- Microsoft Excel famous 40 years old as the spreadsheet that has reshaped business and personal IT
- New tools and creative communities fueled by AI extend Excel uses far beyond the accounts
- Google Sheets presents the most serious challenge to excel the domination of
Microsoft Excel recently celebrated its 40th anniversary (although with old software, it can often be difficult to set a real launch date), cementing its place as one of the most recognizable software in the world.
From financial services to classrooms, Excel has become a universal calculation sheet tool to organize, analyze and present data. Everyone in an office environment probably encountered him, if he has not fully mastered it.
The idea of the modern calculation sheet began in 1979 with Visicalc, created by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston for Apple II. This has become one of the first killer applications, convincing companies to buy computers just to execute it.
Excel excels
Visicalc’s early success has faded after Lotus 1-2-3 introduced features such as macros, which allowed users to automate repetitive tasks. Lotus quickly dominated the market, to be overtaken by Microsoft.
Excel appeared for the first time on the Apple Macintosh in 1985. He sported a graphical interface from the start, unlike his competitors based on the text.
Microsoft then carried Excel to Windows, where he quickly gained ground against the Quattro Pro of Lotus and Borland.
In the early 1990s, Excel had established itself as the market leader in the market, a position to which she has groped since.
Over the years, Excel has acquired features that extend far beyond the simple cracking number.
The introduction of Visual Basic for applications in the 1990s has given users the possibility of writing personalized functions and automating complex workflows.
Subsequent updates included pivotal tables, 3D graphics and ultimately the ribbon interface, which changed the way users sailed.
While business remains his heart, Excel’s scope has extended to unexpected areas.
“There are so many fascinating ways that people use Excel – far beyond typical financial or accounting scenarios,” said Cuong Pham, which manages a global fan community. Users have built art, games and even music inside its line of lines and columns.
Excel has also inspired competitions. Latvian consultant Andrew Grigolyunovich founded the Excel world championship, which has become an Arena event in Las Vegas.
Today, Excel has Copilot and AI features as agent mode, where users can generate complete spreadsheets via simple prompts, and we can expect Microsoft adding more such features in the future.
Excel’s domination is no longer what it was in the past. Google Sheets, for example, has become the choice of choice in many classrooms and small businesses with its cloud integration and real -time collaboration.
His lighter approach based on a browser uses a generation less linked to office software, and of course, it’s free.
Microsoft responded with Excel on the web, which reflects a large part of the traditional program while adding online access, but the sheets remain the default option for many that start their work in a browser.
As Excel is 40 years old, he faces the challenge of adapting to a future where data work occurs more and more in shared online environments.
The way Microsoft incorporates AI and advanced collaboration features in her faithful software could decide if she continues to direct or share the scene with Google Sheets.
