34 years ago today, Adobe changed the way we edit photos with Photoshop
And the app became so popular that people began using the word "Photoshop" as a verb for retouching images
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40 years ago, Apple changed the way we use computers with the Macintosh
Apple showed us why 1984 wouldn't be like 1984
Chances are, the device you're reading this article on takes cues in some way from Apple's original Macintosh, which was released 40 years ago today. Before the Macintosh debuted on January 24, 1984, most computing devices still used text inputs rather than graphical user interfaces. The computer mouse, ubiquitous today and has inspired other pointing methods such as trackpads and touchscreens, wasn't popular either. These mainstays of modern computing weren't popularized until Apple released the Macintosh four decades ago.
On this day 28 years ago, Java 1 was released
Java has since gone on to be one of the most widespread programming languages in the world
If you've ever used a computer or mobile phone or played games like Minecraft, you've probably interacted with Java without knowing it. It's a powerful programming language that allows developers to write a program once and then run it anywhere. On this day, 28 years ago, the JDK was first released in the form of Java 1 after being released in an alpha state in May 1995 at Sun Microsystems.
On this day 41 years ago, Apple released the Lisa computer for $10,000
Celebrating the 41 years since Apple's groundbreaking release of the Lisa computer, a technological milestone that helped revolutionize modern PCs
On this day in 1983, Apple made history when it released the Lisa computer. The Lisa was a groundbreaking machine that revolutionized how people used personal computers at the time. Being the first commercial computer to use a graphical user interface (GUI), it was also the first Apple computer to use a peripheral, in the form of a one-button mouse, and an internal storage device with a whopping 10 MB of space.
19 years ago today, the iPod Shuffle became one of the smallest portable music players
On this day in 2005, Apple introduced its most portable music player ever
Once upon a time, Apple used to put out creative products that impacted many industries. That's changed over the past decade. So, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max is undoubtedly a solid phone, it isn't as groundbreaking as some of the devices Apple launched in the 2000s. A prominent example is the iPod Shuffle, which was announced on this day 19 years ago. At the time, it was one of the tiniest portable music players on the market, and it truly revolutionized how people consumed digital music, much like the first iPod did.
On this day 17 years ago, Apple started shipping the first-ever Intel Macs
The transition from Intel is still fresh, but on this day in 2006, Apple was just beginning the Intel era with two new iMacs.
Apple made a huge breakthrough when it switched to Apple Silicon a few years ago, and Intel is just starting to catch up. But on this day 17 years ago, Apple saw Intel as the chipmaker to lead the Mac to new heights. Apple announced new 17-inch and 20-inch iMacs with Intel processors on Jan. 10, 2006, and started shipping the new Macs that same day. It was just the start of a successful transition from PowerPC to Intel that ended up creating a 15-year partnership between Apple and Intel.
iTunes just turned 23 years old, and it could be its last birthday
On this day in 2001, Apple debuted its famous media player
On Jan. 9, 2001, the great iPhone maker debuted what would become arguably the world's most popular digital media app. iTunes has had a long history and has risen and fallen quite a bit during its 23 years of existence. What was once praised for revolutionizing how people consume music has become synonymous with bloatware, and if recent moves are any indication, it's on its way out. So, to celebrate its birthday, we will be taking a look back at iTunes' history, along with its uncertain but inevitable future.
On this day 40 years ago, Hitachi announced the first 1Mb memory chip
Hitachi released the first 1Mb memory chip 40 years ago today, and it was a massively important launch.
Memory is important for almost any modern-day device, but back in the day, computers measured their memory in bytes and kilobytes, not megabytes and certainly not gigabytes. Japan had cemented its supremacy in memory chips in the 80s with its 64K memory chips, capable of storing roughly 8KB of memory total. Later, Japan again went ahead with its 256K DRAMs, a technology we still use today, capable of holding roughly 32KB. However, in 1984, Hitachi went further, announcing on Jan. 6 that it had created the world's first 1Mb memory chip, which measures out to roughly 128KB today.
On this day 30 years ago, Windows 3.11 released
Windows 3.11 was a minor upgrade in many ways, but it made the internet more accessible than ever.
Windows 11 may be a beautiful, modern operating system, but the road to get to where we are today has been a long one, with many releases throughout the 40 years of Windows' lifetime. And 30 years ago today, one such milestone took place with the release of Windows 3.11, an update to Windows 3.1 that brought users a little closer to the internet, and thus closer to the modern era.
On this day in 1994, Netscape Navigator 1.0 started the web we know today
Netscape Navigator was the world's first web browser developed for commercial purposes, and it dominated the market until Internet Explorer came out.
Nowadays, the browser wars are primarily dominated by Google's Chrome, with most alternatives being based on the same Chromium engine (barring Mozilla Firefox and Apple's Safari). But 29 years ago, the internet was just starting to become a thing, and leading the charge was a browser called Netscape Navigator. Netscape Navigator 1.0 launched on December 15th, 1994, and it quickly became the most popular browser in the world.
On this day over 200 years ago the first programmer, Ada Lovelace, was born
Ada Lovelace is commonly referred to as the first programmer, and her influence is immeasurable
When we use computers, they're more than just number-crunching devices, but that's all they used to be known for when they were first conceived. Ada Lovelace changed all of that. She's considered to be one of the world's first programmers because she was the first to see that the Analytical Engine, a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer by Charles Babbage, could be used for applications that went beyond number crunching.
