- 1991 -
©1997-2002 - Donald A. Thomas,
Jr.
all rights reserved - http://www.icwhen.com/
(Revised 01/02/03)
F
ACTS and STATS (1991)n Nintendo sells 4.4 million Nintendo Entertainment Systems (NES). Four million Game Boys are sold.
n NEC sells 400,000 TurboGrafx-16 game systems.
n About 7.5 million Sega Genesis systems are sold worldwide.
n Sega sells 553,500 million Game Gear systems.
n Video game software sales including computer-based video games is estimated by EIA Consumer Electronics Group to be $3.4 billion for the year.
n Higher priced 16-bit video game systems explain a two million decline in video game console sales from the previous year to seven million. Although fewer units were purchased, the sales volume increased to $853 million.
n According to figures provided by Nintendo of America, video game sales this year are $4 billion.
HISTORICAL BENCHMARKS (1991)
n Activision, Inc. relocates from Menlo Park, California to Los Angeles in an effort to get closer to the movie industry and the pool of production talent in that marketplace.
n The summer issue of Atari Explorer features an article (pages 62-64) written by CompuServe's Mr. Ron Luks reviewing TRANSPORT; a Portfolio to Atari ST/MEGA/TT data transfer software product. TRANSPORT, published by Artisan Software was written by Mr. Donald A. Thomas, Jr. Also in this issue is a profile of Mr. Nevin Shalit, president of Step-Ahead Software and author of popular Atari 16-bit computer software.
n Berkeley Systems, Inc. releases AFTER DARK, an innovative collection of screen savers, for WINDOWS-based PC computers.
n Epson launches the EPL-7500 as the first RISC-based laser printer featuring built-in Postscript.
n Epson introduces the ESC/P2 control language for dot matrix printers which integrate scalable fonts.
n Hewlett-Packard Company, Inc. (HP) introduces the 95LX palmtop computer. It weighs 11 ounces and has built-in software including Lotus 1-2-3.
n Hewlett-Packard Company, Inc. (HP) introduces the the HP SONOS 1500 echocardiograph system which allows the medical community to perform quantitative cardiac analysis in real time by processing ultrasound waves.
n Impel releases a 140-count collector's trading card set based on Terminator 2: Judgment Day a blockbuster motion picture starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton released the same year. In the movie, the Atari Portfolio handheld DOS computer is used by John Connor to break into an Automatic Teller Machine. Card number 78 depicts young Connor using the Portfolio in Cyberdyne's vault.
n The Internet, having been established to link the military and educational institutions banned access to businesses. That ban is lifted this year.
n MAD magazine publishes a Super Special Summer edition with a Computer Virus theme and features a basic programs to display Alfred E. Neuman on the computer screen. The program for an Atari 8-bit computer is on page 45.
n After a year of technical delays, Motorola begins shipping the 68040 microprocessor.
n Namco, Ltd. registers its stock on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
n NeoGeo debuts at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show.
n Stratus Computer, Inc. introduce FTX as the industry’s first RISC-based system to run on UNIX System V, Release 4 on the Stratus XA/R product line.
n A CD-ROM drive is introduced by Tandy at $400; about half the price of comparable drives already on the market.
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) produce the first optoelectronic Integrated Circuit (IC) which combines silicon and gallium arsenide circuits.
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) fabricates the SuperSPARC 3.1 million transistor single-chip Reduced Instruction Set Chip (RISC) microprocessor in a 0.8-micron BiCMOS.
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) enters a joint venture with Canon, Hewlett-Packard and the government of Singapore to build an advanced semiconductor fabrication facility in Singapore.
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) becomes the first United States-based semiconductor company to open a dedicated Research and Development (R&D) facility in Japan. The site used is in Tsukuba, Japan)
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) forms a new international structure and names presidents for TI Europe and TI Asia.
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) sells industrial automation and controls hardware divisions to Siemens.
n Texas Instruments, Ltd. (UK) wins the Perkins Award for total involvement in quality.
n Texas Instruments Singapore wins the National Quality Control Circle Award.
