Windows Tales: Task Manager, Pinball, ZIPFolders, and More!

Dave takes you on a forty-year journey as a software engineer including working on every Microsoft operating system from MS-DOS through Windows XP and Server 2003. He discusses Microsoft Windows features he worked on, such as Task Manager, Zip Folders, Product Activation, the Start Menu, Desktop, Pinball, and MS-DOS.

For info on the book, Secrets of the Autistic Millionaire, check out:

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[Pilostudio]

Thank you CrowdStrike for making me find Dave and these wonderful stories. 😊

[OsXHAvY]

Man I could just listen to your stories for hours, really....I'm glad you decided to take that leap into YouTube and outta your comfort zone, it helps me understand a tiny bit more of the industry with each video

[johnnyziemer]

I liked hearing about your programming, it was very much like my own. I'm a 84 year old retired "Senior Software Engineer".

[jamesocker]

As a lifetime electronics tech, the technical career is very under rated, and when techs get together the stories told can be quite fascinating. Thanks

[MihaiRaducan]

Amazing, these are computer history and life stories at their best. Thank you!

[smada]

The lesson here is to take every opportunity that comes your way and not let your fears or doubts hold you back. Even if you make a complete mess of things, you'll still walk away with a great story.

Thank you for sharing, sir.

[bubbacomputer]

Dave, as somebody who's been working with/on computers for 40+ years, hearing these stories are pure gold. Many of the things I've wondered about over the years are now being told on your channel in a way that is immensely interesting and entertaining (and I'm learning many new things too). I'm glad I found your channel, thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences with the rest of the world!

[l-l]

As someone who just got diagnosed as autistic and is questioning their cybersecurity major. You’ve been a really big inspiration for me to push forward with my major. Thank you Dave.

[ignacionr]

So much connect to your experience! And great story telling! Clap clap

[artofdirecting]

So glad to hear how much a commodore guy helped shape the ms world! Loved that Hard Drive book too! Intel Outside!😂

[CharlesofState]

You're a great story-teller. Keep it up!

[dcc]

YES! There IS a healthy audience for "retro shenanigans". I'd love to see the IMSAI and Altair up and running. That's one of the major reasons I subscribe to this channel...the anecdotes from Microsoft are very fascinating, but the deep-dive content you do is even more fascinating -- be it retro computing or modern IoT stuff, this is the reason I love the channel. Please keep up this excellent content!

[seg_fault_jim]

Dave you need to do an unabridged audio book version of this story and your career. This is pure gold for any developer, I'm sure it would be very successful!

[williamdavidwallace]

I got my son a Sinclair "ZX81 (which) is a home computer that was produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Dundee, Scotland, by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public. It was hugely successful; more than 1.5 million units were sold" as I could not afford a Comodore or a PC knock off (due to a 17% mortgage on our house). It used a TV as it's monitor and ran Basic. My son also programmed it in assembler.

[saifal-badri]

Dave, it was great to meet you at VCF West and loved your talk. Asking you a question and being able to listen to those stories and many jokes made my day 😊

[Falconite]

Man you are such an inspiration. You've always been scrappy, hard working, and inquisitive since the beginning. Total badass.

[alexbalak]

Thank you for sharing your experience, it's so cool.
I learned a lot.

[bowentown]

Appreciate the stories. Also coded on the C64, a CS major, and based on your adventure path: i would not have gotten hired by MSFT. So I had a career in public service and dev'd a bunch of SQL systems that are still in play +20-25 years later. You add a real story to all the floppies and boxes that I've opened through the decades. I did my best according to my abilities.

[jovetj]

Thanks for the well-paced, informative, and enlightening video, Mr. Plummer.

[colincarter]

Hi Dave, as a retired engineer in my 60's, who built and programmed a computer in my bedroom in the 70's, I'm really enjoying your book. "Secrets of the Autistic Millionaire". It seems many of us engineers are on the spectrum as so much of your experiences ring true in my world. Thank you.