Meet Our Hero: Wes Cherry

[Andy Sjostrom]

<a href="http://www.wga.org/WrittenBy/0201/business.html">http://www.wga.org/WrittenBy/0201/business.html</a><br /><br />I <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10820">asked a while ago</a> if anyone knew the true story behind Solitaire and why "this simple game has made it into almost every Windows version". I eventually learned from Valentin Iliescu, maker of the first <a href="http://www.valil.com/chess/">Pocket PC Chess Game</a> based on the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, what happened many years ago. If you would like to proud yourself of knowing some really cool Windows history, you should check out this article called <a href="http://www.wga.org/WrittenBy/0201/business.html">"Solitary Confinement - A poster boy for the Information Age"</a>. Here is a snippet from the article:<br /><br />"I was an intern at Microsoft at the time ('89, I think)," Cherry e-mailed me, "and wrote it in my spare time to learn Windows programming and because I wanted a Solitaire game on Windows. Some program manager in the Windows group saw it and decided to release it with Windows 3.0--the condition was I did it for free (I was uncompensated other than the use of a computer they provided to work on it during my senior year of college). I probably could have negotiated some kind of one-time payment, but Microsoft really doesn't like to give per-copy royalties unless they absolutely need the technology." Cherry later worked for Microsoft (writing parts of Excel and other programs) and received Microsoft stock and other compensation for that work. He also credits the fact that Bill Gates knew of him as the creator of Solitaire as helping in his negotiation of that compensation."<br /><br />Solitaire has caught the interest of many, but the people from <a href="http://www.funkygnome.com/">Funky Gnome Productions</a> take it the farthest, I believe. They have produced a movie about a fictious Solitaire world champion: "Solitaire: The Movie". Go and check out the video preview! Very funny!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/solitaire_01.jpg" />

[bdegroodt]

Man! The number one all time feature of Windows and it was provided at no cost. And it never crashes :D. Mr. Gates sure got a deal on this one.

Is this the person I contact about the screen tap wear I have from playing solitaire on my PPC?

[malcolmsharp]

I have to wonder if it's the same code used for the PPC version, becuase I've discovered something... a cheat code works the same for both of them!

On the PC version, if you have the option for 3 cards being delt at one time, you can magically switch it to dealing just 1 card, just by holding 'control' and 'shift' down as you click on the deck for the next deal.

Well, I wondered if that would work on the PPC. Sure enough, if you bring the keyboard up and tap shift and control down, and then deal, it will just deal one card!

[bdegroodt]

I think you can also get a perfect game dealt to you by pressing Ctrl, Shift, then New (Using the keyboard as well.).

[spg]

Well I don't cheat, so I couldn't tell you... :wink:

Interesting story Andy, I've always wondered who to give credit for my many hours of wasted time playing this. :)

[bdegroodt]

Well I don't cheat, so I couldn't tell you... :wink:

Interesting story Andy, I've always wondered who to give credit for my many hours of wasted time playing this. :)

Credit or a bill for the lost productivity, sleep and endless frustration when you get on a bad streak and think your PDA/computer must have it in for you (Especially if you play Vegas style)?

[Thoughtful Guy]

You guys cheat on solitaire? :oops: That's soooo sad...

[malcolmsharp]

You guys cheat on solitaire? :oops: That's soooo sad...

Look, there are two times I cheated other than just showing someone (like my Mom) how it's done.

Once, it was when me and a friend were fighting for bragging rights on the built in games in Windows. I even asked if cheating was allowed, and he said yes, but thought I was joking. Hey, you live on a ship going around South America for 6 months, and you'd be doing strange stuff to kill time, too!

The other time was just the other day. I was playing a game, and I was down to exactly three cards in the deck, with the one and only card I needed to finish the game as the one on the bottom!

[bdegroodt]

I say if you're not cheating, you're not trying!

[Jason Dunn]

Am I strange for having never having really played Solitaire on Windows? I tried it once, didn't really understand all the rules, then quit. :oops: :lol:

[bdegroodt]

Am I strange for having never having really played Solitaire on Windows? I tried it once, didn't really understand all the rules, then quit. :oops: :lol:

Rules? What rules? Haven't you been reading Jason? Just cheat :twisted: