Bill Gates has officially started his farewell tour, with a keynote speech at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. In it, he discussed the digital revolution which will make life more fulfilling over the next ten years, before treating the watching audience to a spoof video of his last day in the job.

Even though Microsoft chairman and founder Bill Gates isn’t retiring from the day to day running of Microsoft until later this year, the huge winding down of his hold on the company has already begun.

Mr. Gates treated the conference attendees to his thoughts and views on the digital revolution which he now sees as taking place. Although Microsoft’s part in the success of the new technologies sweeping the world, which are bringing digital content to ordinary people’s fingertips is disputed by critics of the company, Gates’ views on the matter were succinct and unsurprisingly optimistic.

He told the audience (reported here via The Register):

: “During the next Digital Decade, technology will make our lives richer, more connected, more productive and more fulfilling in profound and exciting ways.”

In a set of interviews designed to compliment the speech, he also spoke to the BBC about how computers would become more natural over the next five years, saying:

“This whole idea of what I call natural user interface is really redefining the experience. We’re adding the ability to touch and directly manipulate, we’re adding vision so the computer can see what you’re doing, we’re adding the pen, we’re adding speech.”

Gates held up the iPhone (from big rivals Apple) along with the Nintendo Wii as innovators in the field of more natural control systems for traditional devices, and he has a very valid point.

The iPhone is at the end of the day just a mobile phone, and one with severe limitations, but the touch screen control makes it something new and special in the eyes of consumers worldwide. The Wii too is just a games console, and a very underpowered, quite old fashioned one when compared to the PS3 and Xbox 360. But again, it’s been a huge success because of it’s control system, which allows users a much different experience than what they have previously been used to.

Gates ended his speech with a short video showing how his last day at Microsoft headquarters may go. It included showing him trying to join the rock band U2, getting the gig as Jon Stewart’s sidekick on The Daily Show, and him ringing both Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton in an effort to become their running mate in the forthcoming US elections.

For a keynote speech, and a farewell one at that, it showed Gates does have a sense of humour, as well as the brilliant mind and eye for a trend which has seen his company make billions of dollars since it’s inception. Love him or hate him, he’ll be sorely missed.

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Entry was posted on Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 6:25 pm under Microsoft.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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