- February
- Bill Gates and Paul Allen sign a partnership agreement to officially create the Microsoft company. Gates owns 64 percent, Allen owns 36 percent. [123] [1299.103] [1526.83]
- February 14
- Computer Shack hires John Martin (Musumeci) as Director of Franchise Sales. [1702.69]
- February
- Apple Computer hires Michael Scott as first president. [1886.64] [2605.11]
- February 18
- The first Computer Shack franchise is opened in Morristown, New Jersey. 112 people visit in the first day. [9] [266.194] [548.433] [1702.64] (Tandy franchise [346.258])
- April
- Microsoft announces FORTRAN-80 language compiler. Price is US$500. [1299.110]
- Rob Janov of Regis McKenna company designs the corporate logo for Apple Computer. [1886.64]
- April 15
- The First Annual West Coast Computer Faire is held, in San Francisco's Brooks Civic Auditorium, over three days. 12,750 attended the weekend event. [203.7] [266.145] [353.265] [747.74] [1299.106]
- April 16
- Commodore International shows its Commodore PET 2001 computer at the West Coast Computer Faire. The PET includes a MOS Technology 6502 processor, 4 kB RAM, 14 kB ROM, keyboard, 9-inch monochrome display, and cassette tape drive, for US$595. The computer shown is a one-off prototype. [9] [266.182] [346.46] [445.256] [713.30] [747.74] [1298.187] [1299.100,106] (US$800 [176.54] [190.81]) (March [41]) (June [624.172])
- April 17
- Apple Computer introduces the Apple II at the West Coast Computer Faire. The computer features a 6502 CPU, 4 kB RAM, 16 kB ROM, keyboard, 8-slot motherboard, game paddles, graphics/text interface to color display, and built-in BASIC, for US$1298. It is the first personal computer with color graphics. [9] [41] [46] [120] [140] [176.54] [203.7] [266.182] [346.47] [593.350] [1280.42] [1298.187] [1886.64] [2605.12] (March [185.114]) (July [716.234])
- April 20
- Bill Gates and Paul Allen write to MITS complaining of overdue royalty payments on 8080 BASIC, and of MITS' failure to sub-license and promote the product to others. They state that if the situation is not remedied within ten days, the licensing agreement for 8080 BASIC would be terminated. [1149.114] [1299.109]
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- April 21
- An attorney for MITS denies Microsoft's charges, claiming MITS is up-to-date on royalty payments, and did not have to license 8080 BASIC to competitors. [1299.109]
- April
- An attorney for MITS pays Microsoft US$14,526 to cover 8080 BASIC royalty payments since December 1, 1976. [1299.109]
- (month unknown)
- MITS files for arbitration to seek a decision on whether its 8080 BASIC contract with Microsoft is still valid. [1299.109]
- May 5
- MITS files for a restraining order against Microsoft, to prevent Microsoft from licensing 8080 BASIC until the dispute with MITS is resolved. [1149.114] [1299.109]
- May 12
- A judge grants MITS' restraining order against Microsoft licensing 8080 BASIC, until July 8 or until the arbiter's determination is made. [1299.109]
- May
- 10 months after its introduction, 175 Apple I kits have sold. [218]
- May 22
- Pertec buys MITS and the Altair line for US$6 million in stock. [233.194] [266.51] [346.44] [548.384] [1149.114]
- June
- Apple Computer delivers its first Apple II system. [1559] [1886.64] (April [196.20]) (May [528.352])
- Camp Retupmoc ("computer" spelled backwards), the first week-long computer camp, is held in Terre Haute, Indiana. [9]
- Apple II computers are first shipped to Europe by independent distributor Eurapple. [46]
- Commodore shows its first production PET computers at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show. [713.30]
- June 15
- The National Computer Conference is held in Dallas, Texas. For the first time, an area is set up for microcomputer companies. [1149.123] [1405.D1] [1406.43]
- (month unknown)
- The name of Computer Shack is changed to ComputerLand. [1702.65]
- Gary Kildall grants a distribution license for CP/M to Seymour Rubenstein of IMSAI Manufacturing, for US$25,000. [346.51] [266.139] [1149.175]
- Vector Graphic introduces the Vector Graphic I system. [202.203]
- The first issue of Personal Computing is published, by David Bunnell. [266.xv]
- A patent on Ethernet computer networking is granted to David Boggs, Butler Lampson, Bob Metcalfe, and Charles Thacker of Xerox PARC. [1298.187]
- Bally completes designs of a home computer. [267.48]
- Officials of the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health first begin measuring radio-frequency radiation from display monitors. They report emissions are too low for their instruments to measure. [558.138]
- The Altair Software Distribution Company changes its name to Peachtree Software. [548.434]
- Gilbert Hyatt adds a claim to a single-chip computer to his 1970 patent application. [590.5]
- Quote by Kenneth Olsen, founder and president of Digital Equipment: "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.". [1584.332]
- Microsoft creates the File Allocation Table to store data on diskettes for the Microsoft Stand-alone Disk Basic. [1626.18]
- July
- Microsoft ships "Microsoft FORTRAN" for CP/M-based computers. [123] [346.49]
- (month unknown)
- Digital Equipment introduces the LSI-11/2 microcomputer (board with microprocessor), with 8 kB RAM. [949.358]
- August 3
- At the Warwick Hotel in New York City, Radio Shack (a division of Tandy Corporation) announces the TRS-80 microcomputer. It features Zilog Z80 processor, 4 kB RAM, 4 kB ROM, keyboard, black-and-white video display, and tape cassette for US$599. [9] [195.49] [202.198] [319.43] [548.413] [862.14] [1149.120] [1298.187] [1299.111] (US$300 [266.198]) (June [41]) (1978 [205.24])
- August
- Microsoft licenses its 6502 BASIC to Apple Computer for US$21,000. [346.48] [1299.111] [2605.13] [2605.13] (early 1978 [949.300])
- September
- One month after launching the TRS-80, 10,000 are sold, exceeding sales projections of only 3,000 in the first year. [266.198] [548.413] [346.46]
- (month unknown)
- Dennis Hayes forms Hayes Microcomputer Products. [1298.187] (Spring 1978 [451.A1])
- October
- Apple Computer de-lists the Apple I from its price list. [2605.14]
- Radio Shack opens its first all-computer store, in Fort Worth, Texas. [266.198]
- November
- Apple Computer releases Applesoft, a version of BASIC with floating-point capabilities. It is licensed from Microsoft. [218]
- Heath Schlumber Company introduces its first microcomputer kit, the H-8 personal computer kit, based on the Intel 8080. [246.81] [744.3]
- Paul Terrell sells his chain of 74 Byte Shops for US$4 million. [266.190] [2605.9]
- (month unknown)
- Xerox renames its Janus workstation project to Star. [716.231]
- IMSAI Manufacturing begins shipping the VDP-80 computer. [1702.96]
- December
- At an executive board meeting at Apple Computer, president Mike Markkula lists the floppy disk drive as the company's top goal. [218] [266.225]
- Steve Wozniak writes disk controller software for use with the Shugart 5.25-inch floppy disk drive for the Apple II. [618.63] [930.62]
- Microsoft wins an important legal battle against Pertec, on ownership of the BASIC software Bill Gates and Paul Allen wrote and licensed to MITS. [346.45] (September [1299.111])
- Year
- Total shipments of personal computers worldwide during the year: 48,000. [1559]
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