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) introduces the BA II PLUS calculator as a powerful business tool for professionals and students to solve time-value-of-money calculations. It also solves cash-flow problems, computes net present value and internal rate of return. It sells for $45.
n Western Digital stock trades for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange.
INDUSTRY I/O’s (1991)
n ABC Software is founded in Switzerland.
n Accent Communications is founded.
n Accent Media Productions is founded.
n Acorn Entertainment is founded.
n Action Computer Supplies is founded.
n Advanced Digital Systems is founded.
n Altamira Software Corporation is founded.
n Amtex Software Corporation is founded.
n A.R.I.Q. Footage, Inc. is founded.
n Atlus Software, Inc. is founded.
n Bitmasters, Inc. is founded.
n CD Solutions, Inc. is founded.
n Comedy Central is founded.
n Convergence Point is founded.
n Data Diuplicating Corporation is founded.
n Digital Pictures, Inc. is founded.
n Eidolon, Inc. is founded.
n Epic MegaGames, Inc. is established.
n Firstlight Productions is founded.
n Fractal Design Corporation is founded.
n Image Smith, Inc. is founded.
n InfoBusiness, Inc. is founded.
n InSoft, Inc. is founded.
n IOB Distributors is founded.
n IVI Publishing, Inc. is founded.
n JVC Musical Industries, Inc. is founded.
n Knowledge Adventure, Inc. is founded.
n Krowten Distribution, Inc. is founded.
n Kudosoft, Inc. is founded.
n Magic Multimedia, Inc. is founded.
n Mediacom, Inc. is founded.
n Media Graphics International is founded.
n MPI Multimedia is founded.
n Multicom Publishing, Inc. is founded.
n Namco, Ltd. establishes Namco Europe, Ltd. in London, England.
n Navarre Corporation is founded.
n The Next Wave is founded.
n nVIEW Corporation is founded.
n Optical Laser, Inc. is founded.
n PCs Compleat, Inc. is founded.
n Pixel Perfect Software is founded.
n Quorum Direct is founded as a subsidiary of Applied International, Ltd.
n RAD Technologies, Inc. is established.
n RTM, Inc. is founded.
n Namco, Ltd. opens Sennichimae Plabo as a new large-scale arcade in Osaka.
n Skymall, Inc. is founded.
n Software Support, Inc. is founded.
n Sony Interactive Studios America is founded.
n The 3DO Company is founded by Mr. W.M. “Trip” Hawkins, III.
n STD Entertainment (USA), Inc. is founded.
n TAC Systems, Inc. is founded.
n TView, Inc. is founded.
n 21st Century Media is founded.
n Ubi Soft Entertainment is founded.
n U.S. Gold is founded.
n Videomedia, Inc. is founded.
n Virtigo Development Group, Inc. is founded.
n Virtual Entertainment, Inc. is founded.
n Visual Software, Inc. is founded.
n Walnut Creek CD-ROM is founded.
n Wilson Learning Corporation is founded.
n Zelos is founded.
MERGES, PURGES and ASSIMILATIONS (1991)
n Controlling interest in Activision, Inc. is purchased by an investment group headed by Mr. Bobby Kotick.
n Disc Manufacturing, Inc., purchases Philip’s and DuPont’s CD-ROM business.
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) acquires European CASE business of James Martin Associates, Ltd. (JMA).
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) finalizes the sale of Geophysical Service, Inc. (GSI) to Halliburton Company.
FISCAL FINANCIALS (1991)
n Acer Corporation, whose main focus is on PCs, chips and peripherals, enjoys sales of $985 million.
n Best Buy Company, Inc., a leading computer, appliance and electronics retailer, reports revenues for the year at $664.823 million and a net loss of $9.457 million. Home Office Department sales for the year are $90 million.
n Net sales for Soft Warehouse reach 543.9 million (20 stores). In March the chain will change their name to CompUSA.
n Hewlett-Packard Company, Inc.’s (HP) net revenues are $14.494 billion for the year with net earnings of $755 million. There are 89,000 employees.
n International Business Machines (IBM) will report a first ever year-end loss (1991) of $564 million on revenues of $64.8 billion.
n Microsoft has net revenues for the year of $1.843 billion with a net profit of $463 million and 8,226 employees worldwide.
n Prodigy revenues for the year are $48 million.
n Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) revenues for the year are $6.784 billion yielding a $249 million loss.
