The History : Microsoft is more than just a software company You know my friends; it is the reason why personal computers became a household item. While Oracle focused on the “backend” (databases), Microsoft focused on the “frontend” (the screen in front of you).
The History of Microsoft
The Beginning: A Vision for Every Desk
In 1975, two childhood friends, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, saw a cover of Popular Electronics magazine featuring the Altair 8800, the world’s first microcomputer. They realized that if computers were becoming small, they would need software.
The First Product: They wrote a version of BASIC (a programming language) for the Altair.
The Name: Originally, the company was called “Micro-soft” (a combination of Microcomputer and Software). They dropped the hyphen shortly after.
The Deal of the Century: IBM and MS-DOS
The biggest turning point in tech history happened in 1980. IBM wanted to build a personal computer (the IBM PC) and needed an operating system.
The Bold Move: Microsoft didn’t actually have an operating system at the time. They bought one called QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System) from another company for $50,000, refined it, and renamed it MS-DOS.
The Masterstroke: Bill Gates refused to sell the code to IBM. Instead, he licensed it. This meant every time an IBM-compatible computer was sold, Microsoft got paid. This made Microsoft the “owner” of the PC market, not IBM.
The Windows Revolution
In 1985, Microsoft released Windows 1.0. Unlike the black-and-white text screens of MS-DOS, Windows allowed users to use a mouse and click on icons.
The Rivalry: This started a legendary battle with Apple. Steve Jobs accused Bill Gates of stealing the “Graphic User Interface” (GUI) idea from the Macintosh.
Windows 95: This was the “rockstar” launch of the tech world. It introduced the Start Button and the Taskbar, which we still use today.
The Founders: The Brains Behind the OS
| Feature | Bill Gates | Paul Allen |
| Role | CEO & Chief Architect | Co-Founder & Idea Man |
| Strength | Business Strategy & Aggression | Technical Vision & Hardware |
| Legacy | Built the Empire | Predicted the “Connected” World |
Modern Era: The Cloud and AI
After Bill Gates stepped down, the company went through a slow period under Steve Ballmer. However, under current CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has transformed:
Azure: Competing with Oracle and Amazon in Cloud Computing.
OpenAI/ChatGPT: Microsoft’s multi-billion dollar investment in AI has made them a leader in the “Generative Revolution” you previously wrote about.
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