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[1926-1970][1971-1976][1977-1980][1981-1983][1984-1986][1987-1990][1991-1993][1994-1996][1997-1998]

1991

January

• Apple Computer discontinues the Mac Portable.
• RDI announces the availability of Mac emulation software for SPARC systems.
• A judge rules that Mosaic Software infringed on Lotus Development's copyrights on Lotus 1-2-3.
• Sun Microsystems begins shipping the SPARCstation 2.
• Compaq Computer reports its first billion dollar quarter.
• Microsoft releases Microsoft Excel for Windows 3.0.
• After a year of delays due to technical difficulties, Motorola's 68040 microprocessor becomes available.

February

• MIPS Technologies unveils the R4000 RISC processor architecture.

March

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh IIcx.
• IBM spins off its entire printer and typewriter division to a New York investment firm. The company Lexmark is born.
• NeXT announces availability of its Nextstation color computers for US$8000.
• Advanced Micro Devices releases their 386DX/40 CPU.
• Microsoft announces the Microsoft BallPoint Mouse, incorporating mouse and trackball technology in a pointing device for laptop computers.

April

• Intel debuts the i486SX chip, initially at 20-MHz, and the i487SX math coprocessor. The i486SX is like the 486, but without the math coprocessor.
• The December 1990 dismissal of Ashton-Tate's lawsuit is reversed.
• 21 companies create the Advanced Computing Environment (ACE) Initiative.
• NeXT ships the Nextstation and the NextStep v2.0 operating system.

May

• Apple Computer releases its System 7.0 Macintosh operating system, two years late, for US$100.
• AT&T and NCR sign a merger agreement.
• Apple Computer releases the Apple Stylewriter, a modified Canon BubbleJet inkjet printer, using new TrueType font technology.
• Apple Computer announces QuickTime software, for integration of dynamic media for Macintosh computers.
• Microsoft announces Microsoft Visual BASIC for Windows.
• Businessland posts a loss of US$43 million, and files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

June

• Microsoft DOS 5.0 is released. It adds a full-screen editor, undelete and unformat utilities, and task swapping. GW-BASIC is replaced with Qbasic, based on Microsoft's QuickBASIC.
• Intel introduces its 50-MHz 486 chip.
• Tandy introduces its low-cost CD-ROM drive for PCs. At US$400, including drive and controller card, it is about half the price of other drives.

July

• Sega of America ships the Time Traveler holographic video game to arcade centers.
• Apple Computer and IBM sign a technology sharing agreement, to integrate the Mac into IBM's enterprise systems, to allow future RISC-based Macs to use IBM's Power PC chip, to work together on common multimedia standards, and to cooperatively produce a new object-oriented operating system.
• Borland International buys database competitor Ashton-Tate for US$440 million.
• Microsoft vice president Brad Silverberg quote: DOS will be "with us forever. We've learned how passionate people are about DOS.".
• Sun Microsystems introduces the SPARCstation ELC, and the SPARCstation IPX.
• Microsoft changes the name of OS/2 v3.0 to Windows NT.

August

• Symantec acquires Zortech Inc., maker of C++ compilers for DOS, Windows, OS/2, Macintosh, and UNIX.
• The ban on business is lifted on the Internet.

September

• Digital Research Inc. releases DR DOS 6.0, for US$100.
• Apple Computer, IBM, and Motorola agree to develop PowerPC, PowerOpen, and a Taligent operating system.
• The PCMCIA card specification v2.x is released.

October

• Apple Computer, Motorola, and IBM officially sign an accord on technology sharing. Apple and IBM will jointly develop the PowerOpen Specification, based on IBM's AIX operating system.
• Apple Computer launches the largest product introduction in its history. Products include the Macintosh Classic II (replacing the Macintosh Classic), Macintosh Quadra 700 and 900, and Macintosh PowerBook 100, 140, and 170.
• MIPS Technologies officially introduces the R4000, its 64-bit RISC processor.
• Quote from IBM's Lee Reiswig: "We will be enhancing OS/2 until the late 1990s."
• Insite Technology begins shipping its 21 MB 3.5-inch floppy disk drive to system vendors. The drive uses "floptical" disks, using optical technology to store data.
• Sun Microsystems begins licensing the new chipset used in the SPARCstation 2.

November

• IBM and Intel sign a 10-year joint development agreement to create a series of integrated processors.
• Microsoft announces the Multimedia Edition of Microsoft Works 2.0 for Windows, on CD-ROM.

December

• Apple Computer ships QuickTime 1.0.

(month unknown)

• (summer) Ad Lib announces the Ad Lib Gold series of PC sound cards at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, Illinois.

(month unknown)

• The US Federal Trade Commission begins an investigation of Microsoft Corp., for alleged monopolistic practices in the PC software market.

(month unknown)

• Quote by Aaron Goldberg, of International Data Corp.: "I don't know if anyone has tried to run Windows on a 286 machine, but frankly I'd rather have knitting needles in my eyes.".

