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Killer application

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A killer application (commonly shortened to killer app) is a computer program that is so useful or desirable that it proves the value of some underlying technology, such as a gaming console, software, operating system, or piece of computer hardware. A killer app substantially increases sales of the hardware that supports it.

Human Language Technology

Human Language Technology (HLT) or Natural Language Processing was invented in 1978 at the Eyring Research Institute (ERI) and powered-up the top killer applications known to mankind, computers used for human language processing/communications. The creation of the Weidner Multilingual Word Processor, later to become the SDL Enterprise Translation Server (www.freetranslation.com ), lead to WordPerfect word-processing software and Novell networking software and the Human Language Parser built for the government to be used in the creation of the Internet and associated communications software.

Around the time of the release of the IBM PC pre-1981 computers were generally considered to be devices for government, industry and hobbyists. But the one program that gave just about everyone in the consumer market an excuse for purchasing an IBM PC or clone computer was the ability to use a computer as a (human language) communications tool. At first it was the ability to type, check, edit, save and print words, but later it was networked computers for e-mail and the Internet.

WordPerfect for DOS compelled many to purchase the IBM PC.

The advent of the WordPerfect word-processing software, based on HLT, is generally recognized as the killer application that brought computers into the consumer market. In the 1980s and 1990s WordPerfect was recognized as the world-wide market leader in word-processing software. In the early 1990s Microsoft Word began to offer its version of word-processing software based on a copy of Human Language Technology obtained through Lernout and Hauspie.

Novell’s communications technology made available to the public the technology that was being programmed for the ARPANET. This killer application was also part of the Human Language Technology project being programmed at ERI.

ERI spawned many high-tech spin-offs, including WordPerfect, Novell, and Dynix in computers and some in the military and communication areas that have all benefited the world. (The Life of Frank Carlyle Harmon, written by Cleo Harmon, wife of the Director and Administrative Secretary at Eyring Research Institute, published 1999)

Spreadsheets

VisiCalc, the earliest generally agreed example of a killer application.

One of the first examples of a killer application is generally agreed to be the VisiCalc spreadsheet on the Apple II platform (e.g. ). The machine was purchased in the thousands by finance workers (in particular, bond traders) on the strength of this one program. The next example is another spreadsheet, Lotus 1-2-3. Sales of IBM's PC had been slow until 1-2-3 was made public; the IBM became the best-selling computer only a few months after Lotus 1-2-3's initial release.

A killer app can provide an important niche market for a non-mainstream platform. Aldus PageMaker and Adobe PostScript gave the graphic design and desktop publishing niche to the Apple Macintosh in the late 1980s, a niche it retains to this day despite the fact that PCs running Windows have been capable of running versions of the same applications since the early 1990s.

Trends

File:Masterchiefshoot.jpg
Bungie Studios' Halo compelled many to purchase the Xbox.

There have been a number of new uses of the term. For instance the usefulness of e-mail drew many people to use computer networks, while the Mosaic web browser is generally credited with the popularization of the World Wide Web and hence the Internet. The term has also been applied to computer and video games that cause consumers to buy a particular video game console or gaming hardware. Nintendo 64 saw much success with the releases of Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The Game Boy saw Tetris, and following Game Boy iterations saw the highly successful Pokémon series. Software developers of new platforms now tend to focus considerable effort into discovering or creating the next "killer app" for a given technology.

Selected applications for computer systems

Selected applications for gaming consoles

See also

Further reading

  1. D.J. Power, A Brief History of Spreadsheets, DSSResources.COM, v3.6, 08 August 2004
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