During the last decade, a growing number of research projects both in academia and industry embarked on the development of life-like agents as a new metaphor for highly personalized human-machine communication. Due to advances in computer graphics, the realization of visually appealing agents, eithe...

TABLE OF CONTENTSMICROSOFT HISTORY 1EARLY INFLUENCES 2FIRST BUSINESS VENTURE 3EDUCATION ATTEMPT 3THE MOTIVATIONAL SIDE OF FEAR 4A JAPANESE CONNECTION 5IBM INFLUENCE 5SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 6A CRUCIAL DEAL 6COMPETITION ERRORS 7BIRTH OF WINDOWS 7MISSION STATEMENT AND ANALYSIS 8INDUSTRY AND COMPETITVE...