- Microsoft Excel celebrates 40 years as the spreadsheet that restructured business and personal computer science
- New tools with AI and creative communities extend Excel uses far beyond accounting
- Google Sheets presents the most serious challenge for Excel Domain
Microsoft Excel recently celebrated its 40th anniversary (although with old software it can often be difficult to specify a real launch date), consolidating its place as one of the most recognizable software pieces in the world.
From finance departments to classrooms, Excel has become a universal spreadsheet tool to organize, analyze and present data. It is likely that everyone in an office environment has found it, if they have not completely dominated it.
The idea of the modern spreadsheet began in 1979 with Visicalc, created by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston for Apple II. That became one of the first murderous applications, convincing companies to buy computers just to execute it.
Excel Excels
Visicalc’s early success faded after Lotus 1-2-3 introduced features such as Macros, which allowed users to automate repetitive tasks. Lotus soon dominated the market, just to be overcome by Microsoft.
Excel first appeared in Apple Macintosh in 1985. He brought a graphic interface from the beginning, unlike his text -based competitors.
Microsoft then behaved Excel to Windows, where he quickly won ground against Lotus and Quattro Pro.
At the beginning of the 1990s, Excel had established itself as the Clear Market leader, a position that has been clinging since then.
Over the years, Excel has gained characteristics that extend much beyond the simple crunch of numbers.
The introduction of Visual Basic for applications in the 1990s gave users the ability to write personalized functions and automate complex workflows.
Subsequent updates included pivot tables, 3D graphics and, finally, the tape interface, which changed the way users sailed the commands.
While the business remains its nucleus, the excel scope has extended to unexpected areas.
“There are so many fascinating ways in which people use Excel, far beyond the typical scenarios of finance or accounting,” said Cuong Pham, who manages a global community of fans. Users have created art, games and even music inside their ranks and columns grid.
Excel has also inspired competitions. The Lartón Andrew Grigolyunovich consultant founded the Excel World Championship, which became a sand event in Las Vegas.
Today, Excel has co -pilot and AI functions as the agent mode, where users can generate full spreadsheets through simple indications, and we can expect Microsoft to add more functionality of this type in the future.
However, Excel domain is no longer what it once was. Google Sheets, for example, has become the calculation sheet of choice in many classrooms and small businesses with their cloud integration and real -time collaboration.
Its lighter approach based on the browser attracts a generation less linked to desktop software and, of course, is free.
Microsoft has responded with Excel on the web, which reflects much of the traditional program while adding online access, but the sheets remain the default option for many who begin their work in a browser.
As Excel turns 40, it faces the challenge of adapting to a future where data work occurs more and more in shared online environments.
How well Microsoft integrates the AI and advanced collaboration characteristics in its unconditional software could decide whether to continue leading or sharing the stage with Google leaves.
