Before and After Milestones in Modern Computer History

A few weeks ago, I found myself in the audience, listening to an AI presentation from Justyna Bak. It struck me how the history of modern computing is a narrative of continual transformation, with groundbreaking innovations that have reshaped our world. In this post, I'd like to delve into the significant 'before and after' events in computer history that have had a profound impact on my life. What are the ones that have influenced yours?

Before and After the Internet

Before the Internet: The world was disconnected, communication was slower, and information was less accessible. People relied on traditional media like newspapers, radio, and television for information and communication.

After the Internet: The Internet revolutionized the world, connecting people globally. It transformed communication, commerce, and information sharing. Social media, online shopping, and instant access to information have become integral parts of our daily lives. I still remember the excitement of getting my first 28.8 Kbps modem.

Before and After Google

Before Google: Searching for information was a time-consuming process, often requiring trips to the library. Finding specific answers to questions was a challenge.

After Google: Google's search engine revolutionized information retrieval, making finding answers a matter of seconds. Google's suite of tools, such as Gmail and Google Maps, also transformed communication and navigation. I recall using various search engines, but when Google came along, it quickly outperformed them all.

Before and After the iPhone

Before the iPhone: Mobile phones were primarily used for calls and texting. The internet was accessible but not user-friendly on small screens.

After the iPhone: Apple's iPhone redefined smartphones, turning them into powerful mini-computers. The App Store created a vast ecosystem of apps, changing how we communicate, work, and entertain ourselves. I remember attending Apple hackathons with roommates and friends, and having a blast building new apps.

Before and After AI

Is AI a before and after event? We are still living it, history will tell.

Before AI: Computers could perform specific tasks, but they lacked true intelligence. AI was mostly confined to research labs.

After AI: AI has transformed industries, from healthcare to finance, with chatbots, self-driving cars, and predictive analytics. It's even become integrated into our daily lives with virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa. Today, with ChatGPT, even writing a post like this is a piece of cake; in fact, it wrote most of it. For the images I still used google :-)

There are numerous other 'before and after' moments I could think of, such as Before and After Social Media, Before and After Cloud Computing, Before and After E-Commerce, but perhaps those are topics for future posts.

In the meantime, I'm eagerly anticipating more groundbreaking innovations that will continue to transform our world. I can't wait to showcase the Before and After Tanzu at #VMwareExplore2023 in Barcelona. Sign up for my talk here.