(month unknown)

• S3 introduces the 911 graphics chip, incorporating GUI acceleration with VGA compatibility.

(month unknown)

• Commodore unveils the Amiga 3000UX, with a Motorola MC68030 25-MHz processor, 68882 math coprocessor, UNIX System V Release 4, Open Look, and Ethernet support. Cost is US$5000, without a monitor.
• Amiga 3000 (image).

(month unknown)

• MIPS Technologies introduces the 64-bit R4000 RISC processor.

(month unknown)

• Creative Labs introduces the Sound Blaster Pro Deluxe, the first stereo PC sound card.

1992

January

• IBM reports a year-end loss, for the first time, of US$564 million, on revenues of US$64.8 billion.
• NeXT announces that a version of the NextStep OS will be made for Intel PCs.

February

• The PowerOpen Association is formed, with the goal of producing specifications for an open software/hardware platform that can run all UNIX, DOS/Windows (via emulation), and Macintosh applications.

March

• Apple Computer announces a powerful new Macintosh LC II, replacing the Macintosh LC.
• Microsoft launches its first TV advertising campaign, for Windows.
• Microsoft buys Fox Software for 1.36 million shares of Microsoft's common stock.
• Apple Computer and IBM found Taligent, to work on a platform-independent operating system.
• Intel announces clock doubler technology for its microprocessors, allowing CPU MHz speeds to continue increasing, without requiring faster motherboard components.
• Intel debuts the 486DX2 CPU.

April

• Microsoft ships Windows 3.1.

May

• Apple Computer introduces the 33-MHz 68040-based Macintosh Quadra 950 (replacing the Quadra 900).
• Sun Microcomputers' Sunsoft division introduces the Solaris 2.0 operating system for Intel-based PCs.

June

• IBM and Microsoft sign a "divorce" document, allowing source code sharing for current versions operating systems up to September 1993.
• Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates receives a National Medal of Technology for Technical Achievement from US President George Bush.
• In June 1992,Kaypro's proceedings were converted to Chapter 7 liquidation to satisfy some $20 million in claims.
• Kaypro 2 computer (image).

July

• Apple Computer discontinues the PowerBook 100.
• Advanced Micro Devices begins work on a fifth-generation x86 processor (in the class of Intel's Pentium chip).

August

• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook 145, replacing the PowerBook 140).
• The number of users of Apple Computer's System 7 reaches 4 million.
• Compaq Computer introduces its first printer, the Compaq Pagemqrq.

September

• Apple Computer launches the Performa Line, designed for mass merchandisers and superstores.
• IBM creates the IBM Personal Computer Company.
• NeXT ships NextStep v3.0.

October

• Apple Computer begins direct mail order sales.
• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook 160.
• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook 180, replacing the PowerBook 170.
• Apple Computer announces the Macintosh Duo Systems, 210 and 230.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh IIvx and IIvi.
• IBM introduces its ThinkPad laptop computer.
• One year after the introduction of Apple Computer's PowerBook, sales of US$1 billion make it the first personal computer to break that threshold.
• Microsoft ships Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1, which integrates networking and workgroup functionality.

November

• Apple Computer announces QuickTime for Windows.
• Microsoft ships Microsoft Access Database for Windows.
• Digital Equipment unveils the Alpha 21064 64-bit microprocessor.
• Hewlett-Packard announces an expansion of its HP 9000 series, with the midrange Model 735 workstation for US$37,400, deskside Model 755 for US$59,000, as well as low-end Model 715/33 for US$5,000 and Model 725/50 for US$17,900.
• Sun Microsystems announces the low-end SPARCclassic workstation for US$4300 and high-end SPARCcenter 2000 multi-processor server.

December

• Apple Computer discontinues the Apple IIgs.
• Novell buys AT&T's UNIX Systems Laboratories, gaining all rights to the UNIX source code, for US$150 million.

(month unknown)

• Novell purchases Digital Research Inc. for US$80 million.

(month unknown)

• Creative Labs introduces the Sound Blaster 16 with Advanced Signal Processor, a 16-bit stereo PC sound card.

(month unknown)

• Commodore introduces the Amiga 600: 4096 colors, stereo sound, full pre-emptive multitasking operating system (Workbench 2.05), PCMCIA slot, Motorola 68000 CPU, for a base price of $500.

(month unknown)

• Hewlett-Packard introduces the HP LaserJet 4 laser printer.

1993

January

• Apple Computer shows off test versions of its Newton Personal Digital Assistants at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show.
• IBM reports a year-end loss, of US$4.96 billion, on revenues of US$64.5 billion. This is the highest single-year loss for any US company in history.
• Stac Electronics files a lawsuit against Microsoft over inclusion in MS-DOS 6.0 of file compression, which it claims infringes on Stac's patents.

