Microsoft Office provides many functionalities to users. You can create documents, presentations, and even do accounting. The platform does not have much competition, making it very popular. This makes Microsoft one of the most successful companies
today. The closest competitor is Apple, which is also making waves in the computer industry.
Microsoft is the brainchild of Bill Gates and Paul Allen. It came into the market in 1975 and continues to maintain relevance to date. The packages are easy to use, making them ideal for beginners and experts alike. You also have the option of taking Microsoft office courses because it is widely used in the professional life to brush up on your skills or improve the skills that you already have.
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But, there is a lot more to know about the company. We will share with you some exciting snippets you may not know about below.
The Origin of the Microsoft Name
The origin of the name is attributable to Bill Gates. He already had the idea of the name even before they set up the company. However, he put a slight tweak on the spelling by putting a hyphen to make it Micro-soft.
The name is a combination of two words; microcomputer and software. But, when registering the company in 1976, they decided to drop the hyphen, giving rise to Microsoft as we know it today.
But, Microsoft does not always use its name when working on projects. It is common practice for the company to use code names. It allows them to work undercover until the date of unveiling. The company is highly imaginative in the names they choose. Such include Longhorn, Lone Star, or Vienna. Almost sound like spy movie titles, don’t they?
Read: How to use Microsoft Word on Ubuntu
The Microsoft Sound Creator
If you are a user of Microsoft Office, then you know the tune. Brian Eno takes the credit for that one. Brian is an established musician who has collaborated with top acts like U2 and Bono. He likened the process of creating the short piece to making a tiny jewel. The process was, according to him, amazing and funny.
Microsoft Has Some Excellent Features
Did you know that Microsoft Office has some features that you may not even be aware of? Such include”–
- The smart lookup feature for quick access to the search engines. It is available in Excel, PowerPoint, and word. It saves you from having to switch to a browser anytime you want to search for particular information.
- Easy access to recent documents gives you direct access to documents you may have recently been working on. It is especially helpful if you do not remember where you saved the file.
- The Tell Me feature gives suggestions on particular actions. Type a phrase or word that captures what you want to do in the text box. A menu will come up showing you a list of suggestions.
- If you want to get information on the features available in word, it is really simple. Type in =rand (200, 99), and you will get all the relevant information.
Read: How to stop data collection by Microsoft on Windows 10
M&Ms Feature in All Microsoft Anniversaries
Imagine M&Ms being the main dish at anniversary celebrations. Well, this is the case and Microsoft. Every employee or softie as they refer to themselves must donate some.
The amount each employee donates is equal to one pound of M&Ms for every year they have worked. The sugar rush on those days must be out of this world.
Read: How Excel SUMIFS Can Ease Your Work: A Tutorial
Excel Was the Microsoft Office First Born Baby
Excel was Microsoft’s first office application. They released it into the market in 1982 under the name Multiplan. It wasn’t until 1985 that the name changed to the present Excel. At the time, they released a version for Macintosh.
Yet, until 1987, there was no Excel version for Windows. The team skipped the 1. 0 versions and went straight into 2.0.
Excel proved to be a firstborn worthy of great pride. It was one of the reasons why Microsoft became a market leader in PC software development. If you were using computers in the 80s, you probably remember Lotus. You could handle database functionality, spreadsheet calculations, and graphical charts.
Lotus managed to replace Apple’s VisiCalc to become the spreadsheet of choice. What you may not know is that the developers had a significant challenge porting the application to Windows. For Microsoft, it was an opportunity that led to an increase in sales, toppling Lotus.
Read: 5 Tips to Improve Office 365 Security
Microsoft Has Bailed Out Apple from a Financial Crisis
It would be easy to imagine a company celebrating the downfall of a competitor. Yet, Microsoft took a very different path. In 1997 Apple found itself facing a financial crisis. They were on the verge of bankruptcy and needed investors to keep them afloat. Microsoft helped in a major way by investing over $150 million in the company.
Now here is another case where human behavior is hard to predict. You would think that the investors would be relieved that they did not lose their money. Unfortunately, this was not the case. When Steve Jobs announced the bailout, all he got was boos in exchange.
Read: Windows, macOS or Linux, which one to choose
Other Interesting Tidbits
Here is a summary of other interesting things you may not know.
- Ms-dos is not the original operating system for Microsoft. The first OS was XENIX
- You cannot create a folder with the name CON in Windows
- Microsoft was the original inventor of tablets. Apple just made them more popular
- The company entered a partnership with Timex to create the first smartwatch in 1994
- Microsoft is not in the business of selling software. What you buy is a license that the company can withdraw anytime it feels like it
- The company has lots of patents. The number could be as high as 48,313. It shows the amount of innovation from the brilliant minds in the company.
Final Thoughts
It is rare to find a computer user that has not heard of Bill Gates or Microsoft. It is interesting to read about the company and its founders. And as time passes, we can only expect more from this forward-thinking company.
Author: Dan Martin, dan[@]arcstone.me
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