Although Mean Well DCAC Inverters are an extremely popular and useful electronic device today, they might not exist at all without the infamous War of Currents in the late 1880s.  

Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse began the battle between AC and DC power distribution systems.  Edison favored Direct Current, which was the standard in the United States.  At the time, Direct Current was what worked directly with incandescent light bulbs and storage batteries during the development of powerful generators.  DC seemed to be the natural choice, along with the fact that Edison wanted to protect his patents.  

Meanwhile, AC systems of the day distributed power through series-connected appliances, which meant that turning off one light would mean turning off everything on the same circuit.  But Westinghouse believed in a new technology: transformers that allowed for parallel connected power.  This would eliminate the problems that series connected systems created, and was an innovative investment in the electronic world.  In the end, the AC distribution system was more efficient over long distances and could transmit more information at a lower current.  

Of course, by the 1890's AC power distribution was the clear victor of the War of Currents, however DC systems still remain useful over small distances or when a battery or fuel cell is used, such as in cell phones, hybrid vehicles, and many transmitters and other electronics.

Today's Mean Well DCAC inverter can be traced back to the War of Currents, but it represents a compromise between the two, as it shows that society can still maintain the use of each type of current where it works best.