This week for “A Brief History On,” we celebrate one of the most (in)famous software companies of all time: Microsoft. From humble beginnings in a small, downtown Albuquerque office to one of the largest corporations in the world, Microsoft has paved the way in software development. Love them or loathe them, Microsoft’s influence on the world cannot be denied and it has played a pivotal role in the advancement of the personal computer.
Micro-Soft and BASIC Programming
To begin, we must go back to 1975 Harvard University where a young sophomore student named William Henry Gates III teamed up with childhood classmate Paul Allen to create a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800. Together the two formed a partnership and named it Micro-Soft. Quickly the program gained acclaim from computer hobbyists all over and the team officially registered the trade name “Microsoft”—this time without the hyphen—with the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico on November 26, 1976.
Over the next ten years Microsoft continued to write programs for dozens of computer systems. Back at that time, each manufacturer used its own proprietary components and software needed to be designed for each individual machine. It would be like having to formulate a new type of gasoline for every car model released. Luckily, in the early 80s, Apple Inc. established its Macintosh and IBM its IBM PC as the two standards for consumer-level computers. This allowed Microsoft to focus more on the features of its software and not the hardware compatibility.
Welcome to Windows
On November 20, 1985 Microsoft launched its first retail version of Windows. It was with this program that Microsoft became a household name. From its conception in the 80s to its latest release of Windows 7, Windows has gone through countless updates, modifications, and improvements to better meet the needs of the user. This strict focus on anticipating and producing what the customer wants—better and cheaper than the competition, mind you—is largely the key to Microsoft’s success.
There Ain’t No Party Like an Office Party
Microsoft has never been satisfied with solely one project. Before Windows was flying off the shelves, Microsoft decided to jump on the office productivity software bandwagon with a program called Multi-Tool Word (later just Word) and compete with such rivals as WordPerfect and WordStar. Microsoft’s productivity programs later got bundled into the Microsoft Office suite and were, interestingly, launched first for Macintosh systems in 1989, with a release for Windows’ then latest version, 3.0, in October of 1990. This trend of Macintosh versions being released before the PC counterpart continued up until the release of Office 97 (PC) on November 19, 1996 followed by Office 98 for Mac over a year later. From then up until today, with the recent release of Microsoft Office 2010, the PC versions have been launched first.
Branching Out: Video Games and Hardware
The latter part of 2001 brought with it a whole new realm for Microsoft to conquer. Microsoft continued its reign as the software king through its entering the video game market by acquiring Ensemble Studios (creators of the Age of Empires series) and shortly thereafter introducing Microsoft Game Studios to represent the company’s video game publishing interests. But more than just mere software in the multi-billion dollar industry, Microsoft cut its teeth with its own video game console, the Xbox. It was a smash success and was followed up with the Xbox 360 in 2005.
Microsoft also dipped its hand in the music and mp3 player market with the Zune. Although not as successful in taking a large chunk of the market as the Xbox has, the Zune has earned a reputation for being a quality music player in an iPod dominated society.
Microsoft Made for TV Movie?
Believe it or not, there is actually a movie based on the birth of Microsoft and Apple, Pirates of Silicon Valley. What’s even more surprising: it’s actually a decent flick. Sure, it’s all nerd jokes and computers, but watching the story of these two tech giants is quite fascinating—that is if you’re into that kind of thing. I don’t know if I’d pop it in for a date night; unless, of course, the first half of the evening consisted of you and your significant other participating in a tag-team Slayer round. But, hey, who am I to judge?
I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey into Microsoft’s past and learned a couple things along the way. Check back here soon for the next installment of “A Brief History On.” And remember, if there’s a company you’d like to see showcased, just suggest it in the comments below.
enjoy.
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