Microsoft: a company started by Bill Gates and Paul Allen when they bought DOS to try to incorporate it on IBM machines. Since then, Microsoft went on to produce Windows Operating System, the XBox and other various technologies. Wikipedia: Microsoft
1988 – The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is what we use daily to open up email, our web browser and even those apps on your smartphone or tablet. With the first real GUI came the first copyright infringement for it as Apple sued both Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard for stealing features from Macintosh’s interface.
Hewlett Packard was also named for their New Wave desktop environment. Missing from the suit is Microsoft Presentation Manager, which became the interface for IBM’s OS/2.
The lawsuit got muddied when Xerox sued Apple for the same thing. That instance got thrown out rather quick. But the original suit lasted until 1994 when the court ruled: “Apple cannot get patent-like protection for the idea of a graphical user interface, or the idea of a desktop metaphor…”
Apple tried to take the case to the Supreme Court but was denied.
2000 – Microsoft unveils the “.net” architecture to the public. Working with Microsoft products, the features would include a user interface, data access, database connectivity, cryptography, network communications and more. Programmers could then integrate into their own code. Further Reading: .NET
Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for June 22
June 21, 1995: Microsoft Sends out a “Do not compete” request to Netscape
1995 – It’s the one event that brought major legal woes to the software giant. Microsoft representatives met with Netscape reps, requesting they do not compete the Netscape Navigator browser with Microsoft’sInternet Explorer. They would, in turn, get a seat on the board of directors. Co-creator Jim Clark turned down the offer, then took the matter to his lawyer. Joel Klein hears the issue and that starts the initial inquiries through the Department of Justice.Further Read: Microsoft on Antitrust
Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for June 21
June 13, 1993: Microsoft and Time-Warner Create Interactive TV
2014 – Watch the sky tonight as you will see not only a full moon, but what is called the “Honey Moon”. What is so special about this moon – it will be the last full moon on a Friday the 13th until 2049.
1993 – Microsoft teamed up with Tele-communications and Time Warner to start the revolution known as “Interactive TV”. The ability to buy product right through the set during a show. iTV would give users a Digital Set Top Box in which they would use to browse, go back and watch video. It even connected to a telephone to let you know who is calling and possibly get SMS messages.
Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for June 11
June 11, 1980: Steve Ballmer is hired as Microsoft’s first Business Manager
1997 – Phillippe Kahn snaps the very first cameraphone picture. It was his newborn daughter from a jury-rigged camera into cell phone. After that, Kahn created Lightsurf to develop and market the process.
1980 – Otherwise known as “The 24th Man” (to join Microsoft, that is), Steve Ballmer came on as Microsoft’s first Business Manager. He made only $50k and stock options. Of course 30 years later, Steve succeeded Bill Gates as CEO of the Redmond based software company.
Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for June 11
2003 – Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little created a Fork of B2/cafelog. From there, WordPress was born. Since its release, WordPress has taken over Content Management Systems (CMS) with its ease of use and plethora of programmers that have made plugins, themes and other tweaks to the system since. The current version is 3.5.1 which has been downloaded over 18 million times.
Microsoft Released Windows 286 and Windows 386 on May 27, 1988
1988 – In competition to IBM OS/2, Microsoft releases 2 versions of Windows 2.1x – One version for x286 computers (aka Windows 286) and one for x386 computers (aka Windows 386). Windows 2/x386 introduced the protected code Kernal – applications would run as a virtual 8086 mode, and MS-DOS programs could run in parallel. Windows 2/x386 also provided EMS emulation, which would give Windows memory management features. System RAM beyond 640k could be used, and felt like banked memory. Finally, it has a Presentation Manager mode, to compete with OS/2
Windows updated this software to 2.11. It was finally retired when Windows 3.0 was released in 1990.
Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 27
Windows 386 full video. Linda needs to save the client, so she loads Windows 386 with Presentation Manager
This was the promo video for Windows 386. It starred Victoria Carver (as Linda) as an executive who had to save a client. She was given a task to make a presentation by 5 pm. She decided to load and use Windows 386 to build this presentation. Using the “Mission Impossible” theme throughout, Linda is confronted by a fellow employee – Mike the mainframe guy. He wants to help Linda out, but Linda knows that the mainframe subroutines simply take too long to write. He then spots Windows 386.
“You are not suppose to be running OS/2 – we haven’t finished evaluating it” Said Mike, the mainframe guy.
“It’s not OS/2. It’s Microsoft Windows 386. It has the same interface as the OS/2 Presentation Manager. So, when OS/2 is recommended, I’ll be ahead of the learning curve.”
“As usual. What else does it do, besides look like OS/2?”
At this point, Linda shows Mike the interface. Of course, Linda then creates the presentation and keeps the client. The video is written like a cheesy 80’s soap opera, and goes on for twelve minutes.
Other Events in the Day in Technology History
Wang introduces: Wang Personal computer
Batman Debuts in Detective comics #27
Google gives away 4,000 Android phones at Google I/O
1995 – Bill Gates sends out a memo to his staff saying that Microsoft needs to “Get back on track” to the Internet. The memo was entitled “The Internet Tidal wave.” Gates emphasizes that this is as important as IBM was to the personal computer.
Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 25
aggregator, AOL, chris pirillo, comcast, comdex, cross marketing, ebay, first computers, freedom, full force, g4 tech tv, g4 techtv, Geek, gold, kevin norton, Kevin Rose, leo laporte, march 25, pioneer, pioneers, privacy conference, screen savers, spring comdex, TechTV, Television
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