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Microsoft's foundation
Microsoft was founded. -
Micro-soft
From his dorm room, Gates calls MITS, the maker of the world’s first personal computer. He offers to develop software for the MITS Altair. MITS eventually accepts and buys his language for $3,000 plus royalties. Gates takes his first leave of absence from school to start working on the software venture he refers to as Micro-Soft. -
Apple Computer is formed
Apple Computer is formed on April Fools' Day, shortly after Wozniak and Jobs create a new computer circuit board in a Silicon Valley garage. The Apple I computer goes on sale by the summer for $666.66. -
Microsoft is registered
Gates and Allen register the trademark “Microsoft.” -
Apple II
Apple is incorporated by its founders and a group of venture capitalists. It unveils Apple II, the first personal computer to generate color graphics. Sales soar to the rate of $1 million a year. -
Microsoft's a millionaire
Microsoft’s year-end sales exceed $1 million. -
Microsoft moves
Microsoft moves to Belleveu, Washington. -
Apple visits Xerox
Jobs visits Xerox PARC and is inspired by a computer with a graphical user interface -
Apple earns more
Apple goes public, raising $110 million in one of the biggest initial public offerings to date. -
Microsoft
IBM introduces a computer with Microsoft's OS, MS-DOS 1.0. -
Apple earns even more
Annual sales climb to $1 billion. -
Apple's Lisa
The Lisa computer goes on sale with much fanfare, only to be pulled two years later. Steve Jobs lures John Sculley away from Pepsico Inc. to serve as Apple's CEO. -
Microsof Widows
Microsoft Windows was announced. -
Apple's Macintosh
Iconic "1984" Macintosh commercial directed by Ridley Scott shows during the Super Bowl. The Macintosh computer goes on sale. -
Apple's creator is fired
Jobs and Sculley clash, leading to Jobs' resignation. Wozniak also resigns from Apple. -
Microsoft Windows 1.0
Microsoft releases Microsoft Windows 1.0. -
Microsoft moves again
Microsoft moves to corporate campus in Redmond, Washington -
Microsoft Windows 2.0
Microsoft Windows 2.0 is released. -
The lawsuit
Apple Computer, Inc. vs. Microsoft Corporation, 35 F.3d 1435 (9th Cir. 1994) was a copyright infringement lawsuit in which Apple Computer, Inc. (now Apple Inc.) sought to prevent Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard from using visual graphical user interface (GUI) elements that were similar to those in Apple's Lisa and Macintosh operating systems. -
Microsoft Office
Microsoft introduces earliest version of Office suite of productivity applications -
Microsoft ft IBM?
The Federal Trade Commission begins an investigation into possible collusion between IBM and Microsoft.The FTC charges that IBM and Microsoft collaborated to divvy up the market for operating systems in an anticompetitive way, with IBM’s OS/2 capturing the high-end of the market and Microsoft’s Windows covering the low-end of the market. -
Microsoft Windows 3.0
Microsoft launches Windows 3.0 -
Apple ft IBM
Apple and IBM Corp. announce an alliance to develop new PC microprocessors and software. Apple unveils PowerBook portable Macintoshes. -
Apple fails
Apple introduces the Newton, a hand-held, pen-based computer. The company reports quarterly loss of $188 million in July, and CEO Sculley is replaced by Apple president Michael Spindler. Apple restructures and Sculley resigns as chairman. At Next, Jobs decides to focus on software instead of whole computers. -
Apple's new Macintosh
Apple introduces Power Macintosh computers based on the PowerPC chip it developed with IBM and Motorola. Apple decides to license its operating software, allowing other companies to clone the Mac -
Apple strugles with competition
Apple struggles with competition, parts shortages and mistakes predicting customer demand. -
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft launches Windows 95. -
Microsoft's Internet Explorer
Microsoft launched Internet Explorer, a web browser. -
Apple buys Next
Apple buys Next for $430 million, for the operating system Jobs' team developed. Gil Amelio replaces Spindler as CEO. -
Steve Jobs returns to Apple
Steve Jobs returns to Apple as an adviser, then "de facto head" of company; Amelio is pushed out. Jobs puts an end to Mac clones. -
Microsoft is sued
The U.S. Justice Department charges Microsoft with engaging in anticompetitive and exclusionary practices designed to maintain its monopoly in personal computer operating systems and to extend that monopoly to Internet browsing software. -
Apples iMac
Apple returns to profitability and unveils the iMac, a blue-and-white computer and monitor in one that set Apple on the path to its comeback. Apple also discontinues the Newton. -
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft launches Windows 98 -
Microsoft's sued
The DOJ also sued Microsoft for violating a 1994 consent decree, by forcing computer makers to include its Internet browser as a part of the installation of Windows software. -
Microsoft's new president
Steve Ballmer named president and chief executive officer for Microsoft -
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft launches Windows 2000 -
Steve Jobs is the CEO of Apple
Jobs is named CEO of Apple -
Microsft's .NET strategy
Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer outline Microsoft's .NET strategy for Web services -
Microsoft is out of problems
Judge Penfield’s 2000 decision is overturned on appeal. The DOJ announces that it is no longer seeking to break up Microsoft and will instead seek a lesser antitrust penalty. An agreement is reached between the DOJ and Microsoft on Nov. 2. -
Apple's iPod
The first iPod goes on sale, as do computers with OS X, the modern Mac operating system based on Next software. -
Microsoft Office XP
Microsoft launches Office XP -
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft launches Windows XP -
Microsoft's Xbox
Microsoft launches Xbox -