March 2026

How the Spreadsheet Reshaped America

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The electronic spreadsheet, particularly Microsoft Excel, revolutionized American businesses by enabling managers to process information and make data-driven decisions at an unprecedented scale. Before spreadsheets, companies relied on labor-intensive methods like columnar pads to analyze data, limiting their ability to understand complex business dynamics. The advent of VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet, transformed the Apple II into a powerful business tool, enabling instant calculations and complex formulas and ultimately reshaping American corporations.

https://davidoks.blog/p/how-the-spreadsheet-reshaped-america

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How Apple Became Apple: The Definitive Oral History of the Company’s Earliest Days

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Before the iPod, iPhone, or even the Apple-1, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were Silicon Valley teenagers fascinated by electronics who joined forces to pioneer personal computing. On April 1, 1976, along with Ronald Wayne, they founded Apple Computer Company to market Wozniak’s microcomputer kit, driven by a shared vision of the transformative power of personal computers. This oral history from Apple’s early collaborators captures how their passion, preparation, and community support sparked a revolution that now touches billions worldwide.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91514404/apple-founding-50th-anniversary-apple-1-apple-ii-jobs-wozniak?mvgt=E5Loo3fO74zl

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Steve Jobs Talks iBook, AirPort, and More in Newly Surfaced 1999 Video

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A newly surfaced 1999 internal video captures Steve Jobs discussing Apple’s product strategy shortly after the launch of the iBook G3 at Macworld New York, highlighting the completion of Apple’s four-quadrant product lineup and the introduction of AirPort wireless networking developed with Lucent. Jobs emphasized Apple’s advantage in integrating hardware and software to bring innovations like wireless networking and FireWire to market efficiently and stated that the company’s focus was on making great products rather than just financial recovery, aiming to make Apple great again by prioritizing creative professionals, education, and consumers over enterprise markets.

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/23/steve-jobs-talks-ibook-airport-and-more/

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LotusNotes

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Lotus Notes originated from the University of Illinois’ PLATO system, a pioneering multi-user, networked computer system emphasizing public collaboration and user-generated content, funded by the military and the NSF. Developed in the 1980s by Ray Ozzie and Iris Associates under Lotus Development, Lotus Notes evolved as a flexible groupware platform blending email, calendaring, and database functions with replication technology inherited from PLATO’s architecture. Despite its initial dominance in enterprise groupware, Lotus Notes declined significantly after IBM’s acquisition, largely due to competition from Microsoft Exchange and shifting industry standards favoring open protocols and web integration.

https://computer.rip/2026-03-14-lotusnotes.html

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The Most Important Software Innovations

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David A. Wheeler’s paper identifies the most important software innovations by focusing strictly on technological innovations that have had widespread and critical impact on programming, deliberately excluding hardware advances and non-technological developments such as legal or social inventions. The paper also argues that software patents have largely failed to promote innovation, often covering obvious ideas or prior art, and have instead impeded software development, with most key software innovations never patented; this challenges the effectiveness of patents as incentives in the software industry.

https://dwheeler.com/innovation/innovation.html

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ENIAC, the General-Purpose Digital Computer, Is 80

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ENIAC, unveiled on February 15, 1946, was the first large-scale, general-purpose, programmable electronic digital computer, developed at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School of Electrical Engineering. It marked a major breakthrough in computing, making high-speed calculations practical and laying the foundation for modern computers and the digital economy, while also highlighting pioneering contributions from women programmers and influencing the evolution of technology over the past 80 years.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/eniac-80-ieee-milestone

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I Don’t Know What Is Apple’s Endgame for the Fn/Globe Key, and I’m Not Sure Apple Knows Either

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Apple’s Fn/Globe key evolution reflects its struggle with modifier key functionality. Originally designed to simulate missing keys on compact keyboards, the Fn key expanded tasks but lacked standardization across devices. With the introduction of the Globe key on iPads and Macs, Apple introduced new shortcuts, but inconsistencies between devices and confusing user experiences emerged. The challenge lies in integrating a coherent system across third-party keyboards while managing existing shortcuts, ultimately complicating usage and confusing users. The article urges Apple to reconsider and simplify its approach to modifier keys for improved functionality and user experience.

https://aresluna.org/fn/

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Macbook Neo Shows How Far Apple’s Repairability Design Has Fallen

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iFixit offers guides, forums, teardowns, and a repair assistant for fixing items. It promotes community involvement and the Right to Repair movement, while providing a range of quality parts and tools in its store. The article discusses how Apple’s early laptops were designed for repairability, featuring easily replaceable keyboards, batteries, RAM, and storage, in contrast to current models that prioritize design over maintenance. The need for modular components is emphasized as essential for longevity and usability, especially in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

https://www.ifixit.com/News/115995/how-apple-used-to-design-its-laptops-for-repairability

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Art Bits From HyperCard

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HyperCard, Apple’s early hypermedia system, influenced web development significantly. It included sample stacks like “Art Bits,” showcasing two-color clip art. Over 700 images from this collection have been optimized and shared online for users’ enjoyment, maintaining a small size. Categories include beasts, buildings, media, and more, each containing various clip art examples.

https://archives.somnolescent.net/web/mari_v2/junk/hypercard/

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