Personal computer

December 13, 1982: Atari 1200XL

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 1213, aggregator, Atari, atari 1200xl, bit system, byte, carparts, charles dickens, christmas, christmas carol, color enhancement, conversion, cyrix, day, day in tech history, decent success, Facebook, Geek, hacker, hackers, hybrid computer, john koskinen, keyboard layout, lawsuits, legions, Matthew Dent, moratorium, ninja, patents, Personal computer, Podcast, pointer data, ports, puppet, Royal Mint, RSS, s council, steve wozniak, sweet 16, tactile keyboard, technology history, twitter, uv light, year 2000 0 Comments December 13, 2024

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1982 – After a decent success of the Atari 400/800 line the company noticed the console was looking a little “old”. After all, the Atari 400 actually discolors upon UV light. The 400’s non-tactile keyboard was replaced with the 800’s raised key keyboard. Still, Atari felt they needed to bring this personal computer into the 80’s.Therefore, the 1200XL was born. It was a hybrid computer – using what they called “Sweet 16” – a byte language developed by Steve Wozniak. It was to manipulate 16-bit pointer data from an 8-bit system.

The Atari 1200XL also featured 64 KB of RAM and a redesigned cable port and keyboard layout. Unfortunately the community felt the 1200XL was poorly designed for certain ports were in the wrong place. There was also a color enhancement feature that couldn’t be used because it wasn’t connected to the monitor port.

The Atari 1200XL was $599.99

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Charles Dickens publishes A Christmas Carol
Cyrix files lawsuits over others who were using their patented technologies
Symantec licenses Java from Sun Microsystems.

Day in Tech History/ IBM

December 8, 2004: IBM sells PC Division to Lenovo

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 1208, aggregator, assets, Atari, China, coaxial cable, coleco, computer manufacturer, day in tech history, december 8, household name, IBM, infrastructure, laptop, laptops, largest computer, lenovo, liabilities, patent, pc vendor, Personal computer, Podcast, rca, screen technology, stock, technology history, ThinkPad, twitter 0 Comments December 8, 2024

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2004 – It was an interesting day in the Tech community when we heard the news. IBM was getting out of the desktop and laptop markets and focus on server and infrastructure. They started by selling all their assets to Lenovo – China’s largest computer manufacturer. Lenovo wasn’t a household name in the US, but this pretty much changed that overnight.The deal was for $650 million in cash and $600 million in stock. Lenovo would also acquire $500 million in IBM liabilities, which would put the total to $1.75 billion. In return, Lenovo would instantly become the 3rd largest PC vendor with $12 billion in revenue, not to mention major markets in both China and the U.S.

RCA demonstrates Split Screen technology for the first time.
Patent for Coaxial cable
Atari sues Coleco, Coleco sues back.

Day in Tech History/ Intel

October 17, 1985: Intel 80386DX Processor Released

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 1017, 4 gb, aggregator, apple, computer, computer days, day in tech history, dx processor, imdb, intel, mac os 8, memory, Personal computer, Podcast, stitcher, technology history, texas instruments, Transistor 0 Comments October 17, 2024

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1985– Intel released the 80386 DX processor. The 275,000 transistor chip was a big jump from the 20 MHz 286. It contained the ability to address up to 4 GB of memory and had a bigger instruction set. The chip would be released, but most people wouldn’t see the processor until Spring of 1986Interesting enough – the 386 chip was finally discontinued in the Fall of 2007. The chip was used after personal computer days to power many embedded systems.

Texas Instruments “afternoon with TI management”
IMDB is formed (sort of)
Apple released Mac OS 8.5

Apple/ Day in Tech History

September 25, 2006: iWoz (From Computer Geek to Cult Icon) Book

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0925, 4 september, aggregator, amazon, apple, computer, computer co, computer geek, cult icon, hat linux, iwoz, Linux, misconceptions, mmorpg, os 2 warp, Personal computer, Podcast, red hat, technology history, this day in tech history 0 Comments September 25, 2024

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2006 – The book iWoz: from Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-founded Apple and had Fun Doing it. (**WHEW!**) came out. It was a book that was written to dispel some of the rumors and misconceptions on many different items.

iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon at Amazon.com

Red Hat Linux 7.0 Released
Ultima Online, the first MMORPG
OS/2 Warp 4

Day in Tech History/ Intel

July 18, 1968: Intel Incorporates

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0718, aggregator, Andrew Grove, andy grove, dark knight, day in tech history, Geek, Gordon Moore, gordon moore and robert noyce, Heath Ledger, integrated electronics corporation, intel, intel logo, july 17, Personal computer, Podcast, Robert Noyce, soviet union, stitcher, technology history, theaters, titanic 0 Comments July 18, 2024

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Intel Logo

Hungarian immigrant Andy Grove, along with Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce founded Intel in 1968, as Integrated Electronics Corporation. Intel was actually the trademark of a hotel – They ended up buying out the name.