JANUARY (1991)
n On Tuesday, January 1, Mr. Lawrence Siegel takes over as President of Atari Corp.’s hardware and software video game division. Taking the reigns left by Mr. Mead Ames-Klein the previous year, Mr. Siegel relocates all crucial video game planning and marketing functions to Lombard, Illinois.
n On Friday, January 18 through Monday, January 21, the winter National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show is held in the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The show is host to 700 exhibitors within 340,000 square feet of show space. Atari was the first computer manufacturer to exhibit at any NAMM show due to its popular access to MIDI-based hardware and software in their 16-bit computers. Mr. Jon Anderson (Yes), Mr. Scott Gershin (award winning sound designer/composer), Mr. Paul Haslinger (Tangerine Dream) and Mr. Jimmy Hotz (Fleetwood Mac record producer) all drew crowds as they played to them in the Atari booth.
n In the Monday, January 21 issue of MicroTimes magazine, Donald A. Thomas, Jr. is recognized as one of 100 Industry Leaders. Mr. Sam Tramiel is also listed which leaves on 98 other positions for the remainder of the industry.
n On Tuesday, January 29, Atari stock jumps by over 33% from 1.875 to 2.5 on 835,000 traded shares (twice as many as a "normal" day).
n On Wednesday, January 30, Atari president, Mr. Sam Tramiel, is a conference guest in the Grand Hall of GEnie online service. The participation became so crowded that members were randomly and frequently dropped by the service.
n The Macintosh Portable computer is discontinued by Apple Computer.
n Apple Computer announces the plug-and-play Ethernet product line featuring the Apple Ethernet LC Card and the Ethernet NB Card for NuBus Macintosh systems.
n The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is petitioned by Apple Computer to allow computers to transmit and receive radio wave data.
n Atari Corporation’s Atari Explorer magazine has been reorganized and since the spring 1990 issue. The new January/February issue features Mr. John B. Jainschigg as publisher/editor. Cover stories include a statement by Mr. Sam Tramiel and extensive coverage of the Atari TT030 computer.
n Mr. Elie Kenan, formerly head of Atari France is assigned to take over the operations of Atari Canada.
n Atari Corporation’s U.S. division revamps it's dealer service network and lays off all corporate field sales representatives.
n GO announces the developer's release of the PENPOINT operating system.
n Microsoft announces MICROSOFT EXCEL 3.0 for WINDOWS, OS/2 and Apple Macintosh computers.
n Mr. M. Robert Goldberg joins Software Toolworks, Inc. as senior vice president of marketing.
FEBRUARY (1991)
n Atari Corporation's Mr. Greg Pratt is "make-up" guest in a new GEnie conference in consideration of technical problems GEnie experienced holding a conference with Mr. Sam Tramiel the prior week.
n Mr. Nevin Shalit notes finding an Atari Corporation STacy computer being used on stage at a STING concert.
MARCH (1991)
n The answer to the crossword puzzle clue Computer Game Company (24-across) for the Saturday, March 2 issue of TV Guide is ATARI. TV Guide is published by News America Publications, Inc.
n On Monday, March 25 through Thursday, March 28, the Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference is held in San Francisco.
n The Macintosh IIcx is discontinued by Apple Computer.
n Apple Computer designates that Fountain Colorado will be the site for a new manufacturing facility.
n Some claims filed by Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard against Apple Computer are dismissed by United States District Court. The suit challenges the validity of Apple’s copyrights for the Macintosh computer.
n Apple Computer introduces the StyleWriter and Personal LaserWriter LS economical printers. Apple’s high-end printers are assigned lower prices also.
n Atari Corporation previews the ST Book and the ST Pad computers at the international computer show (CEBIT) in Hanover, Germany. The ST Book was said to be near shipping (actually not many ever did) and the ST Pad was only in demonstrable condition pending yet significant work.
n Soft Warehouse, established in 1984, changes its name to CompUSA.
n GO debates Microsoft publicly at the PC Forum in Tucson, Arizona.
n Lexmark is established as an International Business Machines (IBM) spin-off printer and typewriter company.
n Microsoft announces the BallPoint Mouse for use with laptop computers.
n Microsoft acquires 26% of Dorling Kindersley, Ltd., a book publisher and international packager based in London. A part of the acquistion includes terms for Microsoft to license rights from Dorling Kindersley for future Microsoft multimedia products.
