June 14, 1995 |
Long before anyone had dreamed of a Pentium chip or heard of the Internet, before there was an Apple II or a Commodore PET or an IBM PC, there was a humble computer called the Altair. The machine and its maker, MITS, are seldom accorded more than a footnote in the history of the personal computer industry, and any mention is usually in conjunction with a history of Microsoft: how Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen dropped out of Harvard to write software for the Altair.
June 10, 1991 |
Microsoft Corp. has rented a yacht and hired the Dave Brubeck quartet to announce a new version of the world's most widely used computer software. Microsoft says the rollout Tuesday will be the biggest launch of a new software product in computer industry history. The new product is an update of MS-DOS, the base layer of software used on an estimated 60 million IBM-type personal computers worldwide.
January 7, 1999 |
A year ago this week, Hayes Corp. was planning parties to celebrate its historic 20th year in the computer modem business it almost single-handedly created. The company even issued a 20th anniversary commemorative modem, signed by founder Dennis Hayes himself.
June 14, 1985 |
Sperry Corp. and Burroughs Corp. said Thursday that they are discussing a possible merger that would create the world's second-largest computer manufacturer, with annual revenue of more than $10 billion. Company officials would not elaborate beyond a terse statement saying they are "involved in negotiations with respect to a common stock merger." Industry analysts speculated that Burroughs might pay at least the equivalent of $3.
January 27, 1998 |
Creating a colossal company with tentacles reaching into every corner of the computer industry, Compaq Computer Corp. on Monday agreed to acquire Digital Equipment Corp. for $9.6 billion in cash and stock. The proposed deal is the largest in computer industry history and could trigger a wave of additional mergers as rivals confront the combined might of two industry legends.