We are entering a new era as of next week, an era with Bill Gates as the world's greatest philanthropist and with Microsoft without its greatest visionary. Questions have been asked on Microsoft's future, but none one ever doubted about Bill's new career at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Thousands of articles about Bill (we'll call him Bill, he always had that “the guy next door” look) and his departure from Microsoft have been written, and journalists did have something to say about it. “Thank You, Bill Gates” (TG Daily) seems to best sum up what Bill's last day at the office made us think.

Microsoft's very own “rock star”, the “geek Goliath” (abcNews) is one of those computer programmers who managed to get rich and get the girl while making the IT industry evolve around his name. And the fact that he's leaving Microsoft for philanthropy work is just another sign that Bill is capable of making a name outside the tech industry.

“Bye Bill, a fond remembrance” (BetaNews) is clearly the way many felt on Friday, thinking: how will Microsoft go on without its leader? Bill Gates is one of the names we will remember years from now, despite the fact that he hasn't been the only one revolutionizing the computing era.

As he decided to step down from Microsoft, “new horizons” (BBC) open up for the 52-year-old, who has kept his "boyish looks." He may not be the richest man in the world anymore (yes, he's been overtaken by investor Warren Buffett and the Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim), but his charitable work puts him ahead of others.

Microsoft “will not be the same without Gates” (MarketWatch). What is Microsoft without Bill Gates, since we became so used to using his name and Microsoft's as if the two were the same?... Bill has always had “the reputation of evil genius who could code” while an era with Ballmer ahead of Microsoft will be missing the “cachet.”

Bill Gates has always had “an exceptional combination of technological know-how and bare-knuckled business tactics” which made him succeed in his “audacious drive” to put a computer in every home (Los Angeles Times).

Bye-bye Bill!