APRIL (1991)
n On Sunday, April 14, through Tuesday, April 16 the Spring European Computer Trade Show (ECTS) is held at Business Design Centre in London, England. 3,461 attend.
n On Thursday, April 18, WordPerfect Corporation completes what will become the final version of WORDPERFECT for the Atari ST
n The Advanced Computing Environment (ACE) initiative is created by 21 participating companies.
n American Information Technologies Corporation changes its name to Ameritech.
n Bending to environmental activists pressures of the times, Apple Computer announces intentions to eliminate the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) to clean circuit boards.
n The 1990 dismissal of the suit filed by Ashton-Tate against Fox Software and Santa Cruz Operations in 1988 for alleged copyright infringement of the DBASE language is reversed.
n Gateway 2000 begins shipping mail order personal computers in “cow-spotted” boxes.
n Mr. Jerry Kaplan of GO briefs staffers of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who are investigating alleged antitrust violations by Microsoft.
n The Intel 20-MHz i486SX microprocessor and the i487SX math coprocessor debuts.
n Nintendo of America awards their Super Nintendo System account to the advertising agency of Leo Burnett USA.
MAY (1991)
n On Wednesday, May 1, Mr. Steve Jackson and other alleged computer hackers, file a suit against members of the Chicago Task Force.
n Although considered two years late, Apple Computer releases the SYSTEM 7.0 Macintosh operating system at $99.
n Apple Computer announces QUICKTIME to integrate dynamic media for Macintosh computers.
n Apple Computer announces a twelve month restructuring plan which includes a reduction of work force by about ten percent.
n Creative Technology introduce the Sound Blaster Pro IBM compatible sound card.
n Microsoft announces MICROSOFT VISUAL BASIC for WINDOWS at the Windows World ’91 show in Atlanta, Georgia.
JUNE (1991)
n On Monday, June 10, Ms. Leslie Schmick files a suit against Mr. Gregory Pratt and Atari Corp. alleging that Mr. Pratt, 43 and married, coerced her into a sexual relationship and then fired her when she became pregnant. The suit is filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
n On Thursday, June 27, Atari announces that they have closed the sale of their assembly plant in Taiwan for $60 million. Some proceeds will go to the reduction of $27 million in bank debts. Manufacturing and assembly is subcontracted throughout Hong Kong and Taiwan.
n A line of communication products ships from Apple Computer which will enhance the ability of Macintosh computers to integrate with IBM’s Systems Network Architecture (SNA).
n ARIS Corporation enters the training market with formal classes on Oracle database technology.
n Atari Corporation drops the price of the color handheld system; Lynx to $99.99 from a previous suggested retail price of $129.99.
n Mr. Bob Schuricht, National Sales Director for Atari Corporation, teases the industry with word of a 32-bit Jaguar game system expected for release in 1992.
n GO and Microsoft unveil their pen-based operating systems at the NCR3125 pen computer announcement inm New York City.
n The 50MHz 486 microprocessor is introduced by Intel.
n Mr. Nathan Potechin, president of ISD Marketing based in Canada, negotiates with German-based DMC to represent CALAMUS ST at a price more affordable in the U.S. than $1,200. CALAMUS promises to be an outstanding professional desktop publishing (DTP) application for Atari 16-bit computers.
n Microsoft releases MS-DOS 5.0.
n The National Video Game and Coin-Op Museum is established and operated by the Edison Brothers Stores Foundation. The museum maintains over classic arcade machines which are on display and can be played by visitors.
