Anirudh Kadian

@anirudhkdn

Moments from 90s that

shaped the world
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1990: WorldWideWeb

changed our lives,
Of all the technologies that
perhaps the most profound of the last 50
years has been the web. But it wasn't the
ability to hyperlink documents that made the
most impact. Instead, it was the application
that presented all that information to users,
the browser.
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1991: Linux

We're now into the 1990s and technology

change is accelerating. The first website
went online at CERN. In fact, so much
happened that we have a few articles
devoted to 1991 alone. But of all the
innovations, of all the products launched,
one stands out: Linux.
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1992: The first SMS text

message
Who would have thought that people would
prefer typing over talking on their phones?
While the SMS concept had existed for quite
some time, it wasn't until December 3, 1992
that engineer Neil Papworth sent a message
to Richard Jarvis' Vodafone Orbitel 901
handset. The message that precipitated
billions of very sore thumbs was a simple
"MERRY CHRISTMAS".
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1993: Mosaic web browser

By 1993, things were heating up for the World

Wide Web, which was quickly becoming
actually worldwide. While Mosaic wasn't the
first browser, it was the first that could display
images.
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1994: Amazon founded

At the time of its founding back in 1994, no

one could have know that Amazon would
become one of the world's most innovative
companies. Then, it was a source for
books.
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1995: Windows 95 and IE 1.0

By 1995, Windows had been around for a

full decade. But it was in 1995 that what
became the dominant desktop
environment for the next two decades
would be introduced.
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1996: Pilot handheld (first

Palm handheld)

to believe a modem
At the time, it was hard
company would introduce the first successful
handheld PDA. Now, of course, with handheld
smartphones dominant, it's impossible to
separate communications from personal
devices.
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1997: Steve Jobs returns to

Apple

A lot went on in 1997, but the single biggest

event, arguably the one that changed all of
technology, was the return of Steve Jobs to
Apple.
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1998: Google founded

If you're not sure about the impact of Google

on modern times, Google it. For the early
years of the web, search engine wars
dominated the news. Then came the Google
algorithm, famous for surfacing much more
relevant information.
 Anirudh Kadian
@anirudhkdn

1999: Apple AirPort (and

iBook)

Apple has a habit of taking existing

technologies and molding them into
something irresistible to consumers. Along
the way, Apple has often set the pace,
effectively giving other companies
"permission" to enter similar markets.