Chronology of Events
in the
History of Microcomputers

1991

January

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Portable.
• RDI announces the availability of Macintosh emulation software for SPARC systems. [171.80]
• A judge rules that Mosaic Software infringed on Lotus Development's copyrights on Lotus 1-2-3.
• Macronix sues Nintendo, claiming Nintendo purposely changed its game machine architecture so that other vendors' cartridges would not work. [548.364]
• WordPerfect ships WordPerfect 2.0 for the Macintosh. [560.18]
• Sun Microsystems begins shipping the SPARCstation 2.
• Lotus Development abandons plans for Lotus MarketPlace: Households for the Macintosh, and withdraws Lotus MarketPlace: Business.
• Compaq Computer reports its first billion dollar quarter.
• Commodore releases the CDTV (Commodore Dynamic Total Vision) package. It features a CD-ROM player integrated with a 7.16-MHz 68000-based Amiga 500. List price is US$1000. [406.21] [411.30]
• Microsoft releases Microsoft Excel for Windows 3.0.
• After a year of delays due to technical difficulties, Motorola's 68040 microprocessor becomes available.

February

• Michael Ehman founds Sterling Solutions, to sell hard drives for the Macintosh. [423.75]
• MIPS Technologies unveils the R4000 RISC processor architecture.

March

• Sierra On-Line and Broderbund announce their intention to merge companies. [499.14]
• 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.
• Apple Computer unveils the TrueType font specification.
• NeXT announces availability of its Nextstation color computers for US$8000.
• Advanced Micro Designs releases its first clone chips of Intel's i386DX, the Am386DX, at speeds of 20- to 40-MHz.
• Advanced Micro Designs ships the 1-millionth Am386 microprocessor.
• Microsoft announces the Microsoft BallPoint Mouse, incorporating mouse and trackball technology in a pointing device for laptop computers.

April

• Intel introduces the 20-MHz i486SX microprocessor. The i486SX is like the 486DX, but without the math coprocessor. Price is US$258. Speed is 16.5 MIPS.
• The December 1990 dismissal of Ashton-Tate's lawsuit against Fox software over a copyright claim on the dBase language is reversed. [26] [548.345]
• 21 companies create the Advanced Computing Environment (ACE) Initiative. [113] [172.74] [174.14]
• NeXT ships the Nextstation and the NextStep v2.0 operating system.

May

• Apple Computer ships its System 7.0 Macintosh operating system, two years after its announcement, for US$100.
• AT&T and NCR sign a merger agreement.
• Lotus Development announces Lotus 1-2-3 for the Macintosh.
• 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. [170.66]

June

• Microsoft releases MS-DOS 5.0. 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 the 50-MHz 486 microprocessor. Speed is 41 MIPS. This new 486 employs 0.8-micron technology.
• Lotus Development wins its spreadsheet copyright lawsuit against Santa Cruz Operations, who is ordered to remove SCO Professional from the market within two months.
• Tandy introduces its low-cost CDR-1000 CD-ROM drive for PCs. At US$400, including drive and controller card, it is about half the price of other CD-ROM drives. [21] (MAR [527.15])

July

• Sega of America ships the Time Traveler holographic video game to arcade centers. [302.8]
• 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.
• Symantec ships Norton Desktop for Windows.
• 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.
• Advanced Micro Devices introduces the 25-MHz Am386SX.

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. [56]

September

• Intel introduces the 16-MHz i486SX microprocessor. Speed is 13 MIPS.
• Intel introduces the 25-MHz i486SX microprocessor. Speed is 20 MIPS.
• Intel introduces the 25-MHz 80386SL microprocessor. Speed is 5.3 MIPS.
• Digital Research Inc. releases DR DOS 6.0, for US$100. DR DOS 6.0 is the first PC operating system to include disk compression software. [43] [548.366]
• The PCMCIA card specification v2.x is released. [206.68]
• Chips & Technologies introduces the F8680 PC/Chip microprocessor. It is designed for use in notebook and handheld computers. The CPU is compatible with the Intel 8086 and Intel 80186. The chip also includes a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter, CGA-compatible display controller, and PCMCIA support, making it the most integrated chip ever produced to date. Price is US$45. [477.128]

