The Technical and Social History of Software Engineering

Chapter 6. 1970 to 1979: Computers and Software Begin Creating Wealth

Thanks to the unbundling of software by IBM in 1969, the 1970s would witness the creation of several companies that would later expand into the largest and wealthiest companies in U.S. history: Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle are three examples. The rapid expansion of computer use led to the very rapid expansion of companies that created commercial software that benefited both corporations and individuals. It was not anticipated at the beginning of this decade (and confirm) that software would eventually cause Bill Gates to become among the wealthiest persons on the planet and Apple Computer to become among the wealthiest companies.

By the end of this decade, computers and software ...