Before 1944
1944 - 1971
1972 - 1981
1981 - 1990
1990 - 1998
Memories
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MIPS Technologies unveils the R4000 RISC processor architecture.IBM gets rid of its printer and typewriter operation to a New York investment firm.Advanced Micro Designs introduces the Am386DX.Lotus Development announces Lotus 1-2-3 for the Macintosh.Apple Computer announces QuickTime software for integration of dynamic media for Macintosh computers.Microsoft releases MS-DOS 5.0.Intel introduces the 50-MHz 486 microprocessor.Microsoft changes the name of the operating system shared with IBM called OS/2 v3.0 to Windows NT 3.0.The ban on business is lifted on the Internet.Apple Computer ships its System 7.0 Macintosh operating system for US$100.The PCMCIA card specification v2.0 is released.Microsoft and others announce the Multimedia PC (MPC) standard.Apple Computer, Motorola, and IBM officially sign an accord on technology sharing.Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Classic II.Apple Computer unveils the Macintosh PowerBook 100.MIPS Technologies officially introduces the 100-MHz R4000, its 64-bit RISC processor.IBM and Intel sign a 10-year joint development agreement to create a series of integrated processors.The Pearl Agency in Germany develops the first software vending machine.Creative Labs introduces the Sound Blaster Pro Deluxe, the first stereo PC sound card.Hewlett-Packard introduces its first color image scanner, the HP Scanjet IIc.Pixar begins work with the Walt Disney Company on a full-length computer animated film.Intel introduces the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local-bus standard for personal computer systems.
Microsoft stock reaches US$113 per share, making Bill Gates the richest man in the United States.NEC introduces the first double-speed CD-ROM drive.Microsoft launches its first TV advertising campaign, for Windows.Intel and Microsoft announce the Advanced Power Management (APM) specification for laptop computers.Intel introduces the i486DX2 microprocessor, with clock speeds of 25/50-MHz (external/internal).Microsoft ships Windows 3.1.IBM and Microsoft sign a "divorce" document.Advanced Micro Devices begins work on a fifth-generation x86 processor (in the class of Intel's Pentium chip).Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook 145.Intel introduces the 66-MHz i486DX2 microprocessor.Intel introduces the 66-MHz OverDrive chip as a companion to the 486SX/33.Digital Equipment unveils the 150-MHz Alpha 21064 64-bit microprocessor.Novell buys Unix Systems Laboratories from AT&T, gaining all rights to the Unix source code.Novell purchases Digital Research Inc. for US$80 million.Creative Labs introduces the Sound Blaster 16, a 16-bit stereo PC sound card.
IBM reports a year-end loss of US$4.96 billion.NeXT announces that it will drop its hardware line.Pinnacle Micro introduces the RCD-202 recordable CD-ROM drive.Apple Computer ships the 10 millionth Macintosh computer.Digital Equipment announces the 200-MHz Alpha 21064 processor.Intel introduces the Pentium processor.The Software Publishers Association reports that MS-Windows applications are outselling MS-DOS programs for the first time.Sun Microsystems, Novell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and the Santa Cruz Operation announce that they will work together toward a unified Unix operating system standard.Compaq Computer, Intel, Microsoft, and Phoenix Technologies define the Plug and Play specification for PCs.Microsoft formally launches Windows NT 3.1.The PCI Special Interest Group completes the version 2.0 specification of the PCI local-bus standard for microcomputers.The United States Environmental Protection Agency officially launches the Energy Star program.Apple Computer introduces the Newton MessagePad 100 personal digital assistant at Macworld Expo.PC Gamer, the first computer magazine devoted totally to computer gaming, begins publication.Corel completes its purchase of Ventura Software.Compton's New Media Incorporated receives a patent on multimedia search and retrieval technology.Gateway 2000 introduces the industry's first VESA VL-bus system.Novell transfers the Unix trademark to the international X/Open standards organization.Apple Computer discontinues the Apple II line of computers.Benny S. Lee, of Everex Systems, Inc. is sentenced to one year in prison for manufacturing and selling counterfeit MS-DOS software.The Multimedia PC Marketing Council sets the MPC Level 2 standard, dictating the minumum configuration required of a PC to run MPC-2 class software.Commodore Business Machines stops producing Intel-based personal computers.
Silicon Graphics co-founder leaves to start Mosaic Communications.Microsoft releases Microsoft Windows 3.11.Apple Computer introduces QuickTime 2.0, with interactive television, music and full-screen video support.Apple Computer unveils and ships its first computers based on the PowerPC 601 processor.Apple Computer releases MacOS System 7.1 and later 7.5.Apple Computer introduces QuickTake 100, the first 24-bit color digital camera for under US$1000.Intel ships its 100-MHz IntelDX4 435 processor.Novell buys WordPerfect Corporation for US$850 million.Aldus and Adobe Systems announce plans to merge the two companies.Commodore International and Commodore Electronics, components of Commodore Business Machines, file for voluntary liquidation.Mosaic Communications releases Netscape Navigator 1.0, a world-wide web browser.The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decides to reject all 41 of Compton's New Media Incorporated's patent application's claims.Apple Computer delivers the DOS Compatible Card.Microsoft is granted a trademark to the name "Windows" for software products.Microsoft releases MS-DOS 6.22, with disk compression under the name DriveSpace.Borland International sells its Quattro Pro spreadsheet to Novell for about US$140 million.Digital Equipment Corporation formally introduces its next-generation Alpha AXP processors.The International Telecommunications Union ratifies the 28.8Kbps V.34 modem standard.U.S. Robotics ships the Courier v.34 28.8Kbps modems. List price: US$329 internal, US$349 external.IBM introduces the Aptiva line. They are built to replace the PS/1 line and are aimed at the home PC market.Microsoft announces and ships Windows NT Workstation 3.5 and Windows NT Server 3.5.IBM formally launches OS/2 Warp version 3.Seagate Technologies announces the first disk drive and interface achieving a transfer rate of 100 MB per second.Apple Computer, Motorola, and IBM announce that they will create a computer platform to run all major operating systems, except Microsoft Windows.Cyrix announces the M1 next-generation x86 processor.Intel confirms that about 2 million Pentium chips have been shipped with a defective floating-point unit.Apple Computer demonstrates a PCI-based Power Macintosh using a 120-MHz PowerPC 604 processor.WordStar International, Spinnaker Software, and SoftKey Software Products merge companies.Number Nine Computer Corp. ships the first PC video board using a 128-bit accelerator chip.Iomega Corp. introduces its Zip drive and Zip disks, floppy disk sized removable storage in sizes 100MB.The SCSI-2 standard is finalized.
