Computer History Page 4

How “The Print Shop” Turned People into Banner Wizards in the 1980s

In 1984, Brøderbund Software released “The Print Shop,” a pioneering desktop publishing app that allowed anyone with a PC to easily make large banners, signs, and greeting cards at home for the first time. Here’s what made i…

Benj Edwards Jul 5th, 2021

How Quake Shook the World: Quake Turns 25

After revolutionizing PC gaming with Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, id Software pulled off a hat trick with Quake, released on June 22, 1996. Quake mixed polygonal 3D graphics, networking, and grunge into a groundbreaking hit with …

Benj Edwards Jun 22nd, 2021

A Visual History of Windows Icons: From Windows 1 to 11

Over the past three-plus decades, the icons of Microsoft Windows have evolved alongside improvements in screen resolutions and color depth. Here’s a look at how the size and style of Windows icons have changed over time….

Benj Edwards Jun 21st, 2021

A Successful Failure: The TI-99/4A Turns 40

In June 1981, Texas Instruments released the TI-99/4A, a 16-bit home computer and gaming platform that became a huge cultural success in America after selling 2.8 million units, although it resulted in a business loss for TI….

Benj Edwards Jun 14th, 2021

Macintosh System 1: What Was Apple’s Mac OS 1.0 Like?

On January 14, 1984, Apple released the first version of its Macintosh operating system, System 1.0. Despite being almost four decades old, many of its features resemble today’s macOS. We’ll take you on a brief tour of this h…

Benj Edwards Jun 7th, 2021

What Is Shareware, and Why Was It So Popular in the 1990s?

It’s a crazy idea: Give your software away for free and hope that people like it enough to send you money. That was the idea behind shareware, a popular commercial software model in the 1980s and 1990s. Here’s what made it un…

Benj Edwards Jun 1st, 2021

What Are Teletypes, and Why Were They Used with Computers?

For a few decades, many computer system operators used devices called teletypes to interact with computers using a typewriter-style keyboard and output printed on spools of paper. Here’s why.

Benj Edwards May 17th, 2021

What Is a “Computer Bug,” and Where Did the Term Come From?

You’ve probably heard it before: There’s a “bug” in the software, causing something to malfunction or misbehave. What exactly is a computer bug and where did the term come from? We’ll explain.

Benj Edwards May 10th, 2021

The First PC to Sell Millions: Commodore VIC-20 Turns 40

In 1981, Commodore released the VIC-20, a low-cost mass-market home computer that served up great video games and taught a generation of kids how to program. It sold millions of units and inspired a generation of programmers….

Benj Edwards May 3rd, 2021

Did You Know? Microsoft Made a Kids’ Word Processor in the 1990s

When it comes to Microsoft and writing, Microsoft Word wasn’t always the only game in town. In 1993, Microsoft released a wacky word processor for kids called Creative Writer. Here’s what made it memorable….

Benj Edwards Apr 26th, 2021

What Is a CRT, and Why Don’t We Use Them Anymore?

You may have heard the term “CRT,” and you might know that it has something to do with TVs, monitors, video games, or computers, but what does “CRT” actually mean? We’ll explain.

Benj Edwards Apr 19th, 2021

What Is a Hamburger Menu Button?

Hamburger Menu—or Hamburger Icon—is a term commonly used when talking about apps. It might make you hungry, but it has nothing to do with food. Where did this silly name come from, and what does the menu do?…

Joe Fedewa Apr 17th, 2021

What Does “Burning a CD” Mean?

If you’ve never encountered a recordable CD before, you can be forgiven for not knowing what the term “burn a CD” means. Does it involve fire? Is anything actually burned in the process? We explain how the process works, why …

Benj Edwards Apr 12th, 2021

How to Run Windows 3’s File Manager in Windows 10

Throwback alert! Microsoft’s vintage File Manager program, which originally shipped with Windows 3.0 in 1990, has been ported to Windows 10, and it’s available for free from Microsoft. Here’s how to get it….

Benj Edwards Apr 1st, 2021

What’s the Best Way to Buy a Vintage Computer?

As a hobby, vintage computing is on the rise. A generation that grew up with classic PCs is looking back and revisiting the glory days of the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s with the authentic machines. But what’s the best way to get t…

Benj Edwards Mar 29th, 2021

What Was CP/M, and Why Did It Lose to MS-DOS?

Before Microsoft and Intel dominated the PC market with a common platform, the CP/M operating system did something similar for small business machines in the late 1970s and early 1980s—until MS-DOS pulled the rug out from u…

Benj Edwards Mar 22nd, 2021

Remembering ActiveX Controls, the Web’s Biggest Mistake

Introduced in 1996, Internet Explorer’s ActiveX controls were a bad idea for the web. They caused serious security problems and helped cement the dominance of Internet Explorer on Windows, which led to the pre-Firefox stagnat…

Chris Hoffman Mar 12th, 2021

Dogs, Dinosaurs, and Wine: The Lost CD-ROMs of Microsoft

In the 1990s, Microsoft produced a wide range of multimedia CD-ROM educational and entertainment titles under the brand “Microsoft Home.” These guides covered topics as diverse as dogs, dinosaurs, wine, and gardening. We take…

Benj Edwards Mar 8th, 2021

Why Were Old Video Games So Pixelated?

Most computer and video games created in the 20th century featured blocky, pixelated graphics. If you didn’t grow up with them (or never paid attention to the technical details), you might wonder why. We’ll explore the origin…

Benj Edwards Mar 1st, 2021

Before Fortnite, There Was ZZT: Meet Epic’s First Game

Thirty years ago—on January 15, 1991—an American college student named Tim Sweeney released ZZT, a low-key adventure game with a revolutionary element: It shipped with a free, built-in game editor. ZZT’s success spawned E…

Benj Edwards Feb 19th, 2021

Where Did the Numeric Keypads on PC Keyboards Come From?

If you’ve ever used a computer, you’ve probably seen it: A grid of numbers and mathematical operators on the far-right side of a keyboard. It’s a numeric keypad—but how did it get there, and why is it laid out the way it is…

Benj Edwards Feb 12th, 2021

Did You Know? The GPS Triangle Cursor Comes From Atari’s Asteroids

It’s there right in front of you every time you use GPS navigation: a triangle-shaped cursor representing your location on a GPS display, moving where you move. But did you know the cursor originates from Atari’s 1979 Asteroi…

Benj Edwards Feb 5th, 2021

From Keen to Doom: id Software’s Founders Talk 30 Years of Gaming History

On February 1, 1991, John Romero, John Carmack, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack officially founded id Software. The group went on to revolutionize the game industry with franchises such as Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake. Here’s a …

Benj Edwards Feb 1st, 2021

What Was Windows CE, and Why Did People Use It?

Microsoft released Windows CE in November 1996 as a new version of Windows. Designed to run pocket-sized computers, CE brought the user-friendly Windows 95 interface to mobile computing for the first time. Its architecture al…

Benj Edwards Jan 23rd, 2021

The Origin of Comic Sans: Why Do So Many People Hate It?

There’s one font that is almost universally reviled. Just the sight of it causes people to cringe in disgust. You know exactly what font I’m talking about (even if you ignore the title.) Why does everyone hate Comic Sans?…

Joe Fedewa Jan 16th, 2021

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