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1995-09-07
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History of Microcomputers
Chronology of Events
in the
History of Microcomputers
This chronology is maintained as this HTML document, and also in a
plain text form, by Ken Polsson.
This list is a collection of product announcements and delivery dates from
various sources, mainly computer magazines and newspapers. I have a large
bookshelf of Byte, PC Magazine, PC World, Info World, and others that I am
slowly searching through.
Feel free to
send me comments and suggestions, preferably with references.
Last updated: 1995 JUL 28
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
References are numbered in [brackets], which can be found at the end
of this document.
1948
???
John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Schockley of Bell
Labs file for a patent on the first transistor. Transistors,
which are small, reliable, and produce little heat, took the
place of vaccuum tubes in computers. [9]
[*]The first transistor (42K GIF)
1959
JUL
Fairchild Semiconductor files a patent application for the
planar process for manufacturing transistors. The process
made commercial production of transistors possible and led to
Fairchild's introduction, two years later, of the first
integrated circuit.
???
Texas Instruments unveils the first integrated circuit. [9]
1962
JUN
Teletype ships its Model 33 keyboard and punched-tape
terminal, used for input and output on many early
microcomputers.
???
Ivan Sutherland creates a graphics systen called Sketchpad.
[30]
1964
???
John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz develop the BASIC programming
language. [9]
1967
JUN
The first Consumer Electronics Show is held in New York City.
1969
???
Intel announces a 1 KB RAM chip, which was significantly
larger than any that had been produced before. [9]
1971
NOV
Intel introduces its 4004 chip - the first microprocessor.
Initial price is US$200. Speed was 60,000 operations per
second. [9] (1970 [106])
1972
NOV
Intel releases its 8008 chip, the first 8-bit microprocessor.
Speed of operation is 300,000 instructions per second. It
accesses 16KB of memory. [9] [106]
Atari is founded by Nolan Bushnell, and ships Pong, the first
commercial video game. [9] [30]
1973
MAY
Design completed on the Micral, the first non-kit computer
based on a microprocessor (the Intel 8008). Built in France,
the Micral was advertised in the U.S., but not successful
there.
JUN
The term "microcomputer" first appears in print, in reference
to the Micral.
???
Scelbi Computer Consulting offers the 8008-based Scelbi-8H
computer kit, for US$565 with 1KB RAM. [9]
1974
APR
Intel releases its 8080 chip, an early industry-standard
8-bit microprocessor. Its 75 instructions achieve an average
throughput of 3 MIPS, accessing a huge 64KB of memory. [9]
[41] [108]
JUL
Radio Electronics magazine runs a feature article on building
your own microcomputer - the Mark-8.
AUG
Motorola introduces its 6800 chip, an early 8-bit
microprocessor used in microcomputers and industrial and
automotive control devices.
???
Gary Kildall develops the CP/M operating system. [9]
SEP
Creative Computing, the first magazine for home computerists,
is founded. [9]
???
Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie develop the C programming
language. [9]
???
The RCA 1802, running at a blazing 6.4 MHz appears,
considered one of the first RISC chips. [32]
1975
JAN
Home computer excitement begins with an article in Popular
Electronic on the MITS Altair 8800, the first machine to be
called a "Personal Computer." It was based on the Intel 8800
chip. [9] [106]
[*]Front panel of Altair 8800 computer (6K JPG)
[*]Altair 8800 with top cover removed (5K JPG)
APR
Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft. [41]
JUN
MOS Technology announces the MC6501 at US$20 and the MC6502
at US$25. At this point, the Intel 8080 costs about US$150.
[9]
???
MITS announces availability of BASIC for its Altair 8800.
The BASIC was written by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. [9]
???
MOS Technology announces the KIM-1 microcomputer (6502 CPU,
1KB RAM, 2KB ROM monitor, keypad, LED readout, cassette and
serial interfaces) for US$245. [9]
SEP
IBM announces the IBM 5100, a briefcase-size computer with
BASIC, 16KB RAM, tape storage, for US$9000. [9]
The first issue of Byte magazine is published. [9]
???
Paul Terrell opens the Byte Shop, in Mountain View,
California, one of the first computer stores in the US. [34]
1976
MAR
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs finish work on a computer
circuit board, that they call the Apple I. [46]
[*]Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs with the original
Apple computer (33K GIF)
APR
The Apple Computer Company is formed, on April Fool's Day.
[9] [46]
The National Semiconductor SC/MP 8-bit microprocessor
appears, providing early advanced multiprocessing. [32]
MAY
Digital Research copyrights CP/M, its industry-standard
microcomputer operating system, created by company founder
Gary Kildall. [41]
JUN
The Western Digital MCP-1600 3-chip CPU appears. [32]
The Texas Instruments TMS 9900, one of the first true 16-bit
microprocessors, appears. [32]
JUL
The Apple I board is sold in kit form, are delivered to
stores by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Price: US$666.66.
[46]
Zilog releases the Z-80, an 8-bit microprocessor whose
instruction set is a superset of the Intel 8080. [32] (early
1975 [9])
AUG
iCOM advertises their "Frugal Floppy" in BYTE magazine, an 8"
floppy drive, selling for US$1200. [9]
???
Steve Wozniak proposes that Hewlett-Packard create a personal
computer. Steve Jobs proposes the same to Atari. Both are
rejected. [9]
DEC
Michael Shrayer writes Electric Pencil, the first popular
word-processing program for microcomputers. [9]
Shugart announces its 5.25" "minifloppy" disk drive for
US$390. [9]
???
Atari is sold to Warner Communications for US$26 million.
[30]
???
Wang word processing is introduced, becoming the standard
for corporate America. [33]
1977
JAN
Apple Computer is incorporated. [46]
FEB
Computer Shack opens its first store. They later changed
their name to ComputerLand. [9]
APR
Commodore Business Machines Inc. unveils its PET computer
(6502, 4KB RAM, 14KB ROM, keyboard, display, tape drive) for
US$600. [9] (March [41])
The Apple II debuts, featuring 6502 CPU, 4KB RAM, 16KB ROM,
keyboard, 8-slot motherboard, game paddles, graphics/text
interface to color display, for US$1300. [9] [41] [46]
JUN
Camp Retupmoc, the first week-long computer camp, is held in
Terre Haute, Indiana. [9]
Apple II computers are shipped to Europe by independent
distributor Eurapple. [46]
AUG
Tandy/Radio Shack introduces the TRS-80, later dubbed the
TRS-80 Model I (Z80 CPU, 4KB RAM, 4KB ROM, keyboard, display,
cassette) for US$600. [9] (June [41])
1978
FEB
The first major microcomputer bulletin board, run by Ward
Christensen and Randy Seuss, goes online. [9]
JUN
Intel rel