we wrote software for personal computers and we believe that we could hire the best engineers

我們為個人電腦寫軟體，還有我們相信我們可以聘請到最優秀的工程師

there was a unbelievable amount of software to be written

那時有多到難以想像的待寫軟體

and we could do it well we could do it on a global basis

而如果我們可以做好的話，我們就可以向全球邁進

and... the original customer base was the hardware manufacturers

最初的顧客群是硬體製造商

and we sold to literally hundreds and hundreds you know... over a hundred companies in japan

而我們真的賣給好幾百家，你知道的... 上百家在日本的公司

and over a hundred companies doing word processors and industrial control type of things

還有超過一百家做文字處理器和工業控制系統之類的公司

we know in the long run we wanted to sell software directly to users

我們知道長期計畫是要將軟體直接賣給使用者

but we actually didn't get around that till nineteen eighty

但是我們並沒有實現，直到1980

when we had uh... our first sort of games and productivity software that

當我們有 恩... 我們第一個像是遊戲和生產力軟體

that people would go to a computer store in actually buy the the software package

人們去電腦商店就真的可以買到軟體包

we actually talked about it in an article

我們其實有在一篇文章中談過這個

and i think nineteen seventy seven was the first time it appears in print

在 我想1977是它第一次以印刷本的形式出現

where we say a computer on it on every desk and every home

我們說一台電腦在每張桌子和每個家

and actually the

還有確實的

we said running microsoft software

我們說在使用微軟的軟體

if we were just talking about the vision we'd leave

如果我們只是在討論願景，我們會去掉

that those last three words out

後面那幾個字

uh... if we were

恩... 如果我們是在

talking in an internal company discussion

公司內部討論

we put those words in

我們會加入那幾個字

and

還有

it's very hard to recall

很難去回想

how crazy and wild that was you know on every desk and in every home

那是多麼的瘋狂，你知道的，在每張桌子和每個家

you know at the time you have

你知道在那個時候有

people who are very smart saying

很聰明的人說

you know why would somebody needed computer or even Ken Olsen

你知道，為什麼會有人需要電腦，或甚至是肯‧奧臣

who would run this company digital equipment

他經營迪吉多公司

who made the computer i grew up with

他創造了陪伴我長大的電腦

and you know that we admired

你知道我們非常地欣賞

both him and his company immensely

他和他的公司

was saying that

連他都在說

this seemed kinda a silly idea

這聽起來像是個蠢主意

that people would want to have a computer

人們竟然會想要有一台電腦

when

當

IBM

IBM

saw that we had written software for all the personal computers

看到我們為所有的個人電腦寫軟體

they came to us sought our advice on the design

他們來找我們，詢問我們對這個設計的建議

but we said you should put the discant

但是我們說你應該要將這個討論

and since they wanted to ship very quickly

還有因為他們想要很快的出貨

another company

另外一家公司

uh...

恩...

called digital research

叫做"數位研究"

had done that work

做過這個工作

for the eight bit machines

給8位元裝置

and they were starting to do a version for this new these new sixteen machines

以及他們正開始做一個版本給這個新16位元裝置

we commenced by the end of the sixteen bit machine

我們從16位元裝置後開始做

using this

使用這個

eighty eighty six eighty d eight processor. Well Digital Research

80806/8088處理器 其實"數位研究"

really hadn't finished the work

並沒有完成這個工作

and then IBM was getting frustrated because Digital Research

然後IBM開始有點沮喪，因為"數位研究"

wouldn't sign even a non-disclosure agreement

甚至不願意簽下保密合約

and then some of us uh... particularly Paul

接著我們有些人 恩... 特別是保羅

and uh...

還有恩...

key person named Kozhikode Nishi

叫做Kozhikode Nishi的關鍵人物

uh...

恩...

was from japan worked with us

從日本來和我們一起工作

said no no no we should just do that ourselves

說"不、不、不，我們應該自己做"

and because of a quick timing

因為時間太倉促

we end up liscensing the original code from another company

我們最後向另一家公司購買原始碼的版權

uh...

恩...

and turned that into MS-DOS

將它變成MS-DOS

and

然後

so then

所以

subsequently MS-DOS competed with

隨後MS-DOS就和

this Digital Research CP/M

"數位研究"的CP/M競爭

uh... after about two or three years and MS-DOS

恩... 大約2、3年後MS-DOS

became far far more popular

變得更有名

uh... then

恩... 比起

than CP/M and then eventually we would

比起CP/M，接著最終我們可以

take an add

加上

graphics capability on top of MS-DOS

圖像處理能力在MS-DOS上

and then integrate the two together

然後把兩者整合在一起

and so today when we talk about Windows

所以今天當我們談到Windows

it actually includes

它其實包含了

all those MS-DOS things in it. that's the full operating system

那些MS-DOS的東西在裡面 那才是一個完整的操作系統

although most of you think of the graphics in Windows and stuff there's a lot of

雖然你們大多都會想到在Windows中的圖像或是其他的東西，那是有很多

more classic operating system capability that that's built in there

更經典的操作系統能力在裡面

the IBM initial deal is a flat fee deal uh... another flat the deal

IBM最一開始的交易是統一價交易 恩... 另一個統一價交易

it had certain restrictions

它有一些特定的限制

that prevented IBM

來防止IBM

from selling to other hardware makers

將產品賣給其他硬體製造商

so people did

所以有人做

IBM PC compatible machines

IBM 個人電腦相容的裝置

we would get the revenue by doing business directly with those people

我們可以透過與那些人直接交易來獲利

and that the deal was very complicated but it was a deal that

那個交易是很複雜的，但是那是個交易

Steve Balmer who's a key person of the company by that time

史蒂芬‧巴爾默 那時他是公司的關鍵人物之一

and i thought a lot about

和我思考很多的

and it was a fairly

還有那是一個IBM相當

junior team from IBM so we tried to make sure they're giving our belief that

資淺的團隊，所以我們試著要確認他們是在給我們一個信念

personal computers would be hyper popular

就是個人電腦會風靡全世界

that microsoft would get

微軟會獲得

a lot of that upside so

從那個好處獲得很多，所以

they felt they got a very good deal, which they did

他們認為他們得到一個很好的交易，是事實沒錯

as the industry expanded

當這個產業擴張時

we uh...

我們 恩...

for new versions and for different machines, we got that opportunity even

因為有新的版本和不同的裝置，我們得到了那個機會

though they did not pay us the royalty

雖然他們沒有付我們版稅

even in the early days if you set a computer on every desk in every home and

甚至在早期，如果你裝設一台電腦在每個家的每張桌子上，然後

you'd say okay how many homes are there on the world how many desk are there on the world

你會說OK，世界上有多少個家、多少張桌子

you know can i make twenty bucks for every home, twenty bucks for every desk

你知道，我可以每個家賺20元，每張桌子20元嗎?

if you get these big numbers

如果你算算看這個大數字

but part of the beauty of the

但是最美的部分

whole thing was

關於這整件事是

we were very focused on the here and now

我們非常的專注在"這裡和現在"

should we hire one more person

我們應該要再多聘一個人嗎?

if our customers

如果我們的客戶

didn't pay us

沒有付錢給我們

whould we have enough cash to meet the payroll

我們會有足夠的現金付工資嗎?

