The Computer Revolution

The seventies was a decade of revolution in all fields. It was a decade of music revolution, witnessing the dawn of disco. It was a decade of cinematic revolution, exposing movie-goers and the future of America to momentous films such as The Godfather (1972), Jaws (1975), and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). It was a decade of sports revolution, with African American athletes such as Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record and Kareem Abdul Jabbar with his unstoppable skyhook shot pushing competitions to the next level. Finally, it was a decade of college dropouts starting the computer revolution, with two of the largest companies today having their roots in the seventies.

Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, Microsoft originally started as a company that made computer software. The company was initially named "Micro-Soft," standing for microprocessors and software. Just four years after it was founded, Microsoft's sales surpassed $1 million in revenue. In 1981, Microsoft came out with its first "PC", equipped with an MS-DOS operating system, however lacking in a graphical user interface.

With such an incentive, in 1985, the famous Windows software made its debut, full of never before seen "drop-down menus" and "scroll bars." During the late 1980s and 1990s, Microsoft only grew in popularity. In 1989, the company released Microsoft Office, a collection of programs that are still largely relevant today. Microsoft would also go on dominating the new concept of "Internet" with its very own "Internet Explorer." To many children's delight, it would soon enter the gaming industry in the 20th century, playing a large role in the creation of Xbox.

A year after Microsoft was founded, another company entered the playfield. Apple Computers, Inc. was found in a garage just 12 minutes away from Los Altos High School in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, determined to "change the way people viewed computers." While their first Apple 1 was released in 1976, it was the Apple II that shocked the world. Released a year later, the Apple II showed people for the first time color on a computer screen. As Apple's sales reached 117 million in 1980, the eighties presented a decade of turmoil for the company.

In 1983, a tired and uninterested Wozniak left Apple. Such led Jobs to hire John Sculley as the new president of the company. This decision would end poorly for Jobs, as in 1985, Sculley and Job's conflict would result in Jobs leaving the company. However, after casually starting two other major companies, NeXT for software and Pixar for movies, Jobs's departure may not have been that bad for the rest of the world. As the company declined since its peak in 1990, Job's NeXT would be bought by Apple in 1997 and he would reenter his old company as iCEO. What happened next is history, with the creation of iBook, iTunes, iPods, Macs, and iPhones.

Combined, these two companies founded during the 70s redefined life for the world. It set a new definition to the "personal" aspect of computers. It created a completely new image of work and recreation. Without them, who knows what we may be doing today? (Definitely not sneaking in a game of 2048 and some texting during lectures...)


Sources:
https://www.loc.gov/rr/business/businesshistory/April/apple.html
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/microsoft-founded
https://www.thoughtco.com/microsoft-history-of-a-computing-giant-1991140