12 Interesting Facts About Microsoft

The History of the Name Microsoft

The history of the corporation is where we’ll start because it’s one of Microsoft’s most fascinating details. The name was created by a founding member of the business. Bill Gates and Paul Allen corresponded before the firm was established in 1975. The letter referred to Microsoft for the first time. Bill Gates combined the words “microcomputer” with “software” to create the term “micro-soft.” The hyphen was removed after the firm was formally registered in 1976.

The initial operating system used by the business was XENIX.

Although a lot of people think that Microsoft’s history started with the MS-DOS operating system, one of the interesting things to know about Microsoft is that it also created another operating system that was made available before MS-DOS. The name of the operating system was XENIX. Early in the 1970s, Bell Labs created a customized version of UNIX as the operating system for AT&T. Microsoft created XENIX after acquiring a UNIX license from AT&T. The company subsequently sold the operating system’s license to hardware firms including Intel and SCO.

The Macintosh platform, not Windows, saw the initial release of Microsoft Office.

MS Office is one of the most widely used Microsoft products ever, along with Windows. Additionally, the Windows operating system and program suite go hand in hand. The Office package, however, debuted on the Macintosh. The explanation was simple. It made financial sense to release Microsoft Office for Macintosh first in 1989 because Macintosh computers were more popular than Windows PCs at the time. A year later, Microsoft Office was integrated into the Windows operating system.

The tablet computer was created by Microsoft, not Apple.

Although Apple’s iPad, which made its debut in 2010, popularised tablet computers, the design was not their own. Microsoft created the tablet computer. Although the industry wasn’t ready, Bill Gates demonstrated a Windows XP-powered tablet PC prototype in 2001. The device wasn’t ultra-portable since it was too big, heavy, and thick. Even though numerous manufacturers released tablet PCs, the product was a complete failure. Tablets didn’t change the tech industry until 2010. One of the many fascinating facts about Microsoft is this one.

Microsoft was also the innovator of the smartwatch.

Here are another one of the unusual yet fascinating facts about Microsoft in case you were interested in learning a bit more. The multinational corporation was a forerunner in many industries, but many of its revolutionary products were unveiled too soon. Or, to put it another way, the business was innovating when the market was frequently unprepared for such goods. Microsoft also created the first smartwatch, along with the tablet PC, in 1994. The watch that was created in collaboration with them was called the Timex DataLink 150. It could connect to Windows PCs and download data like appointments. It had a small LCD. The watch could withstand 100 meters of water. 

The Xbox’s original design was a costly experiment.

The first Xbox video gaming console from Microsoft was a great hit. The device successfully battled with Sony’s PlayStation 2 and essentially drove SEGA out of the video game console market. It was monolithic and strong, but the prototype was ridiculous. It was a huge, X-shaped piece of metallic metal, absurdly formed. Thankfully, Microsoft altered the look before the Xbox gaming system was introduced.

In 1997, Microsoft stepped in to save Apple.

Here is a startling and genuinely fascinating Microsoft fact. Apple was having trouble as the 20th century came to an end. The business started producing a tonne of items without a clear plan after sacking Jobs. Then Microsoft, or more precisely Bill Gates, arrived. He struck a deal with Steve Jobs, who had returned to Apple a year before. When Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple, Apple ceased all legal action against Microsoft. However, Microsoft invested primarily to create genuine competition. Due to its dominant influence in several markets and the revival of one of its primary products throughout the 1990s, the firm encountered legal issues with the US government.

Microsoft sells software licenses rather than actual software itself.

The software on a Windows 10 DVD is not yours after you buy it. Instead, Microsoft merely permits you to use it, which it may cancel at any time. Microsoft doesn’t sell software and never has. Over the years, it has only sold software licenses. In other words, even if you purchase a perpetual license to use Microsoft Word or Windows, you will never actually own the programme.

9. Are you eager to master Microsoft Word to the fullest extent possible? You must enter “=rand(200,99)” in the box provided. To create a Word document, enter the text.

There’s a clever Easter egg in Microsoft Word that provides you access to a tonne of capabilities. Enter the symbols shown above (without quotation marks) to access the document.

A mouse, Microsoft’s first piece of hardware, was introduced in 1983.

Microsoft is now recognized for its superior hardware. The Xbox One X console is the greatest choice for gamers who want a lot of power and 4K gaming but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a high-end gaming PC. The Surface line is the finest alternative for those who want the best portable Windows laptops. Microsoft, however, was not a hardware-first business prior to the introduction of the original Xbox. In reality, before entering the video game console industry, they solely produced mice and keyboards. In actuality, Microsoft’s first piece of gear was a mouse that went by the name Microsoft Mouse.

The Company’s First Extremely Successful App Was MS Excel.

Microsoft achieved great success in the operating system business, but it didn’t develop a game-changing application until 1985. The business launched MS Excel for Macintosh that year, and it was a big success. It cemented Microsoft’s status as a top software provider by overtaking Lotus 1-2-3 and Apple VisiCalc as the two most widely used spreadsheet programs by the early 1990s. With the 1989 release of the first MS Office suite, Microsoft’s dominance over computer software was solidified.

Xbox is short for “DirectX Box.”

Few fans are aware that the Xbox is an acronym for DirectX Box. Microsoft created the 3D rendering API known as DirectX. Video games, to put it another way. Every Xbox utilizes a customized version of DirectX to play video games. That name has never been more fitting with the introduction of the upcoming Xbox Series X system. The console looks like a compact gaming PC and is built on x86 PC architecture. It runs a customized version of Windows 10. This interesting Microsoft tidbit is one we bet you were not aware of.