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 and IBM create Kaleida, to create a hardware-independent multimedia scripting language.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Classic II (replacing the Macintosh Classic). It features a 16-MHz 68030, System 7.0.1, 2MB RAM, 40MB hard drive, B/W monitor, floppy drive, for US$1900.
• Apple Computer unveils the Macintosh PowerBook 100. It features a 16-MHz 68000 CPU, System 7.0.1, 20 MB hard drive, 9-inch passive matrix B/W supertwist LCD screen, 2 MB RAM, weighs 5.1 pounds, and costs US$2500.
• Apple Computer unveils the Macintosh PowerBook 140. It features a 16-MHz 68030 CPU, System 7.0.1, 20MB hard drive, supertwist B/W LCD screen, 2MB RAM, SuperDrive floppy drive, weighs 6.8 pounds, and costs US$2900.
• Apple Computer unveils the Macintosh PowerBook 170. It features a 25-MHz 68030 CPU, System 7.0.1, 40MB hard drive, active matrix B/W LCD screen, 4MB RAM, SuperDrive floppy drive, fax/modem, 68882 math coprocessor, weighs 6.8 pounds, and costs US$4600.
• Apple Computer unveils the Macintosh Quadra 700. It features a 25-MHz 68040, 8-bit color video, System 7.0.1, HyperCard, 4MB RAM, 512KB video RAM, SuperDrive floppy drive, and various hard driveoptions, for US$5700-7700.
• Apple Computer unveils the Macintosh Quadra 900. It features a 25-MHz 68040, 8-bit color video, System 7.0.1, HyperCard, 4MB RAM, 1MB video RAM, SuperDrive floppy drive, and various hard driveoptions, for US$7200-9200.
• Apple Computer introduces the OneScanner gray-scale page scanner, for US$1400.
• MIPS Technologies officially introduces the 100-MHz 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. [149]
• 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.
• Sega sues Accolade, claiming that Accolade should pay royalties to Sega for creating Sega titles, and that Accolade's games mislead people into thinking they were produced for or licensed by Sega. [548.364]

December

• Apple Computer ships QuickTime 1.0.
• IBM introduces the 20-MHz 386SLC microprocessor. It is an enhanced Intel 386SX, including an 8KB cache, and extra instructions. It is the first chip produced under an agreement between Intel and IBM, for IBM to use in their own systems.
• Lotus Development ships Lotus 1-2-3 for the Macintosh.

(month unknown)

• (summer) Ad Lib announces the Ad Lib Gold series of PC sound cards at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, Illinois. [302.112]

(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)

• Novell buys Digital Research.

(month unknown)

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

(month unknown)

• Intel recalls the 50-MHz version of the 486DX microprocessor, due to problems with overheating.

(month unknown)

• The Pearl Agency in Germany develops the first software vending machine. The machines allow the buyer to view a demo or product description before purchasing the software on a diskette. [544.30]

(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.

(month unknown)

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

(month unknown)

• Hewlett-Packard introduces its first color image scanner, the HP Scanjet IIc. The 400 dpi 24-bit flatbed scanner is priced at about US$2000. [413.157]

(month unknown)

• BlueMaq International introduces the Heat Seeker II, a souped-up Macintosh SE with 14-inch monochrome monitor, 85MB hard drive, 800KB floppy drive, 25-MHz 68030 plus 68882 math coprocessor, for US$7000. [413.167]

(month unknown)

• Adobe begins shipping Level 2 PostScript. [582.127]

(month unknown)

• Hayes Microcomputer Products announces LANstep, a network operating system for small offices.

(month unknown)

• Intel begins the design process of its sixth-generation processor, to follow the Pentium processor.

1992

January

• Apple Computer chairman John Sculley coins the term Personal Digital Assistant, referring to hand-held computers that typiclly operate via a stylus on a LCD display.
• 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

• Five years of arbitration with Intel ends, with Advanced Micro Devices being awarded full rights to produce and sell its Am386 line of processors.
• 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. [205.308]

March

• MIPS Technologies ships the 100-MHz R4000 processor.
• Apple Computer introduces the CD150 CD drive, replacing the AppleCD SC Plus.
• Bridgette is incorporated, created by Michael Ehman as a successor to Ehman, Inc., to sell Macintosh peripherals. [423.76]
• Apple Computer announces the Macintosh LC II, replacing the Macintosh LC in the US. The LC II uses a 16-MHz Motorola 68030, and comes with 4MB RAM, 256KB video RAM, and a 40MB hard drive, for US$1700. With 512KB video RAM, and an 80MB hard drive, the price is US$2050.
• 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.
• IBM ships OS/2 2.0. [477.165] [479.128]
• Quarterdeck Office Systems ships DESQview X.
• Intel and Microsoft announce the Advanced Power Management (APM) specification for laptop computers, which allows the system to shut down power to system resources not currently in use.
• Intel introduces the i486DX2 microprocessor, with clock speeds of 25/50-MHz (external/internal). For the most part, the DX2 is just a 25-MHz 486 that internally runs twice as fast. Price is US$550. Speed is 41 MIPS.

