MCMLXXIX! (1979)

Space Invaders, Asteroids and Pacman dominated video game arcades.
WordStar is Released. (And indeed... much of FairCom's early documentation was thus born.)
Ethernet is introduced by Xerox, DEC and Intel.
The first commercial modem, the Hayes Micromodem 100.
The ADA programming language had just been released for the US Department of Defense. Still in use today.
Introduction of the Intel 8088 microprocessor for the IBM PC. Compatible with the 8086 with an 8-bit data bus! Notice the continued designation of 32-bit x86 in FairCom's V9.
Commodore PET released in the United Kingdom. (1MHz 6502 processor, monochrome, 8KB of RAM set you back 569 pounds.)
The Sinclair ZX80 introduced. (Editor's personal note -- he owned one.)
The Compact Disc (CD) was invented.
The Motorola 68000 microprocessor was launched.
Usenet was created.
The Atari 400 and 800 microcomputers hit the market.
Activision was formed from prior Atari programmers.
IBM began work on the IBM PC to compete against the Apple II and the Commodore PET.
The Texas Instruments TI-99/4 microcomputer was released. Audio cassettes stored your information!
Compuserve became the first service to offer email and technical support to personal computer users.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The emoticon?! -) Texting will never be the same.
FairCom introduces c-tree, the world’s fastest and reliable database solution!

Other World Events in 1979

The world waited to find out “Who Shot JR”.
Mr. Ed, the “talking horse” featured in the television show of the same name, dies.
Kate Hudson, Norah Jones and Jennifer Love Hewitt were all born.
The Bee Gees, Donna Summer and Rod Stewart were all Hot on the charts.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture Released.
Mash, Alice and Three’s Company were top ranked in our living rooms.
U.S. Voyager I spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings. Voyager I makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 172,000 miles.
First fully functional Space Shuttle Orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center, to be prepared for its first launch.
Susan B. Anthony dollar is introduced in the U.S.
NASA's first orbiting space station Skylab begins its return to Earth, after being in orbit for 6 years and 2 months.
Michael Jackson releases his first breakthrough album Off The Wall with 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7x platinum album.
U.S. Pioneer 11 becomes the first spacecraft to visit Saturn, when it passes the planet at a distance of 21,000 km.
Chrysler Corporation asks the United States government for $1 billion to avoid bankruptcy. (Sound familiar?)
The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run.
Entertainment Sports Programming Network, known as ESPN, debuts.
Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio. (A noted FairCom customer!)
Eradication of the smallpox virus is certified, making smallpox the first and to date only human disease driven to extinction.
Mother Teresa receives the Nobel Peace Prize.

References

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