we really were very practical about

我們真的非常地實際關於

that next thing and so involved in

下一件事情，還有太專注於

the deep engineering

深入研究工程

that we didn't get ahead of ourselves we never thought

以至於我們沒有往前想太多，我們從來沒想過

you know how big we'd be. i remember

你知道，我們會做這麼大 我記得

when uh... one of the early lists of wealthy people came out

當 恩... 其中一個早期的富豪排行榜出來時

and

然後

uh... one of the Intel founders was there

恩... Intel的其中一個創辦人在裡面

the guy who ran Wayne

經營Wayne的那個人

computer actually is still

它事實上還

Wayne is still doing well and we thought hmm... boy, the software business does

Wayne還運作得好好的，然後我們就在想... 天啊，軟體事業

well

在蓬勃發展

in fact, microsoft could be

事實上，微軟可以

somewhere to that, but it wasn't real focus that

達成那樣的成就，但是那並不是真正的專注

that everyday activity of

每天的活動

just doing great software

就是做出好的軟體

drew us in

吸引著我們

and some decisions we made, like the quality of the people, the way we were very global

有些我們做的決定，像是員工的品質，我們非常的國際化

that vision of

那個願景

uh...

恩...

uh... how we thought about software that was very long term

恩... 我們怎麼思考軟體，都是非常長期的

but other than those things you know we just came in to work every day

但是那些事情除外，你知道，我們就是每天到公司工作

and

然後

uh...

恩...

wrote more code

寫更多程式碼

you know hired

你知道，聘請

hired more people

請更多人

it wasn't really until the IBM PC

一直到IBM個人電腦

succeeded and perhaps even into Windows succeeded that

的成功以及，或許甚至是，Windows的成功

there was a broad awareness that microsoft

大家才認知到微軟

was very unique

是很獨特的

as a software company that these other companies have been one product

作為一個軟體公司，其他公司有些是只做了一項產品

companies

的公司

hired

聘請

people couldn't do a broad set of things, didn't renew their excellence, didn't do

