Microsoft

Microsoft's logo.

Microsoft Corporation is an American tech company founded in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA. The company began as a developer of programming languages, and slowly expanded to operating systems, office applications, entertainment, and hardware. They currently hold a dominant lead on the operating system of desktop computers, Windows.

I have been using Microsoft products since the late 1980s when I first encountered MS-DOS. My family's first computer came loaded with MS-DOS v5.0 and Windows 3.0 with media extensions. Since then, I have used nearly every subsequent version of DOS and Windows as well as a large variety of Microsoft office, programming, and gaming software. However, my use of Microsoft is not because I prefer their products, in general, I tend to hate them, and think they've steadily gotten worse in the past 15 years. Instead, I use Microsoft because they have such a huge market share, that it's difficult to have access to all the software I like without using their products.

Software

These are programs that have a particular importance to me.

Applications

I used to use the majority of Microsoft applications, but over the years, I have found superior free replacements for nearly all of their apps.

• IdleWild
• Spy++

Games

Microsoft rarely develops games in-house, but pays third-party developers to make games, and then publishes them.

DOS

• QBASIC Gorillas
• QBASIC Nibbles

Windows 3

• Freecell (Microsoft)
• Hearts (Microsoft)
• Taipei
• Tetris (Microsoft)
• Solitaire (Microsoft)

Windows

• Age of Empires
• Mahjong Titans
• Spider Solitaire (Microsoft)

Operating Systems

• MS-DOS
• Windows 3
• Windows 98
• Windows XP

Programming Languages

• C#
• GW-BASIC
• QuickBASIC
• Visual BASIC
• Visual FoxPro

Logos

• 

  (1975-1980)
  It's hard to read, especially at smaller sizes, the S breaks the theme of having the thicker line on the outside, and it just reeks of the 70s.

• 

  (1980-1982)
  Far too jagged.

• 

  (1982-1987)
  The full-width Cs and Os make it look odd with the otherwise tight kerning.

• 

  (1987-2012)
  This logo is fantastic. Like any good logo, it's legible at varying sizes. The italic Helvetica is plain, but the notch taken out of the o gives it flair. This is the first logo I viewed, and it's my favorite.

• 

  (2012-Present)
  Bleh. Not only is it using the dull flat redesign of Windows, but it's associating the whole of Microsoft to only one of their products. Bad idea.

Links

• microsoft.com - Official.
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft - Wikipedia.
• mobygames.com/company/microsoft-corporation - MobyGames.