Today, I'm going to do something different. There are some products out there that seem to capture a moment, representing genuine innovation, rather than "me too" functionality. I've begun thinking about what has been the products that really struck me as unique. Rather than compile an extensive list.
In no particular order, here's the desktop software I think have made the biggest impact on IT. Please feel free to contact me with your own suggestions.
- Windows CE 3.0 - This cut-down Windows for handheld PCs was a surprise hit and included pocket versions of Internet Explorer, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.
- Autocad - took design to the masses - previously CAD/CAM was only available on large computer systems. Autocad was regarded as revolutionary as it could be customised very easily.
- ClarisWorks - the integrated Office suite for the Mac, which used the concept of lightwieight frames to enable users to embed word processor documents and spreadsheets easily.
- Java - In 1995 Sun's write-once, run anywhere language made it possible to create applications that could easily be ported.
- Delphi - In many ways Borland's Pascal-based software development environment boosted programmer's productivity with a neat user interface and great programming libraries.
