Microsoft Turns 50: A Look Back and Forward

Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, Microsoft began in a small Albuquerque office and now it is a global tech leader. As it marks 50 years, can it stay at the top for the next 50?

Microsoft's Early Days

Microsoft started with MS-DOS for IBM PCs and launched Windows 1.0 in 1985. Windows 95 was a game-changer, and today, Windows dominates over 70% of the desktop market.

In 2014, Satya Nadella became CEO, focusing Microsoft on cloud services (Azure) and AI. In 2019, Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI to create smart tools like Copilot.

Windows in the Future

Microsoft is constantly improving Windows. Windows 11 is the latest version, and future updates might bring AI features, like voice commands to control your computer. Windows 12 may even be more flexible and easier to use.

New Chips for AI

Microsoft is creating its own hardware to speed up AI work. In 2023, it launched a new chip called Azure Maia 100 to handle AI tasks, making it less reliant on companies like Nvidia and Intel.

The Next 50 Years

With a strong focus on AI, cloud computing, and custom hardware, Microsoft is set to continue leading in tech for the next 50 years.