Killer app
A killer app is a program or service so useful or appealing that it single-handedly drives mass adoption of a technology, platform or device
What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.
What it is and how it works
The classic example is the VisiCalc spreadsheet, which in the late 1970s led many businesses to buy personal computers just to use it. Email, web browsing and instant messaging on mobile phones are also often cited. The Spanish term aplicación asesina is a literal translation.
By extension, it is used for any product or feature that changes the rules of a sector and becomes the main reason to adopt something new. The label is usually applied with hindsight: predicting what will become a killer app is far harder.
Also known as
killer application
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