The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger’s last movie, hits theaters
Video of Titanic’s remains were released
US DOC permit’s export of computers to the Soviet Union

Computer/ Day in Tech History

June 16, 1997: NetPC Announced

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0616, aggregator, bob miner, cia, compaq, Compaq Deskpro, coney island, Databases, day in tech history, development laboratories, development labs, Gateway, Geek, geek history, Google, google docs, gravity, history, Inc., intel, iPhone, larry ellison, mainframe computer, Mark Hurd, operating system, oracle, Oracle Corporation, packard bell, pendulum clock, Personal computer, Podcast, roller coaster, SAP AG, sdl, software development, stitcher, technology history, twitter, windows 98 0 Comments June 16, 2024

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1997 – Several computer companies banded together to help create the NetPC. A disk-less computer that got all information, including install – from a corporate server or the Internet.

Basically, these would be similar to thin clients or “Dumb terminals” for work computers. No CD drive, no floppy disc and limited disk space. Cases were sealed so nobody could get inside to reconfigure the computer. Installs would be handled via the Internet, therefore, no personal software could be installed.

Microsoft and Intel unveiled the system at the PC Expo trade show. NetPC would work with Compaq, Dell, IBM, HP, Acer, Gateway 2000, Mitac, Misubishi, NEC, Pionex, and Groupe Bull computer companies to make the first group of NetPC computers.

The sub-$1,000 computer was a great idea that would work better today than in 1997. IBM dropped out of the project before the first NetPCs came out. They decided to make something their customers would use.

Microsoft finally pulled the plug at the Windows Engineering Conference in 1998 when John Frederiksen, lead project manager for thin clients acknowledged the phase-out process.

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1657 – The first Pendulum Clock
1884 – Coney Island’s first gravity powered Roller Coaster
1988 – Intel releases the i386DX
1999 – Windows 98 SP1 is released
2008 – Google Docs gets PDF Support
2009 –iPhone OS 3.0

AMD/ Day in Tech History

May 26, 1998: AMD K6-2 Processor

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0526, 3dnow, advanced micro devices, alignleft, AMD, AMD K6, amd k6 iii, AOL, Axis powers, Bill Gates, caption, chapter 11 bankruptcy, Chief executive officer, Computing, front side bus, Google, Google Chrome, history, History of Microsoft, IBM, IPad, k6 2, Microsoft, mobile solution, Personal computer, pioneers, Porsche, processor line, samsung, saying that microsoft, Socket 7, Socket 7 motherboards, ssd, stitcher, technology history, tidal wave, Wi-Fi, Yahoo 0 Comments May 25, 2024

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1998 – At the beginnings of the AMD / Intel battle, AMD brought out a processor to dual with Pentium II. The AMD K6-2 processor was a Super Socket 7 pin structure, which also was compatible with older Socket 7 motherboards.

With 9.3 million transistors, the K6-2 had a CPU clock rate of 266 to 550 MHz. Of course, these were single-core processors and had front side bus of either 66 or 100 MHz. The K6-2 also featured the MMX and 3DNow! instruction set.

The K6-2+ was added to keep up with Pentium III processors. The processor line only lasted a year and was ultimately replaced with K6 III.

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AMD released the K6-2 processor
Samsung announces the 256 SSD
Psystar files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Day in Tech History/ Geek

May 19, 1999: Star Wars Episode I Released

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0519, aka, apple, Apple II, Apple III, apple store, apple stores, april 24th, ATOM, computer, failure, first apple, gears, geek history, George Lucas, Google, history, IBM, intel, macintosh, macintosh line, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Personal computer, Podcast, sara, star wars, star wars episode, star wars episode i, stitcher, successor, technology history, the Phantom Menace 0 Comments May 18, 2024

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1999 – Sixteen years after “Return of the Jedi”, George Lucas finally moves his vision forward with “Star Wars: Episode I – the Phantom Menace”. The story of young Anakin Skywalker and how Obi-Wan Kenobi brought him in, trained him, and ultimately lost him to the dark side.

Episode I grossed over $924.3 million worldwide and became one of the highest-grossing films of 1999. The 2nd set trilogy would continue with Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

The movie was received with warm reviews. The general consensus was the character development lacked while the scenes, characters, and landscapes were breathtaking. Even Roger Ebert gave it three-and-a-half stars.

Star Wars Episode I
Apple opens the first Apple Stores
Intel debuts the pineview Atom chip

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