Microsoft has been around for the past 40 years. The company recently recently celebrated its anniversary and Bill Gates even sent out a letter to all employees, where he talked about how great the software giant is.
How Microsoft changed the world
Over the 40-years Microsoft has been in existence, the company performed a lot of great feats, some that have managed to stand the test of time. It changed the way we use computers using Windows OS or Office software. Today we are going to talk about the 5 ways Microsoft changed the world in ways many might not have known, until now.
Microsoft invented the Smart TV
Don’t be surprised by this because it is indeed true. When the company launched Media Center, it was way ahead of its time, which is one of the reasons why it failed to take off. It came packed with a lot of the features we see today in many Smart TVs from different manufacturers.
Microsoft changed gaming
Playing against strangers online had been around long before Microsoft entered the field. However, online gaming truly took off after the company launched Xbox Live, a model that is now being copied by Sony and several other companies.
Microsoft invented the smartphone and tablet
Scratch your head in confusion as much as you want, but this is legitimately true. Microsoft was the first company to highlight the smartphone and tablet. It did so with Windows CE, Pocket PC, and Windows Mobile. Ironically, the company that did it first is now well behind the ones who followed. Read the History of Windows Tablets.
Microsoft saved Apple
There was a time in the late 1990s when Apple was short on cash. The company needed $150 million to stay afloat, and Microsoft was the one that saved the iPhone factory from certain doom. If Bill Gates had refused at the time, chances are we wouldn’t see such exceptional products from Apple.
Microsoft changed the way we use computers
Computers decades ago were too complicated for the everyday man, but Microsoft went ahead and changed the game by making computers, personal. Now Microsoft is hoping to change things again with the announcement of HoloLens, a personal holographic computer housed over the eyes.
