Gates: pictures are better than words: Microsoft's chairman says Presentation Manager lifts PCs to new heights. (one of six articles in DOS to OS-2 special report)

GATES: PICTURES ARE BETTER THAN WORDS

Over the last 10 years, computer technology has dramatically changed the way the world does business. Over the next 10, the pace will continue. By 1998 almost every employee in America will have a computer on his or her desk.

This is possible largely because the semiconductor industry continues to increase microprocessor speed and performance. The Intel 80286 and 80386 chips have brought minicomputer-level performance to microcomputers. But taking advantage of this additional power and speed requires a new operating system.

Imagine a salesperson sitting at her desk, preparing a report on her word processor. Her boss sends her electronic mail, requesting up-to-the-minute comparisons of regional sales. She instantly switches to her database application and pulls up the needed database from the network. She has attached a spreadsheet model to the database, and a dialog box asks her to select parameters in order to define her query. The spreadsheet automatically queries the …