Computer History Page 2

5 Ways Windows Phone Was Ahead of Its Time

In the mobile OS landscape, Windows Phone wasn’t around for very long (2010-2017). It was never very popular, but Microsoft infused it with some new, interesting ideas. A few of those ideas ended up being ahead of their time….

Joe Fedewa Jun 11th, 2022

45 Years Later, The Apple II Still Has Lessons to Teach Us

45 years after the Apple II personal computer launched, the tech industry has arguably moved away from a few of the core principals that launched Apple and the personal computer into the mainstream. We spoke with industry lum…

Benj Edwards Jun 10th, 2022

Steve Wozniak Talks Apple II on Its 45th Anniversary

When Steve Wozniak designed the Apple II—released in June 1977—he kick-started a wave of appliance-like home computers for average people. For the 45th anniversary of this monumentally important machine, we talked to Wozn…

Benj Edwards Jun 10th, 2022

What Is ANSI Art, and Why Was It Popular in the 1990s?

During the age of the dial-up BBS, a special style of digital illustration emerged that utilized 256 text characters and 16 colors to create a vivid array of artworks. Here’s a look at why ANSI art emerged and how it still se…

Benj Edwards Jun 6th, 2022

What is Link Rot, and How Does It Threaten the Web?

If you’ve been browsing the web and hit a 404 error page or an unexpected redirection, you’ve seen link rot in action. Over time, the links that hold the web together break, threatening our shared cultural history. Here’s a l…

Benj Edwards May 30th, 2022

The Origins of Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+X, and Ctrl+Z Explained

We use them dozens of times a day: The Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V shortcuts that trigger Undo, Cut, Copy, and Paste. But where did they come from, and why does Windows use those particular keys for those functions? We…

Benj Edwards May 23rd, 2022

This Is How Steve Jobs Killed Adobe Flash

Adobe Flash powered most interactive content on the web throughout the 2000’s, but the introduction of the iPhone — and a directive from Apple CEO Steve Jobs — changed everything. Here’s how it happened….

Corbin Davenport May 20th, 2022

Achtung! How Wolfenstein 3D Shocked the World, 30 Years Later

Thirty years ago today, id Software released Wolfenstein 3D, a thrilling first-person shooter game set during World War II. It broke new ground for action-based PC games and continued a string of growing successes for id Soft…

Benj Edwards May 5th, 2022

Microsoft 3D Movie Maker From 1995 Is Now Open-Source

Software and game preservation is an increasingly important topic, and the best way to keep software accessible for future generations is by releasing the original source code. That’s exactly what just happened for Microsoft …

Corbin Davenport May 4th, 2022

Every Microsoft Company Logo From 1975-2022

Since its founding in 1975, Microsoft has grown dramatically. As new products and eras came along, the firm changed its branding image over the years to match. Here’s a look at all of its major logos from the past 47 years….

Benj Edwards May 2nd, 2022

Every Microsoft Windows Logo From 1985 to 2022

Over the past 37 years, Microsoft has used a variety of logo designs to represent its flagship product, Microsoft Windows. We’ll take a look at each major version as the design has evolved through the ages….

Benj Edwards Apr 25th, 2022

The 5 Most Ridiculously Expensive Phones of All Time

Phones today come at a wide variety of price points. On the upper end, there are devices that push close to $2,000. That may seem steep, but there have been much more expensive phones.

Joe Fedewa Apr 23rd, 2022

Why Is a PC Called a PC?

If you buy a computer that runs Windows, it’s usually called a “PC.” But sometimes a Mac is called a PC, too. What’s going on here, and why is a PC called a “PC” anyway? We’ll explain.

Benj Edwards Apr 18th, 2022

Why Is Google Called Google?

If you’ve used the internet or a smartphone, chances are high you’ve encountered Google, a successful tech firm that pioneered search engine technology in the late 1990s. But where did it get its weird name? We’ll explore the…

Benj Edwards Apr 11th, 2022

Windows 3.1 Turns 30: Here’s How It Made Windows Essential

30 years ago—on April 6, 1992—Microsoft released Windows 3.1, which brought the company to a new level of success, kept the PC platform competitive with Macs, and set the stage for Windows PC domination. Here’s what was s…

Benj Edwards Apr 6th, 2022

What Does “Excel” Mean in Microsoft Excel?

Millions of people around the world use Microsoft Excel every year to create and manage spreadsheets as part of Microsoft Office. But have you ever stopped to think what “Excel” actually means? We’ll explain its origins….

Benj Edwards Apr 5th, 2022

Video Games Turn 60: How Spacewar Launched a Revolution

Sixty years ago this month—in April 1962—a group of hobbyists at MIT released the pioneering computer game Spacewar! on the DEC PDP-1, which set the stage for the video game revolution. Here’s a look at its origins and it…

Benj Edwards Apr 4th, 2022

What Happened to the iPhone 9?

In 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X but skipped over the iPhone 9. In the following years, no iPhone 9 ever appeared. Why didn’t Apple release iPhone 9? We’re on the case to find out….

Benj Edwards Apr 1st, 2022

Gmail Was the Best April Fools’ Day Joke of All Time

Google is one of many companies that love to join in on the April Fools’ Day fun every year. However, its best April Fools’ Day announcement wasn’t actually a joke at all. It was a little thing called Gmail….

Joe Fedewa Apr 1st, 2022

The QWERTY Keyboard Is Tech’s Biggest Unsolved Mystery

It’s on your computer keyboard and your smartphone screen: QWERTY, the first six letters of the top row of the standard keyboard layout. But no one knows how it originated, and the puzzle has been frustrating historians for o…

Benj Edwards Mar 28th, 2022

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About GIFs

The humble GIF file has been with us for a long time. Sadly, the creator of the GIF, computer scientist Steve Wilhite, passed away in March 2022. In honor of him and his contribution, we hope you enjoy these facts and think a…

Jason Fitzpatrick Mar 24th, 2022

Why Was There No Windows 9?

Microsoft jumped between Windows 8 and Windows 10 — notice anything missing? We’ll explore why there was no Windows 9.

Benj Edwards Mar 16th, 2022

Why Apple’s Logo Has a Bite Taken Out of It

If you take a look at Apple’s famous logo design, you might notice a curved piece missing. It’s a bite mark in the fruit—but why is it there? We’ll explain the history and meaning behind the bite.

Benj Edwards Mar 14th, 2022

Why Is the Linux Mascot a Penguin?

If you’re a fan of Linux, you might have seen “Tux,” the friendly penguin mascot for the operating system. But why a penguin, and why Tux? We’ll explore the history behind the semi-aquatic bird mascot with a little help from …

Benj Edwards Mar 7th, 2022

Why Do Some Computers Need Fans?

Computer fans can be annoying—they’re often noisy, and they collect dust. While most desktop and laptop computers rely on fans, smartphones and tablets don’t. Why? We’ll explain.

Benj Edwards Mar 5th, 2022

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