We now live in an era where we can operate a computer easily and message our friends in an instant. Here are the software programs that pioneered this change. Computers have certainly come a long way. We have made giant leaps from the first time we built a computer and now we live in an era where science fiction is becoming reality. Over our nearly half a century of development, computer software has pushed the limits of its hardware and redefined what a computer can be used for. From playing video games to communicating over-seas in an instant, software development has paved the way to where we are now. Here, we honor the four software innovation in our history that shaped the landscape of technology as we know it.
MS-DOS
Microsoft became the first company to revolutionize the computer industry with the development of the first ever operating system, MS-DOS. Before this landmark invention, only technically skilled specialist could operate a computer since the interface was too complicated for the average user. Microsoft changed all this in 1981 when they developed the first ever Disk Operating System or DOS, which was an interface that allowed even the most inexperienced user to operate a computer. This lead to the sweeping realization that computers could one day become a household commodity and not just something reserved for engineers and technicians.
AIM
At the time where the Windows operating system was just beginning to catch on, companies around the world were hard at work thinking of what could be the best application for household computers. The telecommunications company AOL came up with the idea for an instant messenger that could be installed on a PC. Thus, they developed the AOL Instant Messenger or AIM. AIM became a groundbreaking success. It led to the internet being used for communication which was usually only done via telephones. Most importantly, many other companies followed in their footsteps, including Microsoft and then eventually Skype. Now, instant messengers are such a staple with internet users that we barely realize the idea is merely 20 years old and has completely reshaped the IT industry.
Super Mario Bros.
During the early 1980’s, video games weren’t recognized as important. They were considered toys for kids and merely a hobby. Even worse, video games were receiving a bad reputation as they had just experienced a major crash in the sales in its market. Then, a small development company in Japan called Nintendo released a game they named Super Mario Bros. The game received overwhelming positive acclaim and became the best-selling software of its time, even outselling Windows. Super Mario Bros. was such a giant success that even to this day, it remains the best-selling video-game of all time. This event completely changed the video game industry. Companies rushed to make the next best video game which led to an increased competition that eventually transformed the video game industry from a small niche business into a global multi-billion dollar enterprise.
Almost 15 years ago, two college students were developing a software utility that could search their university archive. During their project, they invented a search engine that they found was extremely fast and efficient. They tried their luck by implementing their software online which they gave the name Google. We all know the story from there. Google has now become arguably the most innovative company in the world that dominates the internet user-base by bringing search engines into the spotlight. Google’s easy to use and efficient search engine made surfing the web convenient for millions of users and the company has ever since expanded into everything from cloud computing to global mapping.
Author Bio:
This writer of this article if Ellie Grace. She has been fascinated with technology from a young age and have ever since documented, reported and speculated all forms of technological advances. Hirepaperwriter.com has been the host website for her resourceful articles and blogs where she has contributed actively for many years. Her enthusiasm for hardware and software shows no sign of slowing down.
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