Apple Computer ships QuickTime VR.Radius Incorporated demonstrates the first Power Macintosh clone.Compaq Computer reaches worldwide number one PC marketshare position.Apple Computer signs a licensing agreement with three companies, allowing them to produce Macintosh compatible computers.IBM releases PC DOS 7.At an auction in New York, ESCOM buys all rights, properties, and technologies of Commodore.Microsoft asks Netscape Communications to agree to not develop Netscape Navigator for Windows 95 and successors. Netscape refuses.Intel introduces the P6 processor, to be called the Pentium Pro.Intel announces the immediate availability of the 133-MHz Pentium processor.Apple Computer introduces the first commercial color laser printer, the Color Laser Printer 12/600PS.Iomega introduces the Jaz line of high capacity removable cartridge drives.Microsoft releases Windows NT v3.51.U.S. Robotics begins shipping enhanced Courier V.Everything modems capable of transmitting data at up to 33.6Kbps.Cyrix announces the 100-MHz CX5x86 microprocessor.Microsoft releases Windows 95.Microsoft introduces Office 95.A unified standard for DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) technology is announced.Diamond Multimedia Systems acquires modem maker Supra, for cash and stock worth US$54 million.Intel introduces the 83-MHz Pentium OverDrive processor, for replacement in 33-MHz 486DX and 486DX2/66 systems.Seagate Technologies and Conner Peripherals agree to a US$1.1 billion merger.Digital Equipment announces its Alpha 21164 processor running at 333-MHz.Novell announces its decision to exit from the personal productivity applications business.Amiga Technologies ships the A4000T microcomputer.Intel announces the Pentium Pro microprocessor at speeds of 150-, 180-, and 200 MHz.Sun Microsystems introduces new Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 workstations, based on the 64-bit UltraSparc microprocessor.IBM, Apple, and Motorola release the PowerPC Platform specifications, called the Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP).Sony Electronics introduces its 32-bit game system, PlayStation.Sega introduces the 32-bit game system, Saturn.
Advanced Micro Devices and NexGen complete their merger, with AMD paying US$623 million for NexGen.Intel announces the immediate availability of the 66/166-MHz Pentium processor.Corel purchases WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, and the PerfectOffice application suite from Novell for US$180 million.Intel renames the P7 processor Merced.Advanced Micro Devices and Intel sign a five-year patent cross-license agreement.Santa Cruz Operations releases SCO UnixWare 2.1.Silicon Graphics buys Cray Research, at a cost of about US$765 million.Corel releases Corel WordPerfect Suite 7, and Corel Office Professional Suite.Netscape Communications releases Netscape Navigator 2.02.Microsoft releases the first real version of Microsoft Internet Explorer, 2.0.Intel introduces the 200-MHz Pentium processor, in small quantities. Price is US$599.Digital Equipment ships 366-MHz and 400-MHz versions of its Alpha 21164 microprocessor.Nintendo announces the Nintendo 64, a 64-bit console system.Microsoft releases Windows NT 4.0.Microsoft releases Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0.Microsoft unveils Windows CE operating system for hand-held PCs.Seagate Technology introduces the Cheetah ST19101 9.1 GB, a 10,000 RPM hard disk drive.Enorex Microsystems introduces the Enorex Ultra PC line of Digital Equipment Alpha processor-based workstations.Microsoft unveils Microsoft Office 97 at Fall Comdex.Apple Computer buys Steve Jobs' NeXT Software company for about US$425 million in cash and Apple stock.Digital Equipment announces availability of the 500-MHz Alpha 21164 processor.At the Microprocessor Forum, Advanced Micro Devices announces the K6 processor.At the Microprocessor Forum, Cyrix announces the M2 processor.
Microsoft buys WebTV for US$425 million.Steve Jobs announces an investment of US$150 million from Microsoft.Apple Computer releases the Mac OS 8.0.Apple announces it will only sell computers via the CompUSA retail chain adn online via the Apple Store.Netscape Communications releases the Netscape Communicator suite, which includes Navigator 4.Motorola announces it is leaving the Macintosh market.The U.S. justice department asks a federal court to hold Microsoft in contempt.Sun Microsystems takes legal action against Microsoft for using non-standardized Java in Internet Explorer 4.Apple announces the G3 processor, which is twice as fast as a comparably megahertz-rated Pentium II chip.
Compaq buys Digital Equipment for US$9.6 billion.Microsoft ships Windows 98.Netscape announces that it will make its source code available to anyone who wants it.Value of internet stocks such as Yahoo! and Infoseek skyrocket.Apple Computer ceases development of its Newton operating system and Newton OS-based products.Apple Computer releases the iMac.Intel releases the Pentium II 300, 333, 400, 450, and faster processors to the market.