April

• Cyrix introduces the 25-MHz Cx486SLC microprocessor. It features an internal 32-bit data path, but with a 16-bit external data path. It includes a 1KB cache, but no coprocessor. Price is US$119.
• Ehman, Inc., a Macintosh peripherals company, closes, with US$4 million in debts. [423.75]
• Microsoft ships Windows 3.1. 1 million copies of the new and upgrade versions are sold through retail channels within the first 50 days.

May

• Apple Computer introduces the 33-MHz 68040-based Macintosh Quadra 950 (replacing the Quadra 900). It includes 8MB of RAM, 230/400MB hard drive options, and 24-bit video supporting 19-inch color monitors. Prices range from US$7200-9200.
• Sun Microcomputers' Sunsoft division introduces the Solaris 2.0 operating system for Intel-based PCs.

June

• Cyrix introduces the Cx486DLC microprocessor. It is comparable to Intel's i486, but with only a 1KB cache, and using only 600,000 transistors.
• Intel introduces the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local-bus standard for PC systems.
• Mass Microsystems begins shipping its FloptiPak 21 21MB Floptical drive for the Macintosh. Price is US$700. [423.117]
• 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.

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).
• Lotus Development wins a preliminary judgement over Borland International in its spreadsheet copyright suit. Borland International removes its Lotus 1-2-3 compatibility macros from Quattro Pro and releases it.

August

• The first version of the VESA VL-Bus standard for PCs is ratified. [545.358]
• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook 145, replacing the PowerBook 140. It features a backlit supertwist LCD display, 25-MHz 68030 processor, System 7 operating system, 4MB RAM, 40 MB hard drive, and weighs 6.8 pounds. Price is US$2149.
• The number of users of Apple Computer's System 7 reaches 4 million.
• Compaq Computer introduces its first printer, the Compaq Pagemqrq.
• Intel introduces the 33/66-MHz i486DX2 microprocessor. Speed is 54 MIPS.

September

• Intel introduces the 33-MHz i486SX microprocessor. Speed is 27 MIPS.
• Borland International ships Quattro Pro for Windows.
• Apple Computer launches the Performa Line, designed for mass merchandisers and superstores. The Performa 600 features a 32-MHz Motorola MC68030 processor, three NuBus slots, internal hard drive, SuperDrive 3.5-inch floppy drive, 4 MB RAM, and 512 KB video RAM.
• Apple Computer renames the Macintosh LC II the Performa 400.
• Apple Computer renames the Macintosh Classic II the Performa 200.
• IBM creates the IBM Personal Computer Company.
• Apple Computer receives its first PowerPC 601 processor for testing.
• IBM introduces the 20/40-MHz and 25/50-MHz 486SLC2 microprocessors. They feature a 16KB cache and optimized instruction set, but no internal math coprocessor, and only a 16-bit data path.
• NeXT ships NextStep v3.0.

October

• Intel introduces the 33-MHz 80386SX microprocessor. Speed is 2.9 MIPS.
• Cyrix announces the Cx486SLC/E processor.
• IBM and Motorola announce the PowerPC 601 microprocessors, in 50-MHz and 66-MHz versions.
• Cyrix introduces the clock-doubled Cx486DRu2 microprocessor.
• Apple Computer begins direct mail order sales.
• Apple Computer's "Cognac" project team first successfully boots up a prototype Power Macintosh using a Power PC 601 processor.
• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook 160. It features a 10-inch 16-grayscale backlit supertwist LCD display, 25-MHz 68030 processor, System 7 operating system, 4MB RAM, 512 KB video RAM, external monitor port, 40 MB hard drive, and weighs 6.8 pounds. Price is US$2429.
• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook 180, replacing the PowerBook 170. It features a 33-MHz 68030 processor, 68882 math coprocessor, 4MB RAM, and 80 MB hard drive. Price is US$3869.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh PowerBook Duo systems, consisting of a 4.2-pound portable computer, and a Macintosh Duo Dock desktop docking station.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh PowerBook Duo 210, featuring a 25-MHz Motorola MC68030 processor, 4 MB RAM, 80 MB hard drive, 640x480 grayscale 9.1-inch diagonal supertwist LCD screen, for US$2249.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh PowerBook Duo 230, featuring a 33-MHz Motorola MC68030 processor, 4 MB RAM, 80 MB hard drive, 640x480 grayscale 9.1-inch diagonal supertwist LCD screen, for US$2609.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh IIvx, which is a Macintosh Performa 600 with a 68882 math coprocessor and 32 KB of cache RAM.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh IIvi.
• IBM introduces its ThinkPad laptop computer, with a radical new pointer device.
• Sun Microsystems ships the 50-MHz Sun MicroSPARC processor.
• 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

