Excel – Survival of the Fittest
The world of nature is awash with examples of the dominance of one species over another; From the weeds taking over a flower bed to the gray squirrel kicking out the weakest red, survival of the fittest is the law of nature. However, this law is sometimes applied to the unnatural world of technology, where an innovation can drive out a rival due to the former’s superior design or the latter’s weaknesses.
In the 1980s, a technology war broke out as VHS and Betamax clashed for dominance in the burgeoning home video market. At about the same time that VHS was blowing Betamax out of the water, another technology battle had broken out; one that would see an established product pushed to near extinction by a more dominant rival.
Lotus 1-2-3, the so-called ‘killer application’ that had dominated in the early part of the decade, soon found itself in decline as Microsoft Excel strode unimpeded, like many of the aforementioned gray squirrels, into the territory of the red. But why did this happen? Was it due to the weakness of Lotus, the strength of Excel, or a bit of both?
Given that Microsoft Excel once commanded over 90% of the spreadsheet application market, it’s safe to say that its strength was a major factor in its becoming the dominant force.
Surprisingly, the first Windows version of Excel was actually called Excel 2, as there was a Version 1, which had been developed for the Mac, released in 1985. Since then, the application has grown stronger with each new version that is released offering new and improved features, some of which were revolutionary, but many of which were simply enhancements to previous features. For example, version 3, released in 1990, had many new features, including toolbars, drawing tools, 3D graphics, and more, while Excel 97 introduced innovations such as multiple undo and redo, autocorrect, and view mode. previous page break.
So, with the opposition resolved, the designers at Microsoft could sit back and reflect on a job well done, right?
Wrong.
If anything, they got even busier, and when version 12 came out, Excel 2007 was packed with great new features. It was much larger, featuring a staggering seventeen billion cells in each worksheet, the number of columns skyrocketing from 256 to 16,000. And if you were struggling to manage the 65,000 rows that Excel 2003 can handle, how would you feel if you had more than a million at your disposal?
Operation of Excel 2007 has also been made easier: while graphics have improved, the creation process has been simplified so that impressive images can be produced with just a few clicks. And after you’ve created those images, how about adding style with features like soft edges, metallic finishes, and bezels? It’s a world away from the bright, flat colors of early Excel charts.
So now we have Excel 2010 with its Sparklines and Slicers. As each new version continues to improve, one wonders what Excel 2050 will have to offer.
You can keep up with the latest developments in Excel and other Microsoft Office products by enrolling in a training course. After all, in today’s world of rapidly changing office technology, you have to be fit to survive.
