(CNN) -- If you pressed Control-Alt-Delete to log on before reading this, Bill Gates says he's sorry. The Microsoft founder says the triple-key login should have been made easier, Ã  la Apple's Macs, but that a designer insisted on the more complicated step. "We could have had a single button. But the guy who did the IBM keyboard design didn't want to give us our single button," Gates said Saturday during a question-and-answer session to launch a Harvard University fund-raising campaign. His comments have gained attention since a video of his Harvard Q&A was posted on YouTube on Tuesday. Smiling, Gates tried to follow through on the thought, noting it was a basic security feature. But he eventually surrendered to common sense.
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Bill Gates: IBM designer insisted on triple-key login on PCs for security reasons
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But Gates says Control-Alt-Delete was a "mistake"
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The designer credited with the shortcut has deflected responsibility
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Gates made comments at a recent Harvard University event
During Saturday's session, Gates reflected on a variety of topics, from the philanthropy he's made his life's work since stepping back from an active role at @placeholder to his company's relationship with Apple in the early days.