• Quark ships QuarkXPress 3.1 for Windows. [581.112]
• Apple Computer announces QuickTime for Windows.
• Microsoft ships Microsoft Access Database for Windows.
• Digital Equipment unveils the 150-MHz Alpha 21064 64-bit microprocessor.
• Intel introduces the 486SL processor, designed for notebook computers. Speeds include 20-MHz (15.4 MIPS), 25-MHz (19 MIPS) and 33-MHz (25 MIPS). The processors can address 64 MB of physical memory, and 64 terabytes of virtual memory. They use 1.4 million transistors, employing 0.8-micron technology.
• 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)

• (fall) A US federal court rules that Advanced Micro Devices does not have the right to use Intel microcode in its microprocessors.

(month unknown)

• Outbound Systems ships the Outbound Notebook System 2030E. It features a 25-MHz 68030, 40-120MB hard drive, floppy drive, 4MB RAM, and weighs 6.25 pounds. Prices start at US$3300. [422.113]

(month unknown)

• Outbound Systems ships the Outbound Notebook System 2030S. It features a 33-MHz 68030, 40-120MB hard drive, floppy drive, 4MB RAM, and weighs 6.25 pounds. Prices start at US$3900. [422.113]

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer introduces its first personal digital assistant at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago.

(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)

• Microsoft buys the Foxbase company.

(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.

(month unknown)

• The Multimedia PC Marketing Council ups the requirements for MPC compliance to a 16-MHz 386SX processor. [601.77]

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer and Sharp announce an agreement to codevelop a personal digital assistant, based on Apple's software and Sharp's hardware.

(month unknown)

• Hewlett-Packard unveils the HP PainJet XL300 color thermal ink-jet printer. It supports PCL 5C and PostScript Level 2, and includes a LocalTalk connector, Centronics parallel port, and RS-232 serial port. The PC-compatible version has a list priceof US$3500. For the Macintosh, an extra US$2000 is required for PostScript and an additional 4MB of RAM.

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.
• Novell ships UnixWare.
• Cyrix announces the 486S processor.
• 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 introduces the Macintosh Color Classic, replacing the Macintosh Classic II. It features a Sony Trinitron 10-inch built-in color display (512x384 pixels), 4 MB RAM, 80 MB hard drive, 16-MHz 68030, 256 KB video RAM, for US$1389.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh LC III. It features a 25-MHz 68030, 80 MB hard drive, 4 MB RAM, 512 KB video RAM, and 14-inch monitor, for US$1349.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Centris 610. It features a 20-MHz 68LC040, 80 MB hard drive (optional 230 MB), 4 MB RAM (optional 8 MB), 512 KB video RAM (optional 1 MB), for US$1859.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Centris 650. It features a 25-MHz 68LC040 (optional 68040 with math coprocessor), 80 MB hard drive (optional 230 MB or 500 MB), 4 MB RAM (optional 8 MB or 24 MB), 512 KB video RAM (optional 1 MB), for US$2699.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Quadra 800. It features a 33-MHz 68040, 230 MB hard drive (optional 500 MB or 1 GB), 8 MB RAM (optional 24 MB), 512 KB video RAM (optional 1 MB), for US$4676.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh PowerBook 165c. It features a 33-MHz 68030, 68882 math coprocessor, 80 MB hard drive (optional 160 MB), 8.9-inch disgonal color passive-matrix LCD screen, 4 MB RAM (optional 14 MB), 512 KB video RAM, for US$3399. It weighs 7 pounds.
• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh IIci and the Quadra 700.
• Apple Computer ships the 10 millionth Macintosh computer.
• 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. Approximately 50,000 NeXT machines were built in total.
• The US Federal Trade Commission votes on whether to charge Microsoft with unfair trade practices. The vote is a tie. Another vote will be taken in following months.
• Digital Equipment announces the 200-MHz Alpha 21064 processor.
• Sun Microsystems ships the 50-MHz Sun SuperSPARC processor.