n Nintendo of America introduces the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) to U.S. gamers at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Around 2.1 million units are sold this year. Nintendo also announces intentions to develop a CD-ROM for SNES cooperatively developed with Sony. They deny any plans for a Super Game Boy.
n Sega introduces their handheld color video game system; Game Gear after debuting the product since April in three test markets.
n Sony announces the Play Station (space intentional) at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Chicago. The system will have a port for Super Nintendo cartridges and a CD-ROM for Sony Super Discs. The next day, Nintendo will announce plans to form an alliance with Phillips on a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) CD-ROM instead of Sony as orginally planned. Due to other relationships both firms had with each other, Nintendo avoids a threatened lawsuit, however the events will later inspire Sony to develop a game system to compete directly against Nintendo's core business. The original Play Station never makes it to market and only about 200 will be said to have ever been made.
JULY (1991)
n On Wednesday, July 3, Mr. Jim Cannavino of International Business Machines (IBM) signs a technology sharing agreement with Mr. John Sculley of Apple that would integrate the Macintosh into the PC marketing environment. Shared technologies were in areas of the Power PC, multimedia standards and an object-orientated operating system (OS).
n On Wednesday, July 3, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is released to theaters in the U.S. by Carolco. The film, starring Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger, features the first digitally created major character as the morphing T-1000. The movie also features Mr. Edward Furlong (as Mr. John Connor) who carries with him an Atari Portfolio handheld DOS-based computer to "link-up" with Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) and CyberDyne's "securely locked" vault. Although the studios created the simplistic program used to show John breaking into an ATM, Mr. Donald A. Thomas, Jr. of Atari produced a collector’s ROM card which contained images from the film and an emulation of the program John used (visual simulation). The preprogrammed memory card was made available through Carolco fan club channels and to members of the Portfolio forum on CompuServe. This megamovie, with a production cost estimated around $100 million paid off big for Carolco, the production company as well as James Cameron, the director.
n Ashton-Tate is acquired by Borland for $440 million.
n GO's harware design group is acquired by AT&T. EO is formed as an offshoot of GO to build pen-based computers based on the PENPOINT operating system.
n Mr. Brad Silverberg, Microsoft vice president, predicts that DOS will be “with us forever”, citing the people’s “passion” for DOS.
n OS/2 v3.0 is renamed by Microsoft to WINDOWS NT.
AUGUST (1991)
n Apple Computer announces ten different language versions of the SYSTEM 7 operating system for Macintosh computers.
n Apple Computer launches an $800 Right Now Rebate in the United States on selected Macintosh computers and printers.
n Atari Corporation shows its UNIX SYSTEM V, Rel 4.0 dubbed ASV (Atari System V).
n Zortech, Inc is acquired by Symantec Corporation. Zortech is known for their C++ compilers for DOS, OS/2, WINDOWS, Macintosh and UNIX.
SEPTEMBER (1991)
n In the week of Friday, September 6 issue of San Francisco Business Times, an article by Mr. Clifford Carlsen cites that the Sega Genesis video game system has one hundred games available for the system. Super Nintendo System (SNES) has only two, one being SUPER MARIO WORLD which is the system pack-in. The move by Nintendo to allow developers to produce versions of games for competing systems is predicted to create an “onslaught” of new software for the newest 16-bit Nintendo system.
n On Sunday, September 8, Nintendo of America kicks off the biggest TV campaign in history to continue through December 29. With a $25 million advertising budget dedicated to the 16-bit Super Nintendo System (SNES) and another $10 million allocated to its traditional 8-bit line and the Game Boy, Nintendo plans to buy the market away from the Sega Genesis which was introduced in 1989.
n Although Monday, September 9 is Nintendo’s official retail launch date of the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Toys ‘R’ Us has already instigated early sales of the $199.99 system.
n During the week of Monday, September 16, Sega of America kicks off with a $1 million/2-day blitz of a $10 million advertising campaign depicting the Sega Genesis as the superior choice against the Nintendo 16-bit alternative.
