Bill Gates uses a Surface Pro. And other things we learned from his first AMA

Bill Gates only wrapped upwardly his first AMA on Reddit. In that lilliputian PSA post we did a few hours back, one commenter (who wasn't familiar with Reddit) asked if we could take hold of the questions and answers. You know nosotros're a push overs for you guys, ask and you shall receive. Here are all the questions and answers from Bill himself.

A quick annotation about the following earlier we jump in. You'll get dislocated really fast if y'all read this similar it was a typical interview between two people, more often than not because it isn't. An AMA is a collection of a bunch of questions asked by folks on the internet and answered past one person. There really isn't any narrative or catamenia to the following, only Bill answering some questions. I'll exercise my best to club it then that at that place is context where Bill does follow up whatever question to an respond.

Question: Hi, welcome to reddit! What are your thoughts on the push against the open and costless Net that we have been seeing in the recent by and present (such as sopa, etc)? (

Bill Gates: There are two things this could reference. One is the free/pay for software mix. The Internet has benefited from having lots of free stuff and lots of commercial software. Information technology has been interesting see people inventing hybrid models. Fifty-fifty stuff that is pretty commercial often has free versions for some audiences. Even the almost open stuff often have services people choose to pay for.

The 2d thing is the anonymous versus identified tension. This is some other ane where both will probably thrive since you desire anonymity for some things and full identity for others. I am surprised how little progress has been made in the identity space simply it volition improve.

Question: What practise people give y'all for your altogether, given that you can buy anything you want?

Bill Gates: Free software. Just kidding. Books actually.

Question: Oh! What's your favorite book?

Nib Gates: My favorite of the last decade in Pinker's Ameliorate Angels of our Nature. It is long but profound look at the reduction in violence and discrimination over fourth dimension. I review a lot of the books I read at gatesnotes.com (is that too self-promotional?)

Question: What one Microsoft program or product that was never fully adult or released do you wish had made it to market?

Neb Gates: Nosotros had a rich database as the client/cloud store that was role of a Windows release that was before its time. This is an idea that volition remerge since your cloud store volition exist rich with schema rather than just a bunch of files and the customer will be a fractional replica of it with rich schema understanding.

Question: Possibly WinFS? I e'er wanted to see what happened to that.

Neb Gates: Correct!

Question: Since becoming wealthy, what's the cheapest thing that gives you the most pleasure?

Nib Gates: Kids. Cheap cheeseburgers. Open Course Ware courses...

Question: Where are yous acquiring these inexpensive kids from?

Beak Gates: The stork.

Question: How have other extremely wealthy people reacted to your excessively generous philanthropy?

Bill Gates: I have enjoyed meeting other philanthropists and talking almost what they work on. I think at that place is a move to do more, start sooner and be smarter virtually giving. Philanthropy is mostly about a broad prepare of people giving but it helps if the nigh wealthy prepare a strong case...

Question: I'm not Nib Gates, but he has fabricated a huge positive influence. Many wealthy people I know signal to Bill Gates equally their idol. Not for his Microsoft days, merely for his philanthropy. He likewise simultaneously killed many of my friend'south hundred one thousand thousand dollar trust funds after their parents discovered that Bill was merely leaving $x million for his children.

Bill Gates: I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is non a favor to them. Warren Buffett was part of an article in Fortune talking well-nigh this in 1986 before I met him and it fabricated me think nearly information technology and determine he was right. Some people disagree with this but Melinda and I feel good nearly it.

Question: Practice you still code ?, if so which language ? :)

Pecker Gates: Not equally much as I would like to. I write some C, C# and some Basic. I am surprised new languages have non made more than progress in simplifying programming. It would be cracking if well-nigh high school kids were exposed to programming...

Question: First of all: Thank you for all y'all've given and all you've done to brand the world a amend place. Given the recent targeting of health professionals in Pakistan and Nigeria, do yous think eradication of polio is attainable in the adjacent decade? How is the Gates Foundation going to get over this barrier to eradication? Likewise, what is your opinion on the anti-vaccination motility in general?

Nib Gates: The violence against the vaccinators in both Pakistan and Nigeria is a terrible affair. However both countries are committed to finishing the eradication. This is the project I spent most of my fourth dimension on. We should be able to finish by 2022 although that will require raising funds and some neat execution. We have some innovations like the way nosotros use satellite maps to find all the villages and GPS tracking to brand sure the teams go to every hut that are helping out. Polio is a harder affliction than smallpox was only it is doable. (I discuss this more at www.billsletter.com and you can learn more most the progress against polio with this infographic)

Question: What type of computer are you using right at present?

