[Colonel Panik]

And hopefully he won't get a kernel panic in the process :eek:

*Bill Gates sneaks off the stage with the real g5 that steve had brought* ;)


Did someone say Colonel Panik?

I've no intention of going to Macworld next week.

[Colonel Panik]

Yep, things never change at MS:
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9804/20/gates.comdex/gates.30.240.mov


Have you ever noticed how the guy doing all the talking doesn't look at Gates once? Not even when Gates cracks his joke. Creepy. Looks like he was expecting to be fired.

[PickledSquirrel]

Hehe now Bill, how d'you like them windows:D

-Squirrel

[clayj]

I hate to point this out to you, but a similar thing happened to Steve Jobs during HIS keynote... some app locked up (iPhoto, I think), and he switched to another machine and said "This is why we have backup machines." I wouldn't be surprised if someone offstage was able to drive those machines as well, so they could restart the balky machine while he continued with the backup.

Besides, there's a well-known law that states that the probability of a demonstration failing in some way is proportional to the SQUARE of the number of people watching it.

[ifjake]

yeah i was thinking the same thing about the recent keynote. it was pretty slick how he got out of it though. just flipped a switch and was right back into it. i read once about those little switch things, they make it so your monitor and keyboard and mouse can be switched between two different machines.

[Apple!Freak]

What a great way to start the weekend :D
:)

[Apple!Freak]

yeah i was thinking the same thing about the recent keynote. it was pretty slick how he got out of it though. just flipped a switch and was right back into it. i read once about those little switch things, they make it so your monitor and keyboard and mouse can be switched between two different machines.

Yup! See Steve has a plan if something goes wrong in the unlikley event that it does however Bill does not. ;)

[tech4all]

Yup! See Steve has a plan if something goes wrong in the unlikley event that it does however Bill does not. ;)

Yea I like how Steve says, "Thats why we have back up systems here".


Hey Apple Freak, um why am I in your sig? :confused:

EDIT: Nevermind, I just saw your reply to that post I made :p ;)

[solvs]

I hate to point this out to you, but a similar thing happened to Steve Jobs during HIS keynote...
Similar, but not the same. Steve's machine was going slow, and kept asking him questions they ask on new installs. Something may have slowed to a crawl, or even frozen, but the machine didn't crash. And as pointed out, he had a backup. Worth a chuckle, and it is beta software, so we tend to let it slide a little. ;)

When it happened to Bill, it was funny. Because stuff like that happens all the time to us poor shmoes forced to use Windows. For all we know, it was just the batteries dying in his little remote, but it was still funny. Especially since he didn't really prepare for it and it happened several times. Plus, the xBox thing. Seeing a BSOD on a video game console was priceless. That... we don't let slide. :p

[Phat_Pat]

You know what would be great. If someone could create a little program that you could install on someone's Mac that out of nowhere display the blue screen of death, then display something like "oops wrong computer, you can keep working", or "haha just kidding, go on" or something funny like that. This would be a great gag for your switcher friends!!! :D
theres a screen saver that does this.... VERY Realistic.... does disk activity and everything.... makes it look like it restarts and the whole nine yards.

the only way to leave the screensaver is to press a certain key of buttons..... great prank to a roomate or something. :D

[3Memos]

I hate to point this out to you, but a similar thing happened to Steve Jobs during HIS keynote... some app locked up (iPhoto, I think), and he switched to another machine and said "This is why we have backup machines." I wouldn't be surprised if someone offstage was able to drive those machines as well, so they could restart the balky machine while he continued with the backup.

Steve handled it with aplomb. Still, we are talking about iPhoto on a pre-alpha build of Tiger. I wonder if the Media Center PC Bill was demo'ing was final or not, but the problem with that presentation was a malfunctioning remote, not the actual MC itself.

[clayj]

Steve handled it with aplomb. Still, we are talking about iPhoto on a pre-alpha build of Tiger. I wonder if the Media Center PC Bill was demo'ing was final or not, but the problem with that presentation was a malfunctioning remote, not the actual MC itself.Exactly so. Stuff happens, especially when you're demo'ing something in front of a lot of people. You can test and test and test beforehand, but when the chips are down, you can't always predict what will happen.

[autrefois]

it was pretty slick how he got out of it though. just flipped a switch and was right back into it. i read once about those little switch things, they make it so your monitor and keyboard and mouse can be switched between two different machines.

I think these should come standard when you order a new Mac. Not just the switch, the extra computer! :D

PCs should come with at least 2 extra computers. After all you have to allow time for the original machine to boot up before you can go back to it, and the risk that the second computer will also have the BSOD right away is just too great. :)

[ThomasJefferson]

Actually, it was the camera. Batteries died or something. iPhoto was working fine when they got him a new camera, but he threw the old one off stage. People say it was at someone, but he might have just wanted it gone.

Oh, and :D

yep, i remember the flying camera. that was a special moment.

[tech4all]

yep, i remember the flying camera. that was a special moment.

Did he really get mad? Did the audience react? Is there a video of this?


Wow 3 questions in a row :D :eek:

[solvs]

Did he really get mad? Did the audience react? Is there a video of this?
He was frustrated, but moved past it pretty quick (after tossing the camera off stage). The audience didn't seem to react too much. If I recall correctly. I'm sure there is a video somewhere. Google it.