n On Monday, September 30, Mr. David Cole, head of the WINDOWS development team at Microsoft, sends an email to another executive stating that a "bug" inside WINDOWS would "put comptitor's (software) on a treadmill (and) should surely crash at some point…". Cole warns that the existence of the bug must be kept secret. The message is in direct response to rival operating systems being developed.
n American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) complete a $7.4 billion takeover of NCR Corporation.
n Apple Computer introduces the Apple OneScanner, the Macintosh 21-inch Color Display, the LaserWriter IIg and the LaserWriter IIf laser printers at the Seybold computer publishing conference.
n Apple Computer donates 75 bicycles to be used by employees for intercompany building travel.
n Apple Computer announces intentions to relocate the United States Customer Support Center to Austin, Texas as well as establish a sixty to eighty person Module Repair Center in Fountain, Colorado.
n Judge James Ware of Federal District Court enters a decision in favor of two former Apple Computer officers, Mr. A.C. (Mike) Markkula, Jr. and Mr. John Vennard, in a 1982 securities law voliation case.
n Dr. DOS version 6.0 is released by Digital Research, Inc. for $100.
n International Business Machines (IBM), Apple Computer and Motorola agree on initial plans to develop PowerPC, PowerOpen and Taligent.
n Mr. David Stewart publishes his first issue of RE:Port newsletter. Focused on the Atari Portfolio, each issue includes a PC compatible diskette filled with software written by Mr. Stewart and other contributors.
OCTOBER (1991)
n The largest Apple Computer product introduction ever commences at COMDEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Products include the Macintosh Classic II, the Macintosh Quadra 700 and 900, and the Macintosh PowerBook 100, 140 and 170.
n Apple Computer announces the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface card for Macintosh computers in North America.
n Apple Computer, International Business Machines (IBM) and Motorola finalize an agreement to strive toward five catagories of technological milestones.
n Apple Computer announces a new Token Ring 4/16 NB Card at Networld in Dallas, Texas.
n In a continued effort to appease the growing concerns of environmentalists, Apple Computer announces new packaging and initiates a new battery recycling program.
n Creative Technology establishes Avidtek Company, Ltd., as a subsidiary located in Taipei, Taiwan to expand the Asian OEM market.
n International Business Machines (IBM) starts to promote PEN OS/2, an operatinmg system for pen-based computers.
n Mr. Lee Reiswig of International Business Machines (IBM) promises enhancements to OS/2 “until the late 1990’s”.
n International Business Machines’ (IBM) and Apple’s tentative agreements to share technology is officially signed in writing.
n The R4000, a 64-bit RISC processor, is introduced by MIPS Computer Systems, Inc..
n Mr. Marty Mankins publishes the premiere bi-monthly edition of Take It With You newsletter for palmtop computer users with continued coverage of the Atari Portfolio.
NOVEMBER (1991)
n Apple Computer appeals to the Court of International Trade for consideration to reverse the 62 percent tariff on active matrix flat panel displays.
n Die Ey opens as a new opera at the Junges Theater in der Altstadt in Dusseldorf, Germany. The opera was entirely composed on an Atari Corporation’s ST computer.
n Atari Corporation sells Atari SYSTEM V UNIX-based development systems on 200 Megabyte and 320 Megabyte hard disks to European developers.
n A 10-year joint development agreement is signed by International Business Machines (IBM) and Intel to create a series of integrated processors.
n Microsoft announces the MULTIMEDIA EDITION of WORKS for WINDOWS 2.0. This is Microsoft’s first use of multimedia incorporated into a business application.
DECEMBER (1991)
n QUICKTIME version 1.0 begins shipping from Apple Computer.
n CompUSA makes their first Initial Public Offering (IPO) of stock with 6,060,607 shares at $15 per share on NASDAQ under the symbol CUSA.
n Creative Technology launches Sound Blaster Multimedia Upgrade Kit. It bundles a Sound Blaster Pro audio card for IBM compatible computers, a CD-ROM drive, a MIDI kit and software to upgrade 386 computers to comply with the Multimedia PC Level 1 standard.
n Hewlett-Packard signs with CompUSA to sell their printers.
n In a $520 million stock deal, NCR merges with Teradata Corporation.