Microsoft is a multinational technology corporation that is the largest vendor of computer software in the world. It was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. Since then, Microsoft has developed and marketed a wide range of software and hardware products, including:
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Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry, such as Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for servers, and Windows IoT for embedded systems.
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Productivity Software: Microsoft Office is a suite of productivity applications that includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the desktop.
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Cloud Computing Services: Microsoft is a leading provider of cloud computing services.
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Gaming: Microsofts flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles.
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Hardware: Microsoft also develops computer and gaming hardware, such as the Microsoft Surface lineup of touchscreen personal computers.
Microsoft has had a significant impact on the personal computer industry, dominating the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Windows. As of 2015, Microsoft is market-dominant in the IBM PC compatible operating system market and the office software suite market.
