Fact or Fiction: Microsoft
Estimated Completion Time
1 min
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Image: Steve Kagan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
About This Quiz
Founder (and ultimate computer geek) Bill Gates has become, depending on whom you believe, an embodiment of the American Dream -- or a cautionary tale of corrupting power. How much do you really know about Microsoft?
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Bill Gates and his father founded Microsoft in 1975.
almost fact: Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded the company in '75.
Gates and Allen met as teenagers and founded Microsoft in 1975.
Microsoft's logo is "Real solutions for real people."
almost fact: It's "Computers for the next generation."
It's actually \"Your potential. Our passion.\"
About 12,000 Microsoft employees have become billionaires.
almost fact: It's millionaires, not billionaires.
Since the company's IPO in 1986, Microsoft has made about 12,000 new millionaires.
Microsoft Office made its debut in 1989.
almost fact: It was 1986.
True. In 1989 we were all introduced to the now ubiquitous Word and Excel programs.
In 2000, a judge ruled that Microsoft was an "abusive monopoly."
almost fact: The judge actually said that Microsoft was a "benevolent monopoly."
In the case of United States v. Microsoft, the judge did make that ruling -- and also ordered the company to split in two.
Microsoft made $600 billion in 2008.
almost fact: The company made $600 million.
The earnings are still pretty darn high, but was more like $60 billion.
Steve Ballmer succeeded Bill Gates as Microsoft CEO in 1998.
almost fact: Steve Ballmer became CEO in 2000.
Well, it is almost fact -- Ballmer did become the CEO, but it was in 2000.
In 2001, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox, its first foray into the video-game market.
almost fact: Microsoft's video-game system is the PlayStation.
True, and the Xbox 360 came along in 2005.
Bill Gates retired from Microsoft in 2008 in order to fulfill his lifelong dream of traveling the world.
almost fact: He stepped down to focus on philanthropical activities.
Gates passed the torch in July 2008 so he could devote more time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Bill Gates wanted to build a computer called the "Frackintosh" in 1985, but he was voted down in a heated company meeting.
almost fact: The proposed computer was called the "Zakintosh."
Yeah, totally untrue. We were just testing you.
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