1986-1989

• 1986- Compaq makes the Fortune 500 list. Introduces its first Intel 80386-based PC.
• Computerworld publishes its 1,000th issue on November 3.
• HP introduces its Spectrum line of reduced instruction set computers (RISC).
• Tandy has over 7300 retail outlets including more than 4800 company-owned Radio Shack stores in the U.S.
• The number of computers in the U.S. exceeds 30 million.
• 1987- IBM introduces its PS/2 family and ships over 1 million units by year end.
• Sun Microsystems introduces its first workstation based on a RISC microprocessor.
• Apple introduces the Macintosh II and Macintosh SE and HyperCard.
• Compaq reaches a billion dollar in sales in its fifth year of operation.
• Apple spins off its application software business as a separate company and names it Claris.
• Texas Instruments introduces the first AI microprocessor chip.
• 1988- IBM announces its long awaited Silverlake mid-range computers called AS/400.
• The first graphics supercomputers are announced by Apollo, Ardent and Stellar. These computers are aimed at 3D graphics applications.
• The first PS/2-compatible computers are announced by Tandy, Dell Computer and others.
• Sematech picks Austin, TX as its headquarters and the consortium will be headed by Robert Noyce.
• A consortium of PC companies led by Compaq introduces the EISA counter standard to IBM's PS/2 MicroChannel bus.
• IBM wins a $3.6B contract to build the next generation air traffic control system.
• A nondestructive worm spreads via the Internet network and brings several thousand computers to their knees.