1981

Microsoft creates GW-BASIC, the version 5 of MS-BASIC. New features: take advantage of 16-bit processor, allows creation of color graphics, windows and ports, music, etc.

1981

Microsoft bought in July all rights to the 86-DOS from Seattle Computers System.

1981

Bill Gates released MS-DOS version 1 operating system in August. Used 160 Kb memory and a single sided floppy disk.

1981

Microsoft creates version 5 of GW-BASIC that takes advantage of 16-bit processor environment.

1981

CP/M has a base of 200,000 units installed worldwide.

1981

IBM released the first personal computer named IBM-PC with DOS operating system and Intel microprocessor priced at 3000 U$

1981

Xerox Corp. introduced a new computer, the Xerox Star, which used for the first time a mouse device. It has also the Small talk programming language and Ethernet connectivity. It is considered to be the first to introduce the GUI concept.

1981

Apple introduced Apple III for 3500 USD but was a disaster.
Initially the machine suffered a nearly 100 % failure rate and almost dragged down the company.

1981

Adam Osborne releases Osborne 1 Portable. It includes a Z-80 microprocessor, a 5" display, 64 Kb RAM, Keyboard, two serial ports, two 5.25" Disk Drives.

1981

Warner Anex., Atari and CompuServe announce cable TV information service.

1981

Hayes introduced Smartmodem 300 which became the industry standard.

1981

Internet consists of 256 computers.

1981

IBM's Colour Graphic Adapter (CGA) video card is introduced.

1981

Creative Technology was founded in Singapore. It will become a leader producer of sound-cards.

1981

IBM sold 65,000 units of their first PC by end of the year.

1982

Lotus introduced Lotus 1-2-3 specifically designed for PC. It runs 10 times faster than any computer program. Will become a best seller.

1982

dBASE II released.

1982

Peter Norton Computing introduces the Norton Utilities.

1982

Sun Microcomputers is founded and releases SunOS operating system based on Unix 4.2 BSD and 4.3 BSD

1982

DEC releases ULTRIX a version of Unix based on Unix BSD

1982

MS-DOS ver. 1.1 in June. Provided support for double-sided 320-Kb floppy disks.

1982

Microsoft Quick BASIC revolutionized BASIC and legitimized it as a serious development language for the DOS environment. Quick BASIC is a compiled language. Microsoft started to ship an interpreted version of this with each version of DOS called GW-BASIC.

1982

John Warnock and Chuck Geschke from Xerox founded Adobe company.

1982

Mitchell Kapor founded Lotus Development Corp.

1982

IBM ship IBM PC-XT personal computer based on Intel 8088 processor and PC-DOS operating system. It come with 10 Mb Hard Disk, 16 Kb RAM (max. 256 Kb), 40 Kb ROM, two internal drivers, Keyboard, Display with 720x350, RS232 interface. Price: 5000 U$

1982

Epson America HX-20 becomes the first laptop computer. It used a CMOS version of the 6801, 16 Kb RAM and a small display.

1982

Compaq Computers is founded and starts with first IBM -PC clone.

1982

The first DEC's Alpha microprocessor that runs at 150 MHz can address 16 GB memory and support up to 8-Mb secondary cache.

1982

Columbia Data Products announces the first IBM -PC clones the MPC. Compaq and Corona join it.

1982

The first mouse device for IBM-PC is introduced but at the time it was not software available.

1982

Van Suwannukul invented Hercules Graphic adapter card.

1982

Jim Clark founded Silicon Graphics Inc. He resigned in 1994 to start up Netscape Inc.

1982

In 1982 Apple was the main personal computer company with 26.6 % of the market, followed by Radio Shak's Tendy with 23.3% and IBM with 17.3%. Total over 3 mil. units were sold.

1983

Novell introduces NetWare, the first File Server LAN operating system.

1983

MS-DOS ver. 2.0 introduced in March on IBM PC/XT computers. Supports for 10 Mb Hard Disks, 360-Kb double-sided floppies, hierarchical disk directories and international symbol sets.

1983

Microsoft announces Word.

1983

Borland Int. announces Turbo Pascal for CP/M and 8088 machines. A very fast, efficient and popular compiler for Pascal. It's the first development tool who uses the IDE (Interactive Development Environment).

1983

Microsoft announces Windows but it not reaches the market for two years.

1983

AT&T released System V release 1.

1983

Michael Cowpland (from UK) founded in Canada Corel Corporation.

1983

Hewlett Packard releases first version of HP-UX a Unix version.

1983

MS-DOS ver. 2.1. Support for half height floppy disk drive.

1983

MS-DOS ver. 2.25. Provides support for extended ASCII characters.

1983

Microsoft and Digital Research release the first C compiler for microcomputers.

1983

C++ appears. Bjorne Straustrup at Bell Labs created it. It's a general-purpose language, which support of data abstraction and object-oriented programming.

1983

Operating Systems market in US: 1. CP/M, 2. MS-DOS, 3. UCSO p-System from Softech Microsystems.

1983

In January Apple Lisa, the first personal computer with GUI (Graphical User Interface) capabilities. It was based on 32-bit Motorola 68000 and was priced at 10,000 U$.

1983

Commodore 64 will become a very popular home computer and very cheap one. It comes with a sound chip, colour graphics, a serial interface, 64 Kb RAM and Motorola 6510 processor. Commodore 128 who has 128 Kb RAM and CP/M Op. System followed it.

1983

TCP/IP becomes the standard Internet protocol.

1983

Iomega introduces the first Bernoulli Box, an innovative removable disk drive.

1983

Compaq goes public and 6 million shares are sold in one day.

1983

Apple ships the one-millionth computer in June.

1983

Philips and Sony announced the first CD-ROM drive.

1983

Microsoft introduces its own two-button mouse device for PC.

1983

Bitnet news network is developed at the City University of New York.

1984

The first integrated package from Lotus: Symphony

1984

The second integrated package on the market Framework from Ashton-Tate.

1984

dBASE III. New features: can open more than one file at a time, incl. a command processing language which let the user create complex database and reports along with screens that ask questions when input is needed.

1984

Post Script page description language developed.

1984

IBM released a Unix version called IX/370.

1984

MS-DOS ver. 3.0 introduced in August on IBM PC/AT computers. Supports 20 Mb Hard Disk, 1.2 Mb floppies (5 ¼")

1984

MS-DOS ver. 3.1 in November. Addition LAN network system.

1984

Microsoft claims an installed base of 2 million machine licensed to run the various versions of its BASIC interpreter.

1984

Over 100,000 Unix installations worldwide and more than 400 applications running on Unix based systems.

1984

In January Apple introduce Macintosh series of personal computers with dynamic memory (DRAM), a graphics API (Quick Draw), a global clipboard, 3.5" floppy drive, 128 Kb RAM, used Motorola 68000 processor, had built-in 9" monitor. Price : 2500 U$

1984

IBM released IBM PC-AT series of personal computers based on Intel 80286 and DOS 3.0 operating system. It has 6 MHz clock speed, 16-bit bus, 20 Mb HDD, 1.2 Mb Floppy Drive, EGA graphics of 640x350 res. in 16 colors. Price : 5470 U$

1984

1000 hosts on the Internet.

1984

Hewlett-Packard showed off its new laser printer called "Laser Jet" and priced at ~ 3500 U$. Is the first low-cost laser printer suitable for office use.

1984

Commodore Business Machines buys Amiga Corp.

1984

Top computer companies by revenue in 1984: 1. IBM, 2. Apple, 3. Tandy, 4. Compaq, 5. Hewlett-Packard

1984

13% of the US households have a computer.