March

• Texas Instruments and Dell settle their lawsuit, with Dell paying cash royalties to Texas Instruments.
• Amstrad begins shipping the Amstrad Pen Pad PDA600 Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) in England. It is the first PDA to be shipped. The Pen Pad weighs under a pound, is 1 inch thick, and features a 240x320 resolution 3x4 inch screen. It uses a 20-MHz Zilog Z8S180 microprocessor, and can run for 40 hours on three AA batteries. It includes 128KB RAM, with a PCMCIA expansion slot for memory expansion to 2MB. [545.143]
• Lou Gerstner replaces John Akers as chairman of IBM.
• Intel introduces the Pentium processor. It uses 32-bit registers, with a 64-bit data bus, giving it an address space of 4 GB. It incorporates 3.1 million transistors, using 0.8-micron BiCMOS technology. Speeds are 60-MHz (100 MIPS) and 66-MHz (112 MIPS). Prices are US$878 (60-MHz) and US$964 (66-MHz).
• The Software Publishers Association reports that MS-Windows applications are outselling MS-DOS programs for the first time. [479.128]
• Apple Computer cancels project Tesseract, which was working on a RISC-based Macintosh. Project Cognac continues, which was working on an alternative RISC design.
• Microsoft introduces the MS-DOS 6.0 Upgrade, including DoubleSpace disk compression. 1 million copies of the new and upgrade versions are sold through retail channels within the first 40 days.
• Microsoft ships Microsoft Encarta, the first multimedia encyclopedia for a computer.

April

• Motorola Corp. ships the first PowerPC 601 chips. The processors use 2.8 million transistors, with 3 execution units.
• Compaq Computer, Intel, Microsoft, and Phoenix Technologies define the Plug and Play specification for PCs.
• Microsoft releases the OLE 2.0 specification for Windows development.
• 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.
• Novell ships NetWare 4.0.
• Advanced Micro Devices ships its first Am486 processors, the 40-MHz Am486DX, and the 25/50-MHz Am486DX2.

May

• Lotus Development ships Lotus Notes 3.0.
• IBM releases OS/2 2.1, now including Windows 3.1 support.
• Microsoft formally launches Windows NT 3.1.(July [548.159]) (July 1992 [387.98] [479.129])
• Apple Computer holds a developers conference, inviting software companies to test their applications on the PowerPC-based Macintosh. None of the applications tested broke the 680x0 emulator.
• The PCI Special Interest Group completes the version 2.0 specification of the PCI local-bus standard for microcomputers. [545.359] [549.201]
• NeXT ships NextStep v3.1 for Intel-based PCs.
• MIPS Technologies announces availability of the 150-MHz 64-bit R4400 RISC microprocessor.
• Sega and Accolade settle their lawsuit out of court. [548.364]

June

• The United States Environmental Protection Agency officially launches the Energy Star program. Together with 50 major PC manufacturers, the Energy Star guidelines are designed to reduce idle power use of computer system components. [600.26]
• Apple Computer expands its PowerBook line with the PowerBook 180c and 145B.
• U.S. District Court judge Vaughn Walker rules against Apple Computer in its 63-month legal suit against Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. The judge rules that 90% of the elements in Windows are covered by Microsoft's 1985 license from Apple Computer. Apple Computer files an appeal.
• Total sales of Apple Maqcintosh PowerBook Duo systems reaches 100,000. b[581.217]
• Digital Equipment ships the 200-MHz Alpha 21064 processor.
• John Sculley steps down as CEO of Apple Computer.
• Michael Spindler is appointed as CEO of Apple Computer.

