Computers in the 1980s (2023)

key points

• During this decade, the metamorphosis of the microchip resulted in computers with better designs, features, speed, and technology.
• This era was also marked by the appearance of two new competitors on the scene, Microsoft and Apple.
• The 1980s were also marked by the production of the Nintendo Entertainment System, the LaserJet printer, and the Apple Macintosh.

The keyword for the history of computers in the 1980s is "microprocessor🇧🇷 Although these vital little chips had appeared on the scene many years earlier, the microprocessor nearly regained its useful life between 1980 and 1989. It has gone through many advancements over the decade that have effectively raised overall capabilities, design, speed, and reliability. technology. ofcomputer🇧🇷 One of the best computers of the 80s from the mind ofBill GatesoLitterto the advances of the personal computer and the home computer, these are the most notable events in the history of computers in the 1980s.

1980

in bright colors

Each new decade brought humanity closer and closer to the computers we know and use today. The 1980s were no exception. In the summer of 1980, Tandy launched theTRS-80Color computer. A personal computer based on a Motorola processor and rooted in Microsoft'sBASIC programming language, Tandy's computer resources featured colorful graphics and computer games. It effectively acted as a bridge between the capabilities of a home computer and the capabilities of computer games.

hard drive hardware

Also in 1980, Seagate Technology introduced the ST506: the first microcomputerHDD🇧🇷 A big step fromdiskette, the hard drive can handle up to five megabytes of storage (more than five times as much as a floppy disk, taking up the same size of space as a floppy disk).

crazy about home computers

The rise of home computers wasn't just an American thing, it was happening in the UK too. EITHERSinclair ZX80, released in 1980, sold as a kit for £79 and assembled for £99. More than 50,000 people got their hands on this tiny personal computer that had to be connected to a television in one person's home as a monitor.

1981

get acquainted

In 1981, the BBC - through itsComputer Literacy Project— launched a television show focused on introducing adults to the vast world and seemingly endless possibilities of the home computer. Complete with its own BBC microcomputer system and everything else, the show allowed viewers to follow the show almost like a step-by-step tutorial. The corresponding BBC microcomputer came with a lot of useful software, including productivity tools, educational programs and video games.

Meet the personal computer

There is no doubt thatIBMthe creation ofpersonal computerin 1981 was one of the most important events in the history of computing so far. (And not just in the 1980s, its importance goes well beyond the decade.) Here are the facts: IBM's first personal computer (or PC) came loaded with the Intel 8088, a 4.77 MHz microprocessor, just like Microsoft's newly created. advertised processor MS-OFOperating system. IBM's invention of the personal computer revolutionized the personal computer, the work computer, the home computer, and computer history as a whole. When it comes to the best computers of the 1980s, the IBM PC takes the cake.

go to work

oApolloit had been successful in previous decades, but the 1980s saw the debut of the DN100: the first Apollo workstation for the science and engineering fields. Equipped with a Motorola 68000 microprocessor, as well as its integrated network and high-resolution display, the Apollo dominated the workstation world for the rest of the 1980s.

The power of the laptop

oOsborne 1The release in 1981 marked the first mass-produced laptop. Priced at nearly $1,800 for a five-inch screen, 64KB of memory storage, and a couple of floppy drives, it might not have been the most practical purchase, but it sure was portable.

Advancing to the Internet

September 1981 saw the establishment of theTCP/IPprotocol. Although it seems fairly common based on its simple name, this protocol single-handedly established the ability for information to be transmitted over the network.Internet🇧🇷 Today we would be lost without him.

1982

Commodore's Conquest

In January 1982, Commodore released theCommodore 64🇧🇷 A titan of speed, technology, design and storage, the computer was created in just a few months. With 64K ofTAKEand 16K of switchable ROM, the Commodore 64 (or C64) sold approximately 20 million units in 1992. It was the best-selling computer model of all time and arguably one of the best computers of the 1980s.

Here comes the Sun

Short for Stanford University Network, Sun Microsystems was born out of a simple loan. Stanford graduate student Andy Bechtolsheim made theAltoEthernet network and laser printer that Xerox PARC had installed in the engineering department and redesigned for the Stanford computer network. This small action led Bechtolsheim and his colleagues Vinod Khosla and Scott McNealy to create a workstation model with aUNIXOperating system,ethernetand high-resolution graphics in one. Sun quickly became a legitimate competitor to even the biggest names and brands like Bill Gates and Apple.

1983

Meet Lisa

In January 1983, Apple introduced Lisa to the world. However, Lisa was not a person. Lisa was the first personal computer with aGUI (graphical user interface)to be commercialized in mass. While its creation turned out to be a pivotal moment in the final push for GUIs on PCs, Lisa's slow speed and mammoth $10,000 price tag meant it was bound to be unpopular. Despite all its pros and cons, Lisa's impact on the future of the PC is too great to dismiss the invention as a complete failure.

the disc arrives

It's hard to imagine a world without CDs (and CD-ROMs), but before 1983, that was the reality. Initially developed by Sony and Philips to store and distribute music, the CD ended up also being used by computer and electronics companies to store information and software.

The Compaq Compact

Described to the general public as the first 100% IBM PC compatible computer, Compaq Computer Corporation's Compaq Portable was an IBM PC clone capable of running the same software for a lower price. The company quickly surpassed $100 million in sales, the most an American company had made in a year at the time.

welcome to windows

Bill Gates and his company Microsoft had a great year in 1983. Since the announcement ofMicrosoft WindowsUntil the release of Microsoft Word, it was clear that this company was making the kind of breakthrough that would cement it as a true computing powerhouse.

