A Goodbye to Gates

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL— After a lifetime of computing, it’s odd to see Microsoft’s icon exit the stage. I’ve never interviewed Bill Gates or reported on his company day-to-day — my personal contact with him has been limited to being one of a gaggle of Journal editors in the same room. (OK, I did drive rather absurdly fast to get from the airport to that room.) Yet I feel this curious sense of loss at thinking he’s in his final days at Microsoft.

That’s not new news — Microsoft said back in late 2006 that Mr. Gates would give up his role overseeing product development next summer to focus on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (He’ll remain Microsoft’s chairman.) But it was brought home last week at the Consumer Electronics Show, where Mr. Gates delivered what was billed as his final keynote address. Read article.