February

• Apple Computer makes its largest product announcement in its history, and makes it in Japan: the Macintosh Color Classic, Macintosh LC III, Macintosh Centris 610 and 650, Macintosh Quadra 800, and PowerBook 165c.
• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh IIci and the Quadra 700.
• Apple Computer ships the 10 millionth Macintosh computer.
• Early Macintosh (image).
• IBM announces nine new systems in its RS/6000 line, priced between US$4000 and US$25000.
• NeXT announces that it will drop its hardware line, to focus on becoming a larger player in the object-oriented software industry.
• The US Federal Trade Commission decides to take no action against Microsoft, after two years of investigating complaints of anticompetitive behavior. The US Department of Justice begins its own antitrust investigation of Microsoft.

March

• Intel introduces its 60-MHz Pentium processor. It uses 32-bit registers, with a 64-bit data bus, and incorporates 3.2 million transistors. Initial price is US$878.
• Microsoft introduces the MS-DOS 6.0 Upgrade, including DoubleSpace disk compression.
• Microsoft ships Microsoft Encarta, the first multimedia encyclopedia for a computer.

April

• Motorola Corp. ships the first PowerPC 601 chips.
• Apple Computer demonstrates a prototype Macintosh running on an 80-MHz PowerPC 601 processor.
• Microsoft reports that there are 25 million licensed users of Microsoft Windows.
• Gateway 2000 ships its 1 millionth PC.

May

• IBM releases OS/2 v2.1.
• Microsoft formally launches Windows NT 3.1.
• NeXT ships NextStep v3.1 for Intel PCs.
• MIPS Technologies announces availability of the 150-MHz 64-bit R4400 RISC microprocessor.

June

• Apple Computer expands its PowerBook line with the PowerBook 180c and 145B.
• Apple Computer's 63-month legal suit against Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard comes to a close, as a US District Court judge throws out Apple Computer's remaining claim.
• John Sculley steps down as CEO of Apple Computer.
• Michael Spindler is appointed as CEO of Apple Computer.

July

• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Quadra 840AV and Macintosh Centris 660AV. These computers integrate telecommunications, video and speed technologies on the desktop for the first time.
• The US Federal Trade Commission decides to take no action against Intel, after three years of investigating complaints of forcing exclusive dealing practices.
• IBM introduces its clock-tripled 25/75MHz Blue Lightning 486-based processor.
• Digital Equipment creates the Digital Personal Computer Business unit, to focus on PC sales.

August

• Apple Computer's Newton MessagePad is introduced at Macworld. 50,000 units are sold in the first 10 weeks.
• IBM creates the Ambra Computer Corporation, a subsidiary of the IBM PC Company, to sell a new low-cost line of PCs.
• Microsoft begins shipping Windows NT.
• Microsoft reports first US$1 billion sales quarter.
• IBM demos its first PowerPC RS/6000 workstation.
• Lotus Development wins its copyright infringement lawsuit over Borland International, but the decision is overturned in 1995.
• Compton's New Media Incorporated receives a patent on multimedia search and retrieval technology, from the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. The Office reversed the decision a year later, annulling the patent.

September

• Symantec acquires Fifth Generation Systems, maker of backup and security utilities for various operating systems.
• Gateway 2000 introduces the industry's first VESA system.
• IBM debuts and ships its first PowerPC-based RS/6000 systems, the RS/6000 Model 250, using a single PowerPC 601 chip.

October

• John Sculley announces his resignation from Apple Computer.
• Motorola produces the first copies of the PowerPC 603, the second chip in the PowerPC family.
• Apple Computer announces Macintosh TV, which combines an Apple Macintosh, television, and CD-ROM.
• NEC Technologies unveils the first triple-speed (450KBps) CD-ROM drive.
• Apple Computer renames the Centris 610 and 650 as Quadras.
• Apple Computer introduces the Quadra 605.
• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook Duo 250, and 270c.

November

• Apple Computer quietly discontinues the Apple II product line. In its 17 year history, 5 million units were shipped.
• Sales of Apple Computer's PowerBook series hits the 1 million mark.
• Microsoft ships Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
• Microsoft releases MS-DOS 6.2.
• Benny S. Lee, of Everex Systems, Inc. is sentenced to one year in prison for manufacturing and selling counterfeit MS-DOS software. This is the first time a prison sentence is handed down for software counterfeiting in the U.S.

December

• SunSoft Incorporated (a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems) ships the first version of WABI, providing Microsoft Windows application compatibility on Solaris, Intel, and Sparc versions of UNIX.
• IBM posts a year-end loss of US$8.1 billion, on total sales of US$62.7 billion.

(month unknown)

• Compaq Computer, Intel, Microsoft, and Phoenix Technologies define the Plug and Play specification for PCs.

(month unknown)

• Nintendo rereleases the Nintendo Entertainment System with an improved cartridge slot.
• Nintendo Entertainment System (image)

End of 1991-1993

[1926-1970][1971-1976][1977-1980][1981-1983][1984-1986][1987-1990][1991-1993][1994-1996][1997-1998]