36 years ago, Windows 2.0 brought us closer to the version we know today
The initial release of Windows wasn't all that well received, but Windows 2.0 delivered some much-needed refinement
Windows wasn't always the powerhouse we know today, and the initial release wasn't exactly well-received due to plenty of bugs and issues. But Microsoft came back around two years later with Windows 2.0, and this release was a big step forward, delivering more stability and refinements, as well as some brand-new capabilities.
On this day over 100 years ago, one of the most important pieces of tech ever was invented
And you might not have even heard about it
When you think of the invention of semiconductors, influential products like the Intel 4004 come to mind. However, the groundwork for a lot of modern technology was set over multiple centuries, and it came from some of the most unexpected places. Today, we're going to talk about the vacuum tube, arguably one of the most important inventions leading up to the modern semiconductor. Sir John Ambrose Fleming is said to have invented the vacuum tube diode in 1904, and all advanced computer technology has been built on that fundamental breakthrough. Don't believe us? The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) even said that the vacuum tube is "one of the most important developments in the history of electronics."
On this day, the Intel 4004, the world's first commercially produced microprocessor, was launched
The Intel 4004 was released on this day 52 years ago, and it was an incredibly important chip with an interesting history.
On Nov. 15, 1971, the Intel 4004 CPU was released. It was the first commercially produced microprocessor and the first-ever CPU for Intel, which later went on to become a domineering force in the PC industry. It all started thanks to Nippon Calculating Machine Corp. asking Intel to produce 12 custom chips for the Busicom 141-PF printing calculator. Intel's engineers went on to recommend a family of just four chips instead, but one that could be used for a variety of products. These four chips were known as the MCS-4 (Micro Computer System, 4-bit), laying the groundwork for Intel to succeed as one of the most influential companies in modern electronics.
17 years ago, the Zune tried (and failed) to combat the iPod
It's been 17 years since Microsoft launched the short-lived portable media player, the original Zune. The line lasted less than five years.
No portable music player in history could ever live up to the popularity of Apple's iPod, first introduced in 2001. But in 2006, Microsoft tried to shake up the market with its own portable media player, the Zune, which started a short-lived line of products that many still hold in high regard to this very day. The first Zune launched on Nov. 14, 2006, or 17 years ago, so let's take a look back at how Microsoft hoped to win over iPod fans.
40 years ago today, Microsoft announced Windows 1.0
And here we are, just a few months away from the release of Windows 12
With rapid developments in the computing space, there aren’t many innovations that have withstood the currents of time. However, Microsoft’s Windows operating system is an exception to this rule and is currently the most popular OS for average users.
Interview: 40 years ago this month, the first-ever consumer cell phone call was made
Using a Motorola DynaTAC and a Mercedes convertible, the first cell phone call was made 40 years ago. We spoke to the people who made it happen.
Forty years ago this month, following a long period of waiting and development, the first commercial cell phone call was made using a Motorola handset and a Mercedes convertible. Though the Motorola DynaTAC weighed a whopping 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches tall, even more technology had to be stored in the trunk of the car to place the first call. This groundbreaking moment on Oct. 13, 1983 sparked a timeline of innovation for mobile devices, like great phones, powerful tablets, and versatile smartwatches, that even the people involved in it didn't expect. We spoke with the customer who made the first call, David Meilahn, and one of the developers of cellular technology, Stu Tartarone, as we look back on this milestone.
22 years ago, Windows XP launched and quickly became the most popular OS in the world
Windows XP turns 22 years old today. The operating system became one of the most popular ever, getting support all the way until 2014.
Windows XP is still heralded by many as one of, if not the best version of Microsoft's operating system. While it's certainly outdated in many ways compared to today's laptops and PCs, at the time, it was a giant leap forward for Windows, bringing with it a new look and tons of new features. Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Windows XP's retail release, and it's time to look back at one of the most iconic Windows versions of all time.
On this day in 2001, the iPod transformed the music landscape
The first iteration of the iPod was an amazing portable music player that lived up to its "1,000 songs in your pocket" tagline.
Today, Apple is easily recognizable for its premium iPhones, versatile iPads, and powerful Mac laptops. Before Apple discontinued it in 2022, the iPod was another well-loved innovation in Apple’s lineup of products, and for good reason. Released 22 years ago today, the Apple iPod steered the music industry away from cassette and CD players and paved the way for portable MP3 players and music streaming platforms.
On this day in 1991, Apple introduced the PowerBook
A financial flop opens doors to a new age of portable computing.
Apple fans the world over have been using MacBooks for close to two decades now. When it comes to performance and reliability, the MacBook Air and Pro lineups are built to impress and can handle all different types of workflows. But before the modern age of Apple laptops, there existed a slightly more prehistoric class of laptop known as the Apple PowerBook. Released on Oct. 21, 1991, sales of the first three PowerBook machines would rake in some of the company’s best earnings ever.
On this day, the first Ubuntu distro was released
Ubuntu was released on this day 19 years ago, and it had a major effect on a changing industry.
There are no Linux distributions known quite as well as Ubuntu. The biggest brand in the Linux world by far, there are people out there who won't even know what Linux is, but they'll know what Ubuntu is if you mention it to them. That's how big it is, and on this day 19 years ago, on Oct. 20, 2004, the first Ubuntu distribution was released to the world.
