Bill Gates and Fountain Pen?

[kissing]

I found this image of a fountain pen featured on a Windows xp Control Panel page:

 

Is the pen identifiable?

[Catsmelt]

This is really interesting.

 

The fountain pen actually used to be a freeware pen that some dude put together in his den. It was good for notes and scheduling, then Bill found out that the "balance" and "buttery smoothness" was something people were willing to pay big bucks for.

 

Microsoft bought the pen and all intellectual property rights associated with the pen. After no discernible consideration whatsoever, the pen is only available through jpeg, viewable only via the purchase of the XP license.

[BillTheEditor]

Guessing: Cross Townsend or Century II (leaning toward the latter)

Edited April 7, 2007 by BillTheEditor

[Bayes]

I can't help you identify the pen, but I wanted to show something similar that you might find interesting.

 

Apple has a page-layout/word-processor program called Pages that has a beautiful icon. Actually I noticed that somebody is already using this as their FPN icon:

http://images.apple.com/iwork/images/indexpagesicon20060120.gif

[HDoug]

QUOTE (Bayes @ Apr 6 2007, 04:39 PM)

I can't help you identify the pen, but I wanted to show something similar that you might find interesting. Apple has a page-layout/word-processor program called Pages that has a beautiful icon. Actually I noticed that somebody is already using this as their FPN icon: http://images.apple.com/iwork/images/indexpagesicon20060120.gif

Danitrio? Nakaya? Anyway, interesting how fountain pens (and ink bottles!) have become icons for serious and important activity. Oh, and expensive stuff -- maybe that's the point. I wish operating systems were as cheap as ballpoints. They're about as disposable...

 

Doug

[Mudge]

QUOTE (HDoug @ Apr 7 2007, 04:12 AM)

I wish operating systems were as cheap as ballpoints. They're about as disposable...

They already are. I'm posting this using Firefox on my Linux computer. The operating system did not cost me one red cent. And, I might add, is a far superior product to any offering from Redmond...

 

In fact, I would rather pay for Linux than use Windows for free.

[saintsimon]

Could be a discontinued Waterman model. The metalized, indented section front reminds of my Man 100 or my Executive.

[kissing]

Interestingly, I just found that DivX video also has a fountain pen

 

Now what exactly does a fountain pen have to do with playing video files

[sleek_lover]

QUOTE (Mudge @ Apr 7 2007, 08:29 AM)

QUOTE (HDoug @ Apr 7 2007, 04:12 AM) I wish operating systems were as cheap as ballpoints.  They're about as disposable... They already are. I'm posting this using Firefox on my Linux computer. The operating system did not cost me one red cent. And, I might add, is a far superior product to any offering from Redmond...   In fact, I would rather pay for Linux than use Windows for free. Funny, I read your post on an XP/IE7 machine. Hit my KVM switch and am answering on my Ubuntu box.   You mentioned that you wished OS(plural) were as disposable as BPs. Don't really think that. But they are as liable to breed discord and raving maniac followers as certain FP marques.   Bill Gates and FPs? I doubt that he even cares what icons are used. Ballmer, maybe; Allen, possibly. Gates, nopers.   As to what it is...Probably something left behind by a contractor when they frogmarched him/her out after 364.5 days so they would not have to hire the poor sap.   Bill

Edited April 7, 2007 by paircon01

[George]

Bill Gates = PDA and stylus.

 

EDIT: Scrap that, hes too rich to write anything down.

Edited April 7, 2007 by George

[djahughes]

QUOTE (Bayes @ Apr 7 2007, 03:39 AM)

I can't help you identify the pen, but I wanted to show something similar that you might find interesting. Apple has a page-layout/word-processor program called Pages that has a beautiful icon. Actually I noticed that somebody is already using this as their FPN icon: http://images.apple.com/iwork/images/indexpagesicon20060120.gif

That'd be me couldn't help myself...

[Bayes]

QUOTE (djahughes @ Apr 7 2007, 04:43 PM)

That'd be me couldn't help myself...

Yes indeed. When I first saw it I went ! Why didn't I think of that?

 

Would it be too cheesy for me to use it too?

[Bayes]

QUOTE (kissing @ Apr 7 2007, 02:38 PM)

Interestingly, I just found that DivX video also has a fountain pen Now what exactly does a fountain pen have to do with playing video files

Looks like it's for an authoring component.

 

So high quality authoring implies a fountain pen!

Edited April 7, 2007 by Bayes

[Ruaidhri]

QUOTE

Is the pen identifiable?

 

Doesn't really matter Sam.

 

That version was prone to leaking and the nib regularly fell out.

For only $x000.00 you can upgarde to the new version which has "Added Shineyness" and with the dual sac can write up to fifteen words per day

 

Regards,

Ruaidhrí

[Guest PeteWK]

That pen won't work on my computer's operating system. It happens to be the best selling Unix software in the world, Mac OS X. Look it up.

 

I guess that's OK because I've been told that Bill's pen skips and blobs ink at the slightest drop of the hat. Plus it crashes at least once a day.

 

PeteWK

 

"Once you go Mac, you'll never go back"

[HDoug]

QUOTE (PeteWK @ Apr 9 2007, 06:29 PM)

That pen won't work on my computer's operating system. It happens to be the best selling Unix software in the world, Mac OS X. Look it up. I guess that's OK because I've been told that Bill's pen skips and blobs ink at the slightest drop of the hat. Plus it crashes at least once a day. PeteWK "Once you go Mac, you'll never go back"

But I've heard that you can buy a kit that will let you insert ballpoint refills in your fountain pen. There are just some situations where you need to fill in a carbon copy or sign a credit card form...

 

Doug

[WillAdams]

The irony here is that while Bill Gates has been a big believer in pen computing his company has often worked to the detriment of it --- see Jerry Kaplan's _StartUp_ for one version of the early history of Windows for Pen Computing --- and even now, has yet to really follow through on their promise to bundle pen support w/ the mainstream version of Windows (a promise made for Windows 95).

 

By contrast, while Apple killed off the Newton, they do bundle the Newton print recognizer (née Rosetta) w/ every copy of Mac OS X --- perhaps the iPhone or one of its successors will follow through on Steve Jobs' claim that killing off Newton would result in interesting new portable computer systems.

 

But, the only Mac OS X portable w/ pen support one can get is the Axion Modbook which sorely needs a docking station, by contrast, there's a plethora of systems running Windows to choose from.

 

William

(who gave up waiting on Apple to make a replacement for his Newton and bought a Fujitsu Stylistic)

[sleek_lover]

QUOTE (HDoug @ Apr 9 2007, 09:44 PM)

But I've heard that you can buy a kit that will let you insert ballpoint refills in your fountain pen. There are just some situations where you need to fill in a carbon copy or sign a credit card form... Doug

Don't need to do that. Get a 1960s Sheaf CC with a steel Triumph nib. Like a damn nail. I have used the combo on a 7-copy NCR carbonless form with no problem...

 

Be a purist. Eschew the dreaded BP altogether..

 

Bill...not feeling all that well...