1970-1980

• 1970 - the newly formed Intel unveils the Intel 1103, the first dynamic access memory chip.
• 1971 - Alan Shugart leads a a team of IBM engineers who invent the "floppy disk" allowing data to be shared among computers
• 1973 - Robert Metcalfe, a member of the research staff for Xerox, develops Ethernet for connecting multiple computers and other hardware
• 1974-1977 - a number of personal computers hit the market
• 1975

  • The January issue of Popular Electronics magazine features the Altair 8080, describe as the "world's first minicomputer kit to rival commercial models"
  • Two computer geeks Paul Allen and Bill Gates offer to write software for the Altair using new BASIC Language
• 1976 - Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak start Apple Computers on April Fool's Day and roll out the Apple I, the first computer with the single-circuit board
• 1977

  • The TRS_80, was one of the first machines whose documentation was intended for non-geeks
  • Radio Shack's
• 1977 - Jobs and Wozniak incorporate Apple and show the Apple II at the first West Coast Computer Faire. It offers color graphics and incorporates an audio cassette drive for storage
• 1978 - Accountants rejoice at the introduction of VisiCalc, the first computerized spreadsheet program
• 1979

  • Word processing becomes a reality as MicroPro International releases WordStar
  • created by Rob Barnaby in email to Mike Petrie in 2000