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Microsoft possesses a long and successful history. From the launch of Microsoft Basic in 1975 to the launch of Windows Vista in 2007, the company has remained on the cutting edge of technology and continues to lead the computing industry in innovations. The company started through the partnership of Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. At the launch of the Altair 8800, the two men realized that the future of computing would be realized through the use of a common coding language.
From this point, Gates and Allen created Microsoft BASIC and released it to the world. Microsoft took off slowly with continued advancements in technology, the company would go public in 1986 with incredible success. Over the years, the company continued to launch new products like Word, Excel, Encarta, and Windows. Windows proved to be the company's most popular product due to its ability to allow users to view multiple programs at a time. Soon Windows incorporated many of Microsoft's products including Word and Excel. Currently, Microsoft offers Window Vista, which incorporates all of the benefits of past windows with some new added twists.
In addition to Windows, Microsoft made several other advancements in technology. Not all of these advancements can be recorded on this site, but several of Microsoft's important innovations in technology can be viewed in the included timeline.
Microsoft Timeline of Technology
1975 - Bill Gates and Paul Allen designed Microsoft BASIC for the purposes of coding on the MITS Altair 8800.
1975 – Micro-soft, later changed to Microsoft, formed under the leadership of Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
1976 – Microsoft sells enhanced Basic to NCE, General Electric, DTC, and Citibank.
1976 – The tradename "Microsoft" is registered in New Mexico.
1978 – Microsoft launches Applesoft Basic and COBOL – 80.
1979 – Microsoft moves headquarters from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Bellevue, Washington.
1980 – The Microsoft XENIX OS unifies the current programming languages including BASIC, COBOL, PASCAL and DBMS.
1980 – The Pascal language released and explores the options of spreadsheet applications.
1982 – Microsoft licenses MS-DOS to 50 hardware manufacturers, in hopes of it becoming the industry standard.
1983 – Launch of Microsoft Multiplan spreadsheet and Microsoft Word gives the company an international reputation.
1983 – Microsoft launches Microsoft Windows, allowing the user to view multiple applications simultaneously.
1986 – Microsoft Works releases, incorporating spreadsheets, word processing, database, and communications into a single program.
1987 – Microsoft Excel for Windows is launched.
1988 – Microsoft SQL Server releases in conjunction with Ashton – Tate.
1989 – The first CD-ROM edition of Microsoft Office is released.
1990 – Microsoft Window version 3.0 launches with great success.
1991 – The Microsoft BallPoint Mouse is released. The new product is designed for laptop computers and incorporated mouse and trackball technology.
1993 – Microsoft Windows NT launches.
1995 – Windows 95 launches, and provides users with easy access to the internet and access to the MSN network.
1997 – Windows 97 launches, integrating into intelligent application with the use of the Web.
1999 – Internet Explorer 5.0 launches with great success and captures 1 million downloads in a week.
2001 – Microsoft Windows XP launches from the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington.
2003 – The Windows Server System launches and replaces .NET Enterprise Servers.
2003 – Microsoft's largest development project, Windows Server 2003, launches.
2004 – Bill Gates launches Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
2007 – Microsoft launches Windows Vista.
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