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Computers
IBM introduced its PC, igniting a fast growth of the personal computer market.
The first PC ran on a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 microprocessor and used Microsoft's
MS-DOS operating system.
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Software & Languages
The MS-DOS, or Microsoft Disk Operating System, the basic software for the
newly released IBM PC, established a long partnership between IBM and
Microsoft, which Bill Gates and Paul Allen had founded only six years earlier.
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Osborne I
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Computers
Adam Osborne completed the first portable computer, the Osborne I, which
weighed 24 pounds and cost $1,795. The price made the machine especially
attractive, as it included software worth about $1,500. The machine featured
a 5-inch display, 64 kilobytes of memory, a modem, and two 5 1/4-inch floppy
disk drives.
In April 1981, Byte Magazine Editor in Chief Chris Morgan mentioned the Osborne
I in an article on "Future Trends in Personal Computing." He wrote:
"I recently had an opportunity to see the Osborne I in action. I was
impressed with it's compactness: it will fit under an airplane seat. (Adam
Osborne is currently seeking approval from the FAA to operate the unit on board
a plane.) One quibble: the screen may be too small for some people's
taste."
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Apollo DN100
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Computers
Apollo Computer unveiled the first work station, its DN100, offering more power
than some minicomputers at a fraction of the price. Apollo Computer and Sun
Microsystems, another early entrant in the work station market, optimized their
machines to run the computer-intensive graphics programs common in engineering.
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