< company > The biggest supplier of operating systems and other software for IBM PC compatibles. Software products include MS-DOS , Microsoft Windows , Windows NT , Microsoft Access , LAN Manager , MS Client , SQL Server , Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC), MS Mail , and SNA Server for Windows NT.
Microsoft was founded as "Micro-soft" in 1975 by Bill Gates (now CEO) and his high school pal Paul Allen. Their first product was a version of BASIC for the new Altair computer [which one?]. In 1980, IBM chose Microsoft to supply the operating system for the IBM PC .
On the UK television program "The Net" in May 1994, Bill Gates said he was betting his company on the information highway ".
Quarterly sales $1293M, profits $362M (Aug 1994).
Home . ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/ .
Interesting Info and Other Microsoft WWW Servers .
Microsoft Windows Developer Information .
Microsoft Research Group Information .
Win_News . maintained by the Personal Operating Systems Division to distribute information on Microsoft Windows , MS-DOS and Windows 95 .
(1998-11-06)