US corporation, now the world's largest software supplier. Microsoft's first major product was a version of BASIC, written for the first personal computer, the MITS Altair, in 1975, and adopted by most of the desktop computer industry. Through
MS-DOS, written for IBM,
Windows, and related applications it has steadily increased its hold on the personal computer market.
Microsoft was founded by Bill
Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Bill Gates was the company's chief executive until January 2000, when he stepped down in order to spend more time on developing new technologies, becoming chief software architect, but remaining Microsoft's chairman. Steve Ballmer, the company's president since 1998, became chief executive.
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