Elliott C. Back » Bill Gates

Microsoft NY Class Action Settlement

Elliott Back — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 01:57:47 +0000

In a 350 million dollar class action settlement by computer hardware and software manufacturer Microsoft, New Yorkers who bought a personal computer would be eligible for a $12 refund in an antitrust settlement. If you purchased a computer between 1994 and 2004 that came preloaded with Microsoft software, please file a claim.

According to the NY Daily News,

No receipt or proof of purchase is necessary for individuals claiming purchases of five computers or less. Anyone who bought popular Microsoft software products like Word, Excel or Office during the same time frame is eligible for $5 vouchers.

This effectively means that everyone with a computer living in New York is eligible for a $12 * 5 = $60 refund. The deadline for submitting a claim is October 18, 2006. I filed a claim for three operating systems I bought:

Windows XP Professional
Windows XP Home
MS-DOS

Yes, I actually bought a copy of MSDOS in 1999 for some reason or another. I think I had a really ancient 386 model computer I wanted to load some of the old games on…

Bill Gates to be Knighted

Elliott Back — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 20:15:07 +0000

Neil Turner points out an article about Bill Gates receiving an honorary knighthood in a private ceremony from the Queen. Since Mr. Gates is not a citizen of the British Empire, he will not retain the right to add the prefix “Sir” to his name. Also, an American citizen cannot hold title in the US proper. Bill Gates receives the award for charitable work done by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Bill Gates in Teen Beat

Elliott Back — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 21:30:34 +0000

Here are the famous “Teen Beat” photos of Bill Gates from a 1983 edition:

And here’s my own take on the theme: Elliott Gates: