Microsoft launched its publishing label, 8080 Books, inspired by the old-time microprocessor
Not really a business as the profit will go to non-profits, says Microsoft.
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Key notes
- Microsoft has launched 8080 Books, a publishing imprint focused on technology, business, and society.
- Named after the Intel 8080 microprocessor, the imprint will feature both Microsoft and external authors.
- The first book, No Prize for Pessimism, is available now, with profits reinvested into the imprint or donated to non-profits.
Microsoft has just entered the book publishing world. The Redmond tech giant has now launched 8080 Books, a book-publishing label focused on publishing thought leadership titles at the intersection of technology, business, and society.
Named after the 8080 microprocessor, a foundational technology for Microsoft, the imprint will showcase both Microsoft authors and external voices. The processor influenced Microsoft’s early software, and interestingly enough, it’s also the last four digits of the company’s corporate HQ phone number.
“With a combined tenure of, well, let’s just say a long time, we’re both acutely aware of the rich well of talent at Microsoft from which we can draw upon and publish under the 8080 Books imprint over time,” says Microsoft in a statement, co-authored by VP Steve Clayton & senior director Greg Shaw.
The imprint’s first title, No Prize for Pessimism by Microsoft’s deputy CTO Sam Schillace, is available now, with a second title, Platform Mindset by Marcus Fontoura, coming later this year. These books are planned to be published in as little as three months from manuscript completion.
“In his debut as an author, Schillace argues that optimism is crucial for innovation, contrasting it with the dangers of a pessimistic mindset which he believes stifles creativity and progress,” the book’s description reads.
It won’t be a profit-making venture, however, so it’s not fitting to call it a “business.” Instead, Microsoft said that it’ll invest revenue back into the publishing process or donate it to non-profits.
Microsoft’s connection to the 8080 dates back to the 1970s. The company developed a version of its BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800, one of the first personal computers powered by the 8080 microprocessor.
This partnership then helped establish Microsoft as a key player in the software industry and, well, there is history: Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest OS, is the world’s second most popular Windows operating system. The number-one? Windows 10.
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