By ALLISON LINN

The Associated Press

REDMOND, Wash. – Bill Gates isn’t leaving Microsoft, he’s just leaving his day-to-day responsibilities there.

That was the message Microsoft Corp. sought to send Thursday when it announced that Gates planned to step back from his regular duties in July 2008, while still continuing to be chairman of the company.

The move will end an era at Microsoft, which Gates founded in 1975 with childhood pal Paul Allen and has been the public face of ever since. Gates, 50, said he is stepping back so he can spend more time on his charitable efforts through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic organization.

The foundation is considered a leader in international public health, particularly in the fight against HIV, malaria and tuberculosis in the developing world. In the United States, it has put its massive resources behind reforming education and accessing technology in public libraries.

The Redmond company on Thursday laid out a plan for other high-ranking executives to take on Gates’ duties.

Still, in an interview with The Associated Press, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer conceded there was no way to replace Gates.

“If we think anybody gets to be Bill Gates, I don’t think that’s a realistic hypothesis,” he said.

Gates stressed that although he would be giving up day-to-day responsibilities, he would still play a role at the company.

“I’m not leaving Microsoft,” he said.

Gates dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft with Allen. He took Microsoft public in 1986 and was the company’s chairman and CEO until 2000, when he assumed the role of chief software architect and Ballmer, a college friend, assumed the role of chief executive officer. Ballmer, also 50, will remain responsible for all day-to-day operations and the company’s business strategy.

The world “has had a tendency to focus a disproportionate amount of attention on me,” Gates said, when in reality, Microsoft is a company with an extraordinary depth and breadth of talent.

“Our leadership team has never been stronger,” he said.

“Bill and I are confident we’ve got a great team that can step up to fill his shoes and drive Microsoft innovation forward without missing a beat,” Ballmer said.