Bill Gates: I just got my Surface Pro a week ago and it is very squeamish.

I am using a Perceptive Pixel display right now - huge Windows 8 affect whiteboard. These will come downwardly in price over fourth dimension and be pervasive...

(Dan pointed something interesting out, Nib G's figurer looks like to this badass i nosotros played with at CES)

Question i: What one Microsoft program or product that was never fully developed or released exercise you wish had made it to market? Question two (another user replying to the first question): Vista

Nib Gates: Vista was what somewhen shipped merely Winfs had been dropped by and then.

Question: Can you still jump over chairs?

Nib Gates: Less than I used to. It was part of exercise for snow skiing. I still ski but I am not as hard core...

Question: Practise y'all guys really use Bing? I mean seriously...

Bill Gates: Seriously Bing is the better product at this point. Endeavor the challenge. I am biased but the work to make Bing ameliorate has been amazing.

Question: What emerging applied science today practice you think will crusade another big stir for the boilerplate consumer in the same fashion that the dwelling computer did years ago?

Bill Gates: Robots, pervasive screens, voice communication interaction will all alter the manner nosotros await at "computers". Once seeing, hearing, and reading (including handwriting) work very well you will interact in new ways..

Question: How was your human relationship with Steve jobs? I ever hoped that y'all were really good friends and competitors.

Bill Gates: He and I respected each other. Our biggest articulation project was the Mac where Microsoft had more people on the project than Apple did equally we wrote a lot of applications. I saw Steve regularly over the years including spending an afternoon with him a few months before he tragically passed away...

Question: Which world-wide wellness cause are we perfectly capable of easily solving and on the cusp of achieving simply just need to put information technology over the superlative with a piffling more attention or resources to actually solve?

Bill Gates: Polio is the first thing to get done since we are close. Within 6 years we will accept the last case. After that we will go after malaria and measles. Malaria kills over 500,000 kids every twelvemonth mostly in Africa and did not get enough attention until the last decade. Nosotros also need vaccines to forbid HIV and TB which are making progress...

Question: What is something that needs to be changed in the world, but coin wont help?

Pecker Gates: Information technology would be overnice if all governments were as rational every bit the Nordic governments - reaching compromise and providing services broadly. The Economist had a nice special section on this final week. Africa governments have often been weak but y'all can't write a cheque to alter that. Fortunately the average quality is going up. Mo Ibrahim tracks this in a great way.

Question: First of all, thanks Mr. Gates for doing this. I've been a fan of you since I was a footling kid, taking solace in your success as a professional nerd and philanthropist. If Microsoft didn't take off, what would you lot take washed and exist doing instead? Yous are a leader in the ultra-wealthy philanthropists, only what do y'all call back that people of median income tin practice to help better the earth the about?

Bill Gates: If the microprocessor had Not come along I am not certain what I would have done. Maybe medicine or theoretical math but it is hard to say. Most giving is done by the center grade so it is the backbone of generosity particularly in the United States. A key matter is to support government aid which is only 1% of the budget but helps poor countries in incredible ways.

Question: I just wanted to say thanks for responding to my letter of the alphabet that I wrote to yous in the 2nd grade. I notwithstanding have your shorthand. Out of all the celebrities that were written to in my form you were the only to to answer. Thanks for making me the coolest 2nd grader for a niggling while.

Bill Gates: I am glad you kept it!

Question: How exercise you measure the success of the foundation? How does the foundation differ from other large philanthropic organizations? Thanks for all that yous and Melinda have done and keep to do!

Bill Gates: Our goals are focused on helping the poorest (globally) and improving education (in the US). We spend half of our money on global health. 1 metric to expect at is reducing the number of children (under 5) who die. My annual letter of the alphabet talks nearly the amazing progress that has been made on this. Amazingly equally health improves families choose to have less kids so paradoxically population growth goes DOWN as you lot improve health helping with near every consequence - from stability to the surroundings.. The Rosling video I posted on Sun talks about this.

Question: What is the greatest accomplishment of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in your opinion and how practice you choose which causes to support?

Beak Gates: And so far our biggest impact has been getting vaccines for things similar diarrhea and pneumonia out which has saved millions of lives. Polio will be a great accomplishment along with key partners when that gets done.

Question: Is Weezer still your favorite band?

Nib Gates: Weezer.... Actually U2 is a favorite.. I keep waiting for Spinal Tap to go back on tour...

Question: Hi Mr. Gates,

The anti-vaccine movement does non just exist in developing countries, such as Pakistan, but is quite pop here in the United States as well. As a upshot, the number of influenza and whooping coughing cases are bigger than ever. Are you planning on working domestically likewise? edit for related question: Which countries do you lot think serve as models for their initiatives towards an overall healthier society? ie. who's doing the all-time?

Bill Gates: Vaccines are very important in all countries. Some of the bad rumors have pb to kids dying of measles and pertussis. Nosotros have backed some information campaigns on the importance of vaccination even in the The states. The Nordic countries exercise a practiced job on health like they do on many things...

Question: Hi Nib, I take a few questions for y'all: one) I'k from India. What do yous think are some of the biggest challenges India currently faces that's hindering its progress? 2) At what point did you decide that information technology was time to retire and put the Microsoft part of your life backside you and focus completely on philanthropy? iii) Lastly, accept yous been involved at all with Microsoft afterwards your retirement? Perhaps helped them out a scrap? P.South. I've been a huge fan of you since I was a child. Maybe I'll get a chance to encounter you 1 day!

Bill Gates: Republic of india is making progress but there is even so a lot to practise particularly up in the Northward. They all the same need to add some of the vaccines that poorer countries are already using and saving lots of lives. Republic of india did a great job on polio and is increasing the health budget. We piece of work closely with the federal and country governments to assist out...

Question: What do you lot do for fun? I detect it hard to fathom how someone like you lot can just disconnect. Disconnect from the emails, calls ,the media. All of it. What would be your definition of a chill and fun day?

Bill Gates: I beloved playing tennis. I am an avid bridge thespian (a menu game if you accept not heard of information technology - it was more popular in the past!). I like to bout interesting things with my kids like power plants, garbage dumps, the Big Hadron Collider, Antarctica, missile Silos (Arizona),... I read a lot and sentinel courses (online or the Learning Company)..

Question: What's your worst fear for the future of the world? (edit: I terms of policy/politics/etc -- due east.g. SOPA/ITU)

Pecker Gates: Hopefully we won't have terrorists using nuclear weapons or biological weapons. We should make certain that stays hard. I am disappointed more isn't being done to reduce carbon emissions. Governments need to spend more on basic energy R&D to brand sure we get cheap not-CO2 emitting sources as shortly equally possible. Overall I am pretty optimistic. Things are a lot better than they were 200 years agone..

Question: How did you feel nearly your portrayal in Pirates of Silicon Valley, and who do you want to play you side by side in a movie?

Bill Gates: That portrayal was reasonably accurate....

Question: Hi Beak, I am simply wondering what your thoughts are on Windows viii. Exercise you think in general information technology has failed? I am not saying it has, but at that place are people saying it is not good, and I wanted to hear your thoughts on it.

Bill Gates: It is a huge accelerate for Windows which people volition see even more than as the great applications and hardware come up out..

Question: Anything left on your bucket list?

Bill Gates: Don't die…

Question: Did you ever own a Macintosh?

Bill Gates: Microsoft does a lot of software for the Mac. I mostly apply Windows machines only from time to time I take tried all of Apple products.

Question: Windows vii or Windows eight? Exist honest Nib.

Bill Gates: Higher is better.

Question: What is your view on the world's reliance on crude oil, and will you exist investing into researching other sources of energy?

Nib Gates: I did a TED talk about the climate crunch. Over fourth dimension nosotros take to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions so using fossil fuels will require united states of america to do carbon capture and sequestration. There has been far too piddling work on this.

Question: Mr. Gates I was happy to run across you last year at the Math Strategy Grouping at Sunnylands. My question is how exercise you see technology enhancing Mathematics education without really replacing it?

Bill Gates: The ability to test your knowledge and become refreshed on a topic yous are making mistakes on volition personalize a lot of the learning experience. People like Sal Khan are out in front end figuring out how to do this well. My foundation has funded a lot of MOOCs focused on community higher kids or kids who have to take remedial math. I am optimistic these volition make a big divergence.

So what did we learn from all this? Well, Bing is meliorate than Google, U2 is his favorite ring, and he is currently rocking a Surface Pro. Of class Neb would wrap upward his first ever AMA with the following picture:

Source: Reddit AMA

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