The 1980s :: Technology and Computing's Evolution

• 1980 :: The first optical storage disk appears. Capable of holding five times the data of a 5 1/4" floppy, it was developed by Philips and originally stored data burned on a disk that could not be overwritten. Two years later an erasable version was produced, combining the capacity of an optical disk with erase and rewrite. IBM creates OS/2. The Commodore VIC-20 is released. SuperCalc is invented, making it's debut with the Osborne-1 computer a year later.
• 1981 :: MS-DOS debuts, created by then-startup Microsoft. IBM releases the IBM PC, which was powered by the Intel 8088 processor. The Osborne-1, the first portable computer, is introduced. Apollo Computers introduces the first workstation, the DN100. It featured more power than conventional pc's. WordPerfect is first developed.
• 1982 :: Time names the computer the Machine of the Year in a twist of their popular "Man of the Year". Disney debuts Tron to audiences. The Cray XMP is built using two Cray systems. The Elk Cloner (aka Apple II virus) is written. It is believed to be the first known virus in the wild. The Commodore 64 is released.
• 1983 :: Compaq produces the first clone of the IBM PC, running the same software. Microsoft announces Word and Windows, although Windows doesn't actually appear for another two years. The original version of Word was included in the Nov. issue of PC World magazine. The MIDI [ Musical Instrument Digital Interface ] is introduced. It became an industry standard interface for music synthesizers. The Apple Lisa is introduced. Lotus Software releases Lotus 123 and it becomes the hottest spreadsheet of it's day. The first version of Novell Netware is released. Bundled with it is Snipes, one of the first network games.
• 1984 :: Sony introduces the 3 1/2 inch floppy disk. The Apple Macintosh is released, featuring a graphical user interface. IBM introduces the PC-AT, based on the Intel 80286 chip. It sold for about $4000 and included more RAM and 5 1/4 inch floppy drive. The novel Neuromancer is published, which coins the term "cyberspace". Cisco Systems is founded. X Windows is developed at MIT. Dell Computer is created as PCs Limited.
• 1985 :: Windows 1.0 ships in November. The CD-ROM appears. AOL begins as Quantum Computer Services. C++ emerges as the dominant object oriented language in the computer industry. Produced by AT&T Bell Labs, it was born out of a need for something faster than Simula. ATI Technologies is founded. Commodore introduces the Amiga 1000. The first .com domain is registered by Symbolic Computers. The Cray-2 is released.
• 1986 :: The invention of the Connection Machine was a step forward in A.I. It used multiple processors working together to work faster than any other of it's time. Compaq releases the Deskpro 386, the first machine based on the Intel 80386 chip. It possessed the speed and power of earlier mainframes and introduced 32 bit architecture, paving the way for graphical operating systems such as Windows and IBM PS/2. IBM releases the PC Convertible. Apple releases the Macintosh Plus.
• 1987 :: IBM releases the PS/2 machine, it's first system based on the Intel 386. It made the 3.5" floppy and VGA standard on IBM PC's. They also released the OS/2 operating system, which introduced the mouse to IBMs for the first time. Perl (Practical Extaction and Reporting Language) is posted on Usenet.
• 1988 :: Pixar Studios' "Tin Toy" becomes the first computer animated film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The company created groundbreaking software, Renderman, for the creation of 3-D scenes. The first public worm is released on the internet by 23 year old Robert Morris. The Brain virus surfaces.
• 1989 :: Silicon Graphics introduces Virtual Reality at the Siggraph's convention. Quantum Computer Services becomes AOL. Cliff Stoll's The Cuckoo's Egg is published. Kevin Mitnick becomes the first high profile computer hacker. The first switch, the EtherSwitch was introduced.