1980-1985
- 1980- First issue of InfoWorld is published.
- Microsoft licenses UNIX operating system from Bell Laboratories and introduces its XENIX adaptation.
- Total computers in use in the U.S. exceed one million units.
- 1981- Commodore introduces the VIC-20 home computer, which sells over one million units.
- IBM enters the personal computer market, creating a de facto standard.
- Osborne Computer introduces the Osborne 1, the first portable computer.
- 1982- Compaq Computer incorporates.
- Sun Microsystems is founded.
- Microsoft licenses MS-DOS to 50 microcomputer manufacturers in the first 16 months of availability.
- Time Magazine names the computer its Man of the Year.
- U.S. drops IBM antitrust suit begun in 1969.
- 1983- Compaq ships its first computer in January and sells $111M, the greatest first-year sales in the history of American business.
- Cray 2 computer introduced with one billion FLOPs (floating point operations per second) performance rating.
- Lotus 1-2-3 replaces VisiCalc as the spreadsheet software of choice for microcomputers.
- NEC announces the SX-1 and SX-2 supercomputers.
- Total computers in use in the U.S. exceed ten million units.
- 1984- Apple introduces the Macintosh computer.
- IBM introduces the PC AT (Advanced Technology). IBM merges with Rolm Corp., which becomes a telecommunications subsidiary.
- The Tandy 1000 personal computer becomes the #1 selling IBM PC-compatible in its first year.
- 1985- Aldus introduces PageMaker for the Macintosh and starts the desktop publishing era.