July

• A fire destroys a Sumitomo Chemical Company plant in Japan. The plant had supplied 60% of the world's supply of cresol, used in memory chip casings. [535.42]
• The US Federal Trade Commission votes a second time on whether to charge Microsoft with unfair trade practices. Again, the vote is a tie.
• Apple Computer introduces the "AV" Macintosh systems, integrate telecommunications, video and speed technologies on the desktop for the first time.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Quadra 840AV. It features a 40-MHz 68040, AT&T 3210 DSP, 1 MB video RAM, System 7.1 operating system, QuickTime, 8 MB RAM, NuBus 90 expansion slots, 230 MB hard drive, for US$4069.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Centris 660AV. It features a 33-MHz 68040, AT&T 3210 DSP, 1 MB video RAM, 8 MBN RAM, and 230 MB hard drive.
• Microsoft begins shipping Windows NT Workstation 3.1, and Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1.
• 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

• Quark ships QuarkXPress 3.2 for Windows. [581.112]
• Sun Microsystems ships the 60-MHz Sun SuperSPARC processor.134]
• Apple Computer introduces the Newton MessagePad 100 personal digital assistant at Macworld Expo, in Boston's Symphony Hall. It features 640KB RAM, 3MB of ROM storing applications and the operating system (Newton Intelligence), a low-voltage 20-MHz 32-bit ARM 610 microprocessor, 240x336 resolution LCD screen, PCMCIA expansion socket, data transfer of 9600bps, and runs on four AAA batteries. 50,000 units sell in the first 10 weeks, but only 80,000 are sold during the product's life.
• IBM creates the Ambra Computer Corporation, a subsidiary of the IBM PC Company, to sell a new low-cost line of PCs.
• The US Federal Trade Commission decides to cease investigating Microsoft for unfair trade practices. The US Department of Justice begins its own antitrust investigation of Microsoft.
• Microsoft reports first US$1 billion sales quarter.
• Conner Peripherals sues IBM for infringing on five of its patents. IBM countersues Conner Peripherals for infringement on nine of its patents.
• IBM demos its first PowerPC RS/6000 workstation.
• A U.S. Federal Court judge rules in favor of Lotus Development in its copyright infringement lawsuit against Borland International. Borland International stock falls to US$7 per share, from a one time high of US$82.
• Apple Computer loses its appeal of the ruling in favor of Microsoft in June, ending its legal battle against Microsoft Windows.
• Apple Computer ships the Apple PowerCD, a portable CD-ROM drive that supports audio CDs and Kodak Photo CDs as well.
• Compton's New Media Incorporated receives a patent on multimedia search and retrieval technology, from the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. Compton's New Media then issues a statement claiming that anyone wishing to sell information in a multimedia format must pay them a license fee. [99] [468.8] [548.355]

September

• The 1992 Joint Development contract between IBM and Microsoft, in which each company had access to the other's source code for OS/2 and Windows, expires.
• Symantec acquires Fifth Generation Systems, maker of backup and security utilities for various operating systems.
• Berkeley Systems sues Delrina over Delrina's "Death Toasters" in the Opus N' Bill Screen Saver program. [548.378]
• Gateway 2000 introduces the industry's first VESA VL-bus system.
• Cyrix begins shipping the Cx486DX microprocessor.
• Motorola begins volume shipments of the PowerPC 601 chip.
• 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.
• IBM and Motorola introduce the 80-MHz version of the PowerPC 601 processor.
• IBM and Motorola introduce the 66- and 80-MHz version of the PowerPC 603 processor.
• Sun Microsystems ships the 85-MHz and 110-MHz MicroSPARC II processors.
• Atari sues Sega for patent infringement. [548.364]
• Apple Computer renames the Macintosh Centris 610 as the Macintosh Quadra 610. It features a 25-MHz 68040, Ethernet port, 8 MB RAM, 160 MB hard drive, and 512 KB video RAM.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh LC 475. It features a 25-MHz 68LC040, 80 MB hard drive, 4 MB RAM, 512 KB video RAM, 14-inch monitor, for US$1299.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Performa 475. It features a 25-MHz 68LC040, 160 MB hard drive, 4 MB RAM, 512 KB video RAM, and 14-inch monitor.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Performa 476. It features a 25-MHz 68LC040, 230 MB hard drive, 4 MB RAM, 512 KB video RAM, and 14-inch monitor.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Performa 460. It features a 33-MHz 68030, 80 MB hard drive, 4 MB RAM, 512 KB video RAM, and 14-inch Performa Display monitor, for US$1300.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Performa 466. It features a 33-MHz 68030, 160 MB hard drive, 4 MB RAM, 512 KB video RAM, and 14-inch monitor.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Performa 467. It features a 33-MHz 68030, 160 MB hard drive, 4 MB RAM, 512 KB video RAM, and 14-inch monitor.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Performa 550. It features a 33-MHz 68030, 160 MB hard drive, 5 MB RAM, 768 KB video RAM, and 14-inch monitor.
• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh LC 520. It features a 25-MHz 68030, 80 MB hard drive, 5 MB RAM, 768 KB video RAM, internal CD-ROM, and 14-inch monitor.
• Apple Computer renames the Centris 650 as the Quadra 650, with a 33-MHz 68040, 8 MB RAM, 230 MB hard drive, and 512 KB video RAM.
• Apple Computer introduces the Quadra 605. It features a 25-MHz 68LC040, 80 MB or 160 MB hard drive 4 MB RAM, and 512 KB video RAM.
• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook Duo 250. It features a 33-MHz 68030, 4 MB RAM, 200 MB hard drive, 9-inch 640x400 85 dpi grayscale active matrix LCD screen.
• Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook Duo 270c. It features a 33-MHz 68030, math coporcessor, 4 MB RAM, 240 MB hard drive, 8.4-inch 94 dpi 640x400 16-bit color active matrix LCD screen. Weight is 4.8 pounds.
• Apple releases System 7 Pro.
• Advanced Micro Devices introduces the 66-MHz Am486DX2.
• WordPerfect releases WordPerfect for Macintosh 3.0. b[583.55]
• Microsoft ships Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

