Chronology
of
Workstation Computers
1987
- July
- Sun Microsystems introduces its first SPARC-based system, the
Sun-4/260,
with 10 MIPS performance. [29] [38.75] (late 1986 [95.37])
- Sun Microsystems offers licenses for its SPARC microprocessor
architecture.
[34.80] (October [36.56])
- December 31
- Market share of Technical/Engineering workstations: Sun
Microsystems
21.0%, DEC 23.1%, Apollo 19.3%, HP 14.6%, IBM 6.8%. [57.222]
1988
- April
- Motorola unveils the 88000 processor. [29]
- (month unknown)
- Sun Microsystems ships its 100,000th workstation computer.
[197.9]
- NeXT begins negotiations with Businessland for a possible deal
to sell
NeXT computers outside of the education market. [110.201]
- September
- SPEC is formed, with the aim of producing a Unix system
benchmark based
on a standard set of real-life applications programs. [25]
- (month unknown)
- An engineering task force at Digital Equipment begins project
Alpha,
to develop a new processor architecture to succeed the VAX. [69.61]
[116.141]
(begins in mid-1989 [99.7])
- October
- Steve Jobs begins persuading Lotus Development to develop the
Improv
spreadsheet program for the NeXT computer. [110.266]
- Steve Jobs of NeXT Inc. unveils the first NeXT computer, at the
Davies
Symphony Hall in San Francisco. For US$6500, it features: 25-MHz
Motorola
68030 processor and 68882 math coprocessor, 8 MB RAM, 17-inch
monochrome
monitor, 256 MB read/write magneto-optical drive, and object-oriented
NeXTSTEP
operating system. It is dubbed the "Cube" because its system
box measures 1 foot on all sides. [21] [33.65] [39.76] [40.7] [42.289]
[64] [65.280] [110.14,162,166] (August [2])
- (month unknown)
- Quote by Bill Gates, of Microsoft, on Steve Jobs' introduction
of the
NeXT computer: "He put a microprocessor in a box. So what?".
[110.14]
- Quote by Bill Gates, of Microsoft, when asked if he would
develop software
for the NeXT computer: "Develop for it? I'll piss on it.". [110.14]
- December 31
- Shipments of Unix-based systems in Italy for the year: 30,000,
worth
US$548 million. [166.18]
1989
- January
- Digital Equipment introduces its first RISC-based workstation,
the
DECstation 3100, using the 16.7-MHz R2000 MIPS Technologies processor.
[24] [29] [173.201]
- February
- Quote from Sun Microsystem's Scott McNealy when asked what he
thought
of the NeXT Cube: "... it's the wrong operating system, the wrong
processor, and the wrong price.". [110.212]
- March
- NeXT announces a deal with Businessland to sell NeXT computers
outside
of the education market. [110.201,208]
- May
- Hewlett-Packard buys workstation maker Apollo Computer for
US$476 million.
[27]
- Solbourne Computers Incorporated is the first to announce a
line of
SPARC-based Sun-compatible computers. [34.80] (1988 [35.81])
- June
- Canon agrees to buy 16.67% of NeXT for US$100 million.
[110.218]
- (month unknown)
- Digital Equipment introduces the DECstation 2100 computer. It
features
12.5-MHz R2000 processor, 8 MB RAM, 15 inch monochrome 1024x864
monitor,
Ethernet, mouse, keyboard, Ultrix Workstation Software operating
system,
SoftPC DOS emulator. Price is US$7950. [166.49] [173.201]
- Sun Microsystems announces the 12.5 MIPS 20-MHz SPARCstation 1
for
a base price of US$9000. [4] [38.58] [145]
- SPARC International is formed. [34.80]
- Data General unveils its Aviion workstation line, based on the
Motorola
88000. [29]
- July
- In Tokyo, Canon introduces the NeXT Computer. Price is about
US$14,000.
An optional 660 MB hard drive adds US$14,000. [166.26]
- (month unknown)
- Absoft introduces a FORTRAN 77 compiler for NeXT systems. Price
is
US$1000. [173.66]
- To date, there are about 4 to 5 million Unix users worldwide.
[174.364]
- Cypress Semiconductor introduces the 40-MHz 7C601 RISC
processor, based
on Sun Microsystem's SPARC design. Performance is about 29 MIPS. Price
is US$895 in 100 unit quantities. [173.18]
- Hewlett-Packard's Apollo division introduces the Apollo 2500
workstation.
It features 20-MHz Motorola 68030 processor, 20-MHz 68882 math
coprocessor,
4 MB RAM, 15 inch 1024x768 monochrome monitor, keyboard, mouse, Unix
System
V release 3. Price is US$3990. Price with 200 MB SCSI hard drive and
Domain/OS
operating system is about US$3990. [164.94] [163.49] [173.8] [201.30]
- September
- Hewlett-Packard announces a US$3990 UNIX workstation based on
the Motorola
68030. [27]
- NeXT ships the first NeXT Computer systems. [42.289] [46]
[164.145]
- NeXT releases NeXTSTEP v1.0. [42.289] [46] [164.145]
- October
- SPEC releases version 1.0 of its SPEC Benchmark Suite for Unix
systems.
[25] [145.6] [191]
- IBM signs a deal with NeXT to license the NeXTSTEP operating
system,
for US$10 million. [33.65] (1988 [96.310])
- (month unknown)
- Motorola begins large volume shipments of the 88100 processor.
[191]
- In New York, the Unix Expo is held. [164.30]
- Sun Microsystems publishes its SBus i/o bus as an open
specification
for its workstation computers. [165.283]
- December
- IBM demonstrates its new line of RISC System/6000 workstations.
[3]
- December 31
- Shipments of Sun Microsystems SPARC workstations for the year:
45,000.
[34.80]
1990
- January
- Sun Microsystems signs an agreement to transfer the SPARC
trademark
to SPARC International. [34.80]
- NeXT decides to redesign the NeXT computer, targeting a cheaper
computer
to be available by the fall. [110.253]
- February
- NeXT co-founder Dan'l Lewin resigns from NeXT. He is the first
of the
original five co-founders to resign. [110.255]
- IBM unveils its new RISC-based workstation line, the RS/6000.
Development
work had been done under code name "America" for the RISC chip
research, and "RIOS" for systems using the America technology.
The architecture of the systems is given the name POWER, standing for
Performance
Optimization With Enhanced RISC. [41.116] [110.282]
- May
- Toshiba unveils the first SPARC laptop, the SPARC LT. [34.80]
- (month unknown)
- Lotus Development introduces Improv spreadsheet program for the
NeXT
Computer. Price is US$695. [176.147]
- September
- NeXT unveils the NeXTstation at the Davies Symphony Hall in San
Francisco.
[33.66] [42.289] [110.261] (October [33.65])
- October
- At the Microprocessor Forum, Motorola announces a new line of
single-chip
RISC processors, the first of which is to be the 88110. [41.81] [150]
[182]
- IBM demonstrates the NeXTSTEP operating system running on an
IBM RS/6000
workstation. [110.283]
- November
- LSI Logic announces the availability of SparcKIT, a SPARC
chipset at
speeds of 20-MHz and 25-MHz. [34.80]
- December 31
- Market share of workstation computers: Sun Microsystems, 29.1%;
Hewlett-Packard,
22.7%; DEC, 17.7%. [31.13]
- Shipments of Sun Microsystems workstations for the year:
130,000. [34.80]
- Shipments of IBM RISC System/6000 computers for the year:
25,000. [32.13]