的員工不能做很多事情、無法更新他們的專業、沒有做

research

研究

uh... so

恩... 所以

and we thought we were

我想我們在

doing something very unique, but it was easily

做一些很獨特的東西，但是很容易地

not until nineteen ninety five or even nineteen ninety-seven that

一直到1995或1997

that there was this wide recognition that we

大眾才承認說我們

we were the company that had

我們是那個

had revolutionized software

徹底改革軟體的公司

when i was very young

當我很年輕的時候

hadn't been exposed to computers, so i was mostly just reading,

我並沒有接觸過電腦，所以大多數的時間我是在閱讀、

doing math, learning about science

算數學、學習科學

and i wasn't sure what

那時我並不確定

my career would be

我的職業會是甚麼

i knew i loved

我知道我喜歡

learning about things, i was an avid reader

學習新東西，我是一位讀書愛好者

but it was when i was twelve years old that i

但在我12歲時

i first got to use a computer

我才有機會第一次用電腦

actually a very

其實那是一個非常

limited machine by today's standards uh... but that

受限制的機器，以今天的標準來看 恩... 但是那

definitely fascinated me when i was first exposed

絕對使我著迷，當我第一次接觸到它時

i was intrigued

我被迷住了

uh... by figuring out what it could do and what it couldn't do

恩... 透過發現它能做甚麼和它不能做甚麼

and some friends and I spent

我和一些朋友花了

lots of time uh... the teachers got intimidated, so we were on our own

很長一段時間 恩... 老師感到威脅，所以我們只好靠自己

trying to figure it out actually we gave

試著去研究並找出答案，事實上我們也

course on computers

教授關於電腦的課程

uh... to the other students

恩... 給其他學生

and it became

然後它就變成

you know a fascination where

你知道，一種迷戀

uh... we

恩... 我們

got paid for doing computer work and

被付錢來做跟電腦相關的工作還有

talked about forming a accompany

討論成立一家公司

uh... but

恩... 但是

there was kind of a magical breakthrough when the computer

有一個像是魔法般的突破，當電腦

became

變得

uh... cheap

恩... 便宜

and

然後

we could see that

我們可以看見

everyone could afford a computer

每個人都買得起電腦

uh... that was

恩... 那是

much later

更晚的時候

uh... but it

恩... 但是它

uh... that's what got us to

恩... 那是促使我們

really get together and create company for software

真的聚在一起然後成立一家軟體公司的契機

yeah, math was the thing that uh... came most natural to me

是啊，數學是一個 恩... 對我來說很自然的

and

然後

you know you take these

你知道，你參加這些

exams some of which were sort of nationwide exams and

測驗，有些是全國性的測驗，然後

uh... i did quite well almost

恩... 我幾乎都做得不錯

and that gave me some confidence and i had some

那給了我一些自信，還有我有一些

teachers who were very encouraging

老師他們非常會鼓勵人

uh... they

恩... 他們

let me read text books, they encourage me to take

讓我讀教科書，他們鼓勵我去上

uh... college course on

恩... 大學的課程關於

symbolic math which is actually called

象徵數學，其實就是

algebra

代數

uh...

恩...

so i i felt

所以我覺得

pretty confident in my math skills, which is a nice thing because

對我的數學能力蠻有自信的，這是一件不錯的事因為

uh... not only the sciences but economics a lot of things

恩... 不只是自然，經濟和很多其他的東西

if you're

如果你是

comfortable

輕鬆的

uh... with math and statistics and

恩... 在數學和統計上還有

ways of looking at cause-and-effect

看待因果關係的方式

uh... that's extremely helpful

恩... 那是很有幫助的

computers were immensely

電腦曾經是十分的

expensive

昂貴

uh... and cost millions of dollars a machine that

恩... 一台機器要好幾百萬元

was far less powerful then

而且又沒甚麼功能比起

then what you have a

比起你現在有的

a cell phone

一支手機

today and so that

現今，所以

either you

要不是你

have a very

有一個非常

important application

重要的應用程式

or you just share the machine with other people and still you had to pay quite a

或者你只是和其他人分享這台機器，你還是要付

bit of money

很驚人的費用

and so time-sharing is where you connected up and sharing the machine

所以，"分享時間"是你可以連結和分享這台機器

it's a lot better then

這好多了，比起

sending your programs in and because you can see

輸入你寫的程式，因為你可以發現

when you make a mistake

當你犯了一個錯誤

uh... pretty quickly

恩... 相當地快速

even so because they charge is so much

甚至因為他們的收費實在是太高了

we'd actually typed the programs

我們其實會先打出程式

offline on a paper tape

下線時，在紙帶上

uh... so that we didn't

恩... 這樣我們就不用

have any delay for typing

耽誤太多時間在輸入上

and then when we got onto the computer we'd feed in that tape

然後當我們使用電腦時，我們就放入那個紙帶

uh... so that

恩... 所以

there was less less time online

這樣上線的時間就比較少

but it gave you a sense of look at what you got right and wrong and you could try

但是這可以讓你看看你做的對或錯，接著你就可以試著

and correct things

更改資訊

uh... we also

恩... 我們也

because of that time the dominant form of computing was using punch cards

因為那時候電腦運算的主宰模式是使用穿孔卡

we actually did that quite a bit when we're down

我們實際上使用的很多那個技術，當我們

at the university of washington and use some of those

在華盛頓大學，還有使用一些

punch card systems

穿孔卡系統

as computers became less expensive so-called mini computers

當電腦變得比較沒那麼貴，所謂的迷你電腦

then more people had access mostly scientists and business people

更多人可以接觸到，大多是科學家和商業人士

but also we

但是我們也

managed to find

嘗試找到

machines that weren't being used at night. the idea of the machine is something

在晚上時沒有被使用的機器 機器的概念是

that an individual would use and that would just sit there idle when they

會被使用，而會被閒置

weren't using them

當它們沒有被使用時

that only made sense about a decade later

只有在大約十年才變合理的是

when the work that we and others have done

當我們和其他人做了努力

had gotten the price down so dramatically

將價錢大幅的下降

that the idea of a computer sitting idle, you know, doesn't feel like some huge waste of

被閒置的電腦這個想法，你知道，並不被認為是大大的浪費

resources

資源

like

像

it did when they were

這的確是，當它們曾經是

so uh...

那麼的 恩...

expensive and rare

昂貴和稀有