November

• IBM releases OS/2 2.1 for Windows.
• Apple Computer demonstrates a Macintosh Quadra 610 with an Apple-designed 486SX board, running MS-DOS, at Comdex.33]
• 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 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. [123]

December

• Borland International files an appeal of the August 1993 court ruling in its legal battle with Lotus Development over Quattro Pro compatibility with Lotus 1-2-3.
• Samsung Electronics Canada introduces its SyncMaster GL series of 14-, 15-, and 17-inch high-performance "green" monitors. [600.27]
• Lotus Development wins a preliminary judgement over Borland International in its spreadsheet copyright suit. Borland International removes its Lotus 1-2-3 compatibility macros from Quattro Pro and releases it.
• SunSoft (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)

• (mid) Wang Laboratories sues Microsoft, claiming that Microsoft's OLE technology infringed on Wang Laboratories technology.

(month unknown)

• (summer) 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. The requirements are: a 486 processor, 160MB hard drive, double speed XA-ready multisession-capable CD-ROM drive, 16-bit sound card, and a 16-bit SuperVGA video card capable of 65,000 colors in 640x480 resolution. [501.87]

(month unknown)

• Novell buys Unix System V.

(month unknown)

• A Sixth District Court of Appeals overturns Advanced Micro Devices' 1992 win against Intel, claiming that the arbitrator had exceeded his jurisdiction.

(month unknown)

• Commodore Business Machines stops producing Intel-based personal computers. [600.21]

(month unknown)

• Spectrum HoloByte acquires MicroProse Software. [601.112]

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer licenses its PowerPC Macintosh operating system ROMs to DayStar Digital.

(month unknown)

• IPC Corporation of Singapore acquires Austin Computer Systems. [504.44]

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer renames the Macintosh Centris 660AV as the Macintosh Quadra 660AV. [581.92]

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh TV, which combines a 32-MHz 68030-based Macintosh with a 14-inch color TV. The system includes 5MB RAM, 160MB hard drive, AppleCD 300i CD-ROM drive, and 512KB RAM.

(month unknown)

• WordStar International buys ZSoft. [548.433]

(month unknown)

• The VESA group begins working on version 2.0 of its VL-Bus design. [545.359]

(month unknown)

• Cyrix ships the Cx486DRx2 processor in 16/32-, 20/40-, and 25/50-MHz versions. The chips replace the Intel 386DX processors. Prices are US$300-400.

(month unknown)

• Microsoft releases FoxPro 2.5 for Windows.

(month unknown)

• Work begins on SCSI-3. [543]

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh IIvx.

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh IIvi.

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Performa 600.

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Quadra 800.

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Performa 400.

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Performa 405.

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Performa 430.

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Performa 450.

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Performa 200.

(month unknown)

• Nintendo rereleases the Nintendo Entertainment System with an improved cartridge slot. [292]

(month unknown)

• Apple Computer runs its "1984" TV ad in Russia.

End of 1991-1993 - Maturity