Microsoft Word Celebrates 40 Years of Text Editing Excellence
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Microsoft Word, one of the oldest applications for Windows. It was first released in 1983, a time when the 16-bit Intel 80286 processor was the most popular, RAM cost hundreds of dollars for just a few kilobytes, and Apple had introduced the remarkably expensive predecessor to the Macintosh called Lisa.
“1983 was a sort of golden age for personal computer consumers. New capabilities, rapid technological progress, and brilliant innovations were more abundant than ever. For instance, Apple launched the $6000 Lisa model that completely reimagined what a personal computer should be. It was also the dawn of business applications like Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, and, of course, Microsoft Word. Right from the beginning, Word became one of the most popular office tools in the world, and almost everyone is familiar with it. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, we’ve decided to reminisce about the product’s history and share where we’re heading,” Microsoft stated.
In honor of Word’s 40th anniversary, the developers have also published a timeline showcasing the key stages in the text editor’s development. It begins with the product’s launch in 1983, includes the introduction of Word 97, the first version to feature autocorrect functionality, and highlights major design changes over the years. In Word 2010, image editing capabilities were introduced, and Word 2013 saw a redesigned toolbar. Eventually, the text editor became part of the Microsoft 365 cloud platform, received dark theme support, and gained collaborative document editing capabilities.
Looking ahead, the developers intend to focus on ensuring that Word scales optimally to support users in a wide range of tasks related to creating and editing text documents. This includes integrating the AI assistant Copilot, further developing the web version of Word, and regularly adding new features to facilitate the ongoing evolution of the software.
The enduring success and evolution of Microsoft Word over the past four decades highlight its importance as a fundamental tool for individuals, professionals, and businesses in creating, editing, and managing textual content.
Source: Microsoft 365 Insider
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- I'm Vasyl Kolomiiets, a seasoned tech journalist regularly contributing to global publications. Having a profound background in information technologies, I seamlessly blended my technical expertise with my passion for writing, venturing into technology journalism. I've covered a wide range of topics including cutting-edge developments and their impacts on society, contributing to leading tech platforms.
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