Platforms, the Web and the cloud
Microsoft and Apple: The operating system becomes a platform
How APIs, applications and compatibility became the basis of competition.
In this lesson
The main idea
From the mid-1980s, the question was no longer only which machine, but which operating system could attract users, developers, apps and peripherals.
Companies and milestones
- 1984 — Apple Macintosh/System Software: tight integration of hardware, OS and graphical interface. Type: hardware + software.
- 1985 — Microsoft Windows 1.0: a graphical and multitasking layer over MS-DOS. Type: software.
- 1995 — Windows 95: expanded the consumer PC platform and connected apps to hardware through common interfaces. Type: software/platform.
- 2001 — Apple Mac OS X: a modern Unix foundation with a graphical interface and a long-term base for the Mac platform. Type: software.
Why was this a qualitative leap?
The leap was turning the OS into a market and shared rules, not merely software that starts the machine.
Check your understanding
Why does an application developer care how many people use an operating system?
Answer
A larger platform offers a bigger audience, while more applications make the platform more attractive—a network effect.