From: cyberoid@hitl.washington.edu (Bob Jacobson
Subject: INDUSTRY: Bill Gates prognosticates -- "VR just an extension of
Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1992 01:34:37 GMT
Organization: HIT Lab, Seattle WA.



From industry satirist and spy, Robert X. Cringely's "Notes from the Field,"
INFOWORLD, February 3, 1992:


	WINDOWS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY EXTENSIONS
	COULD APPEAR VIRTUALLY ANY DAY
	
	Nothing is as it seems.  When everyone thinks
	something is true, it's likely to be false. 
	That's the sum total of my wisdom.
	
	The real wonder in this is not that we're all
	metaphorically deaf, dumb, and blind, but
	that the system still sorta works.  Wars are
	fought, garbage is still collected, my mother
	comes to visit, just as if everything was
	working as it's supposed to.  Mom arrives on
	Saturday. 

			*    *    *

	OVEREXTENDED?  Appearance and reality. ...
	Microsoft just appears to be a business
	software company, but in reality is develop-
	ing for the Nintendo Super NES.

	Stretching reality and the Intel architecture
	to epic lengths, Bill Gates told the Washing-
	ton Software Association last week that
	virtual reality is just an extension of multi-
	media.  Hell of an extension, I'd say.  Maybe
	we'll find those VR extensions in Windows 4.0,
	the totally OOP'd successor to NT due out in
	either two years (appearance) or six (reality).

			*    *    *

	"It appears you are inventing new life forms
	in our refrigerator," said Pammy, tapping her
	foot in a very Donna Reed-ish way.  "And the
	*reality* is that your Mom arrives on Satur-
	day."


"Industry secrets" can be disclosed to Cringely, so he writes, at 
(415) 312-0555, (415) 326-0326 fax, and cringe@mcimail.com.

Bob Jacobson
Moderator