References are numbered in [brackets], which can be found at the end of this document. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2001 January 5.

1985

January

• At the Winter CES, Commodore Business Machines unveils the Commodore 128 Personal Computer. It functions as three computers in one: a complete Commodore 64, a CP/M mode, and a new 128 KB mode. [8] [342.6] [343.14] [804.18]
• Atari introduces the 520ST: 512 KB RAM, 192 KB ROM, 512 color graphics, MIDI interface, and mouse for US$600. [343.14] [335.18] [357.7]

February

• Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak resigns from Apple Computer, to start a company that will develop home video products. [46] [75]

(month unknown)

• CD-ROM drives are introduced for computer use. [849.18]

July

• Commodore Business Machines unveils the new Amiga 1000 in New York. It features a multitasking, windowing operating system, using a Motorola 68000 CPU, with 256 KB RAM, and 880 KB 3.5-inch disk drive, for US$1300. [16] [187] (US$1200 [190.81]) (Fall 1985 [814.30])
• NEC Home Electronics introduces its NEC JC-1401P3A Multisync monitor, the first multisyncing monitor. [582.91] [909.230] (1986 [109])

August 22

• Microsoft and IBM sign a joint-development agreement to work together on future operating systems and environments. [45] [106] [123] [346.267] [909.230]

September

• Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs resigns from Apple Computer. [16] [46] [75] [346.213] [346.268] [734.11,73]

October

• Intel introduces the 16 MHz 80386DX microprocessor. It uses 32-bit registers and a 32-bit (16 MHz) data bus, and incorporates 275,000 transistors (1.5 microns). Initial price is US$299. It can access 4 gigabytes of physical memory, or up to 64 terabytes of virtual memory. [41] [75] [176.74] [177.102] [296] [347.61] [477.125] [540.64] [62] [690.94] [879.116] [900] [940.106] [947.102]

November 20

• Microsoft ships Microsoft Windows 1.0, for US$100. It is delivered two years after the initial announcement of the product. [16] [107] [117] [120] [123] [130] [134] [146] [477.159] [548.159] [909.230] [1089.D3] (v1.01 [136] [346.192]) (v1.03 [346.187] [346.268])

1986

January

• At the Winter CES, Berkeley Softworks introduces GEOS for the Commodore 64. [814.38] (spring [804.19]) (1984 [909.236])

June

• At the Summer CES, Commodore Business Machines announces the Commodore 64C, bundled with GEOS. [804.19] [805]

September

• Little-known company Advanced Logic Research announces the first Intel 386-based PC, the Access 386 PC. [16] [620.123] [909.231]
• Compaq Computer introduces the first 16 MHz Intel 80386-based PC, the Compaq Deskpro 386. [31] [41] [108] [117] [203.87] [346.197] [346.269] [620.123]
• Apple Computer introduces the Apple IIGS, with the Apple 3.5 drive, for US$1000. It uses the Western Design Center W65C816 (65816) microprocessor, operating at 1 MHz or 2.8 MHz. [46] [75] [120] [199.1] [218] [593.350]

1987

January

• At the Winter CES, Commodore Business Machines announces the Amiga 500. It features a 68000 processor, 512 KB RAM, floppy disk drive, and custom chips for animation, video, and audio. [16] [442.40] [804.19] [814.22]
• At the Winter CES, Commodore Business Machines announces the Amiga 2000. [16] [804.19] [814.22]

March

• Apple Computer introduces the open architecture Macintosh II. It uses a 16 MHz 68020 processor. The basic system sells for US$3900. A system with 1 MB RAM, one 800K floppy drive, and a 40 MB hard drive is priced at US$5500. The system features a plug-and-play architecture for expansion cards. [16] [41] [46] [75] [120] [140] [203.68] [593.350] [597.94]
• Apple Computer introduces the expandable Macintosh SE. It uses a 8 MHz 68000 processor, and comes with 1 MB of RAM. A dual floppy system sells for US$2900. With a 20 MB hard drive, price is about US$3800. [16] [46] [75] [120] [593.350] [597.94]

April 1

• IBM and Microsoft announce Operating System/2 (OS/2) for the IBM PS/2 computer line. [16] [31] [41] [123] [130] [146] [150] [346.200] [346.269] [379.256] [389.28] [415.59] [858.70] [909.231]

April

• IBM introduces the IBM Personal System/2 (PS/2) line, with IBM's first 386 PC, and 3.5-inch floppy drives as standard. The PS/2 Model 30 uses a 8 MHz 8086, the Model 50 and 60 use the 10 MHz 80286, and the Model 80 uses a 20 MHz 80386. [35] [75] [116] [120] [203.27] [205.34] [330.132] [346.199] [346.269] [415.59] [620.124] [618.285]
• IBM unveils its Video Graphics Array (VGA) in its Model 50 and higher of the PS/2 line. VGA offers 256 simultaneous colors at a resolution of 320x200, and 16 colors at 640x480. The colors displayed have six bits of depth for each primary color, giving a palette of 262,144 different colors to select from. [116] [120] [346.199]
• IBM introduces its Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) on its Model 50 and higher of the PS/2 line. [116] [346.199] [346.269] [415.59] [522.165]

(month unknown)

• IBM discontinues the IBM PC line. [203.28]
• Andrew Tanenbaum releases the Minix operating system for the PC, Macintosh, Amiga, and Atari ST. It is a free version of Unix with complete source code. [835.169]
• Motorola unveils the 68030 microprocessor. [120]

October

• Microsoft unveils the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for Windows, the first major application for Windows. [119] [123] [346.204] [389.28] [477.159] [909.230] [1049.147] (November [346.270])

November

• IBM reports that it has shipped 1 million PS/2 systems. [327.26]

December

• Microsoft ships the one millionth copy of Windows. [346.270]
• Microsoft releases OS/2 1.0. Code name during development was CP DOS. It requires an 80286 and 3 MB RAM. It includes a DOS-compatibility box. [346.270] [379.256] [858.71] [909.231]

1988

January

• To date, over 7 million Commodore 64 and 128 computers have been sold. [806.12]
• Spectrum Holobyte introduces Tetris for the PC, the first entertainment software imported from the Soviet Union. [307.98]

February

• Compaq Computer reports sales for the year reach US$1.2 billion, setting the record as the fastest company to reach that mark. [113]

May

• Lotus Development ships the four millionth copy of Lotus 1-2-3. [346.270]

June

• Intel introduces the 16 MHz 80386SX microprocessor, like the 80386 but with a 16-bit data bus. Price is US$219 each, in quantities of 100. Speed is 2.5 MIPS. [177.103] [296] [477.126] [540.64] [62] [627.82] [879.117]

(month unknown)

• Digital Research transforms CP/M into DR DOS. [478.3]
• NEC Technologies introduces the 4.2-pound NEC UltraLite laptop PC, the first "subnotebook". It features a stylus for input, and handwriting recognition. [582.92] [646.53] [698.49] (1989 [310.161])
• Syquest introduces its SyQuest storage cartridge system to the Macintosh market. [612.209]

July

• IBM ships DOS 4.0. It adds a shell menu interface and support for hard disk partitions over 32 MB. [31] [146]

September

• Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh IIx computer, using Motorola's 16 MHz 68030 and 68882 processors. Base price is US$7770 with a 1.4 MB SuperDrive floppy drive, and 4 MB RAM, or US$9200 including an 80 MB hard drive. [46] [75] [593.350] [597.95]

October

• Steve Jobs of NeXT Inc. unveils the first NeXT computer, at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. For US$6500, it features: 25 MHz Motorola 68030 processor and 68882 math coprocessor, 8 MB RAM, 17-inch monochrome monitor, 256 MB read/write magneto-optical drive, and object-oriented NeXTSTEP operating system. It is dubbed the "Cube" because its system box measures 1 foot on all sides. [139] [170.65] [191.76] [203.7] [206.289] [344] [346.280] [734.14,162,166] (August [11])

October 31

• Microsoft and IBM ship OS/2 1.1 Standard Edition with Presentation Manager. Code name during development was Trimaran. [16] [45] [123] [134] [135] [313.105] [379.256] [477.160] [522.41] [620.125] [778.113] [909.231] (November [858.71])

1989

January

• Commodore Business Machines announces that 1 million Amiga computers have been sold. [412.6] (March [638.6])

April

• Intel announces the 25 MHz 486 microprocessor at Spring COMDEX in Chicago, Illinois. It integrates the 386, 387 math coprocessor, and adds an 8 KB primary cache. It uses 1.2 million transistors, employing 1-micron technology. Initial price is US$900. Speed is 20 MIPS. Bus speed is 25 MHz. [16] [75] [176.75] [177.103] [296] [310.8] [312.8] [540.64] [62] [620.131] [879.117] [900] [940.106] [947.102] [954.4] [1064.146] (US$950 [477.126] [690.94])

September

• Apple Computer announces the Macintosh Portable, featuring a 16 MHz Motorola 68000 CMOS processor, 1 MB RAM, 40 MB hard drive, 3.5 inch 1.4 MB SuperDrive floppy drive, keyboard, trackball, 9.8 inch active matrix 640x400 monochrome LCD screen. Weight is 17 pounds; size is 15.25 x 14.3 x 4 inches; price is US$6500. The system runs for about 8 hours on a lead-acid gel battery pack. [46] [75] [593.350] [597.95] [750.52] [1069.98] [1084.154]

(month unknown)

• NEC Home Electronics introduces the ProSpeed CSX portable computer. It features color LCD with 640x400 resolution in 16 colors, 16 MHz 80386SX processor, 42 MB hard drive, 2 MB RAM, 1.44 MB floppy drive, 18.5 pounds weight. Price is US$8499. This is the first commercial color LCD portable computer. [1064.49]

November

• At fall COMDEX, IBM strongly endorses Windows for low end PCs, and Microsoft publicly endorses OS/2 as the future platform for higher-end PCs. IBM and Microsoft agree to jointly develop a consistent, full-range of systems software. [38] [45] [123] [389.29] [477.160] [1064.22]

1966-1979

1980-1984

1985-1989

1990-1994

1995-2001

Check my list of references for details on specific events.
Also check my list of other timelines.