Operating System To Other Computer Manufacturers example essay topic

The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. From abacus to our modern souped up computer with the Intel Pentium processor the computer has come an incredibly long way. One of the most significant events that would affect its development would be the teaming up of IBM and Microsoft to create a new operating system for the microcomputer. The synergy of these two corporations would change the way we compute today.

The notoriety from this partnership would propel l Microsoft into the forefront of sofware design and development and create an industry standard to be followed by all. In July of 1980 IBM, a $30 billion dollar giant in the computing industry, offered Microsoft Corporation, who at the time consisted of a staff 40 (Cashman, 1.37), the opportunity to design a new operating system for their new IBM personal computer. IBM had observed an increased market for the personal computer for quite some time eventhough they had already failed once trying to tap the market with their IBM 5100. IBM had considered several options regarding the development of their new personal computer including buying a little known computer game company named Atari.

In the end, IBM decided that they would proceed with their plans to build a new computer line with a new operating system. On August 12th, 1981 IBM introduced a new computer called the IBM PC. The PC was short for personal computer making IBM responsible for the acronym PC (Inventors). Microsoft bought the rights to the another operating system called Q-DOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System) from Seattle Computer Products for $50,000 without the company ever knowing that it was for the behemoth IBM (Delany). Bill Gates of Microsoft would talk IBM into allowing his company to retain the rights to market the MS-DOS (MicroSoft Dirty Operating System) operating system separate from the IBM PC project. In the agreement IBM would be allowed to use the operating system free of charge while Microsoft would sell licenses to use the operating system to other computer manufacturers.

By 1984 Microsoft had licensed MS-DOS to 200 personal computer manufacturers, making MS-DOS the standard operating system for personal computers and driving Microsoft's enormous growth in the 1980's that would lead to huge profits for Microsoft. After the introduction of the personal computer, sales skyrocketed from 275,000 in 1981 to 3,275,000 in 1982 (Cashman, 1.52). Every software manufacturer would begin to make their software compatible with Microsoft operating system. It would now become every computer manufacturers goal to make the PC as user friendly and affordable as possible and nearly every computer manufacturer would accomplish this by the 90's. Computers would soon be in our homes and schools as well as our businesses. In 1982 Microsoft would begin to develop business applications for personal computers and Multiplan, a spreadsheet application, was introduced.

Microsoft would follow in 1983 with its release of Microsoft Word, a word processing application. It was also in 1983 that Microsoft would start developing the multi-windowed enviroment we now know as Windows (Microsoft Corporation). Microsoft did not rest on their laurels. In 1984 Microsoft would be one of the few software developers to support the Macintosh, a personal computer developed by Apple Computer Company. Their support of the Mac would result in enormous success of their Word, Excel and Works application software. Multiplan for MS-DOS would succumb to the popularity of another application heavy hitter Lotus 1-2-3, developed by the Lotus Development Corporation which would be acquired by IBM in the 1990's (Microsoft Corporation).

In 1985 Microsoft would introduce its first version of Windows, a graphical user interface, (GUI) that enhanced the user friendliness of MS-DOS. A GUI combines text, graphic, and other visual clues to make software easier to use (Cashman, 1.38). Windows allowed the user to open applications by clicking on pictures or icons instead of typing long tedious strings of file names within various paths. Critics wondered if the GUI would ever catch on but Microsoft perserveared eventhough Windows was slow to gain acceptance. In 1990 a new improved Windows version 3.0 was introduced.

Aided with more powerful processors and a greater variety of software and pumped up with a $10 million advertising promotion Windows would sell more than 4 million copies in one year. Microsoft would introduce a networking version of Windows called Windows NT. This would become the most popular version of the Windows products in the world commanding more than 25 million users worldwide (Cashman, 1.37). A recent survey by the U.S. Census Bureau published on September 1999 indicates that there almost 37.5 million computers in the home in the United States as of October 1997 (Computer, U.S. Census). Schools that have computers make up a combined total of more than 8 million (Computer).

Almost ninty percent of personal computers sold in the United States and around the world use a Microsoft operating system (Cashman). With a ninty percent market share of operating systems Microsoft is dominating the industry here and abroad. Its quite a magnificent accomplishment considering the meager beginnings. Its no wonder Microsoft is the computer industry giant setting the standards for other software developers around the world.

Bibliography

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