Satya Nadella uses an IBM AS/400 in 1993

Symbolic of the transfer of power from IBM to Microsoft?

I’m sure that many of us have a dread of presenting to large audiences. Possibly also an equal dread of photos or video from much earlier in our careers resurfacing later on.

If you do you’re definitely not alone. I have experienced and have a dread of both.

I expect that even Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, has experienced both too.

Why Satya? Well, here is a short clip of Nadella, aged 26, all the way back in 1993, doing a (live) technical demonstration. which was recorded on video.

What does Satya demonstrate? Moving data from an IBM AS/400 …

… to Excel.

That data is so, so much better in Excel!

It’s followed by a slightly awkward group Q&A as the whole team tries to squeeze into the camera shot. No social distancing in 1993.

Thirty years later, a lot has changed. The AS/400 has (mostly) gone (partly replaced by Microsoft’s own Azure?) but Excel is pretty much ubiquitous.

In a way I see this as symbolic of the transfer of power from IBM to Microsoft.

And here is Nadella talking about this at a much more recent Microsoft conference …

‘My daughter saw this picture and said who is that’.

Satya, we share your pain!