Turbo Pascal, one of the greatest relics from the early years of software development, has reached the whopping age of 40. For many, it may not feel so long ago when this tool was crucial for programming, but time takes its toll, and the 40 years of Turbo Pascal are a clear testament to that.
No, Turbo Pascal has nothing to do with the actor under the armor of Din Djarin, the Mandalorian. It is, rather, one of the oldest programming tools, which even shaped Windows or Macintosh systems during their early years. Now it’s turning 40, and surely many veteran programmers will fondly remember the times of programming with this old tool.
40 years of legacy
Turbo Pascal is a software development tool designed for the programming language of the same name. Created for Pascal programming, this Borland tool was one of the major contributors that expanded the possibilities of the Pascal language through the advancements made by Turbo Pascal. However, technology advances, and in the nineties, Turbo Pascal reached its evolutionary limit.
A long time ago, Turbo Pascal was discontinued as a service, but the legacy it left behind is more than evident. Embarcadero Delphi took up the torch, which still stands as a relevant tool for multi-platform development. In fact, its most recent version is from this very year 2023, indicating that it is still going strong, ready to serve as a useful and effective tool.
The future: Windows 12
If we take a look into the future, we can see how Windows 11 continues to settle while rumors of Windows 12, the next version of the world’s best known operating system, begin to grow. The current version has already shown many of its qualities and advances in both services and products, where Artificial Intelligence has begun to be a key element.
There are still many unknowns around Windows 12 and what is the concept that will prevail in its design and applications, but if it follows the path that is currently marking Windows 11, there is no doubt that AI will be one of its bases and improvements in user quality of life will be a more than clear objective, especially after a system like Windows 11 that, for many users, proved to be more uncomfortable than Microsoft expected.