DNS debuts and the Internet comes to life

Similar to the establishment of the TCP/IP protocol in 1981, the introduction of DNS in 1983 brought the world much closer to the Internet we know and trust today. Briefly,DNSis the structured naming system that the Internet uses to identify computers accessible over the Internet. It is with this introduction that many consider the official beginning of the Internet as we know it.

1984

Apple Macintosh Launch

Not long after the trial and error that was Lisa, Apple took the pros and cons of its previous product launch and turned it into theApple Macintosh🇧🇷 The first GUI computer to successfully use amouse, the Macintosh was born from the Motorola 68000 microprocessor and sold for a low price of $2,500.

LaserJet decoration

Between the release ofHewlett PackardJet laserprinting machinein 1984 and a decade later, HP managed to sell more than 10 million printers. This one invention effectively secured his status as a pillar of the computer industry. The inkjet technology pioneered here is still in use today.

invented in a flash

Flash memoryIt first appeared in Japan in 1984. Invented by Fuji Masuoka, flash memory could be repeatedly erased and reprogrammed and quickly gained popularity in the computer industry.

1985

C++ is an A+

1985 saw the launch of theprogramming language C++, designed to appeal to both serious programmers and hobbyists. A general purpose language, C++ made it possible to write difficult programs with relative ease. It was a huge success.

Launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System

While it may seem hard to believe, the video game market in the United States was unstable for much of the early and mid-1980s.consoles, games and brands came and went after very poor performance, and it was not entirely clear where this technology would go from there. Then one of the most well-known brands appeared and launched a success: Thenintendo entertainment system🇧🇷 With that, the American video game industry started to work again.

1986

The battle of the PCs

Compaq, Apple, IBM, Amstrad, Sinclair... each of these brands with their PC, each of these brands with their pros and cons, each of these brands fighting to be the best-selling PC on the market. From Apple to IBM, from Compaq to Amstrad, 1986 saw the big names fight tooth and nail to stand out with continuous improvements to their already successful PCs. Consumers knew all the facts, knew all the features, and knew the ins and outs. As such, each brand has started to establish a sizable following. That loyalty would continue through the rest of the '80s and beyond.

1987

take the duct tape

pearl— or Practical Extraction and Report Language — was written by Larry Wall in 1987. Designed to enable report processing as well as scanning and extracting text files for automatic report generation, Perl was easy to use and helped Speed ​​up the programming process. While you may not have heard of it before, it soon became embedded in almost every corner of computing and is jokingly known as the duct tape of the Internet.

1988

Optical chips see the light of day

While electrons are still considered the standard for calculating bandwidth, a push was seen in 1988 for photons to be used instead. With the invention of optics.switches, some hoped that light could be used to increase processing speed instead of electricity. Although it didn't catch on immediately, it was like a first step towardsoptical fiber.

The next step for Steve Jobs

After being fired from his position at Apple in 1985 after the failure of Lisa,steve jobs, now operating under the NeXT company, introduced a new computer in 1988. Called NeXT, the computer had three microprocessors and 8 MB of RAM. It had an innovative object orientation.Operating systemcapable of multitasking, making it a real selling point for programmers and developers and a real threat to Apple at the time.

1989

An Internet network with 100,000 hosts and a World Wide Web emerge

The launch of the Internet in 1983 did not necessarily explode in popularity. It took a while, but in 1989 the Internet finally reached 100,000 hosts. This benchmark was unprecedented at the time and showed the world that this was not just a fad – the internet is here to stay. This was further accentuated with the appearance of a proposal for theWorld Wide Webin Switzerland (and, not long after, all over the world).

portable and portable

with the release ofnintendo game boyand the release of the Macintosh Portable in 1989 showed consumers and developers alike that the next decade would bring an emphasis on convenience, portability, and portable features. Smaller, better, faster, stronger, and more affordable were the true pillars of technological advancement at the time, and these priorities would come to the fore in the 1990s.

To be continued...

For more on computers through the decades, check out:

• Computers in the 1970s: This decade saw the advent of the personal computer. Find out exactly what that meant and which brands dominated the tech space.
• Computers in the 1990ss: This era was dedicated to improving the overall performance of computers. Find out how computing has metamorphosed over this decade.
• Computers in the 2000s: It was the decade of the iPhone, Google and virtual currency. Discover other key trends that defined this era.

Frequently Asked Questions About Computers in the 1980s (Frequently Asked Questions)

What were computers like in the 1980s?

In the 1980s, most middle-class American homes had a personal computer. People could play games, perform simple administrative tasks, and store data on removable drives like the floppy disk. They were faster, smaller, and easier to use than decades before, but they were still a long way from the computers we know and use today.

What were computers used for in the 1980s?

Computers were used to talk with associates on your company or office network, play games, and run basic administrative programs such as word processors or spreadsheets.

How have innovations in computer technology since the 1980s improved the standard of living?

These computing innovations throughout the 1980s improved the standard of living by putting advanced, cutting-edge technology in the hands of people, enabling them to simplify tasks and connect with the world around them more easily than ever before. prior to.

What were the most popular home computers in the 1980s?

The Commodore 64 was far from the most popular home computer in the 1980s, but the Apple Macintosh, ZX80, IBM PC, and BBC Micro all sold very well as well.

What were the most popular computer games of the 1980s?

The most popular computer games of the 1980s included Oregon Trail, Prince of Persia, Microsoft Flight Simulator, SimCity, and many other classics that are still releasing new editions today.