Emulation:  Right or Wrong?
aka "The EmuFAQ"

copyright (c) 1999 Sam Pettus (aka "the Scribe"), all rights reserved


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Appendix C
Emulation Historical Timeline

     I am deeply indebted to Ken Polsson and his Chronology of Events in the History of Microcomputers for providing much of the information used as the primary backbone of this document.  There is a lot more in his compilation that I have omitted, and it is recommended reading for anybody who may be researching the history of personal computers.  You can find his excellent timeline at http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson.  I must also tip my hat to VideoGameSpot's History of Videogames for filling in many of the holes with regards to the videogame industry.  The article seems to come and go as of late, but you can usually find it at http://www.gamespot.com/features/universal/hov/hov01.html.  I must also acknowledge the help of the folks at the SYS2064 web site for their historical archives with regards to videogame emulation.  They are among the oldest emulation sites still to be found on the Internet, and you can find them at http://sys2064.emulationworld.com.
     Those of you familiar with Polsson's work will instantly recognize the overall layout and much of the material contained herein.  I have tried to distill it and reorganize it somewhat with regards to five specific concerns of the emulation industry:  computer industry developments, videogame milestones, emulation-related events, Internet concerns, and legal issues.  I know that the emulation community will feel that a lot has been left out in their regard, and I apologize for any mistakes and omissions on their behalf.  I leave it to them to help me fill in the gaps with regards to emulation and its evolution over the years.
     With this issue, I am also including notes regarding my personal involvement in the computer scene so that the rest of you
can have a yardstick to measure me by.  I have been called crazy by many, and I am no saint, but I can honestly say that I've "been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt."  I know that some of these comments are going to raise more than a few eyebrows, especially among my readers who count themselves among the vendors, but now is the time to finally "fess up" with regards to my past.  Some of you who doubt my credentials with regards to this subject can now rest assured that I know at least something of what I am trying to discuss in the EmuFAQ.  Perhaps, if there is enough interest, I just may share with you the story of that fateful day back in 1990 when my interest in computer videogames received a sudden and radical change....



1971 - Incubation

Videogames
    o    Nolan Bushnell develops a simplified hard-wired version of the popular minicomputer videogame SpaceWar and
          tries to generate interest in vending it commercially.  Rebuffed, he decides to found his own videogame company.



1972 - Birth of the videogame industry

Computers
    o    The 5.25" floppy disk first appears.
Videogames
    o    Atari is founded by Alan Bushnell.  Their first product is the coin-op arcade game Pong.


1973 - Birth of mass data transfer

Computers
    o    IBM releases the IBM 3340 hard drive, code named Winchester during its development.
    o    Bob Metcalfe invents the Ethernet.


1974 - Birth of the personal computer industry

Computers
    o    Gary Kildall, founder of Digital Research, develops the CP/M operating system for compters based on the Intel
          8080 CPU.
    o    Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie develop the C programming language.
    o    The Altair 8800, the world's first personal computer, is released in kit form.  It is highlighted in the December issue
          of Popular Mechanics, and magazine publisher Les Solomon receives the very first production model.
Videogames
    o    Atari releases Tank, its second major coin-op arcade, via Kee Games, a subsidiary in disguise.


1975 - Mr. Gates gets interested

Computers
    o    BASIC becomes the first programming language to be made available for the fledgling personal computer market.
          The particular version involved is a compiler written by Bill Gates and Paul Allen for the Altair 8800.
    o    Bill Gates and Paul Allen found what would become the Microsoft Corporation (originally spelled Micro-Soft).
    o    MOS Technologies announces the release of its 8-bit MC6501 and MC6502 CPUs.  They are one-sixth the cost
          of the then-dominant CPU, the Intel 8080.
Videogames
    o    Sears markets a home console version of Atari's Pong under its Telegames label.
    o    Magnavox begins development on what would eventually evolve into the Odyssey.


1976 - Apples and cartridges; Mr. Gates gets serious

Computers
    o    David Bushnell publishes an open letter from Bill Gates to the microcomputer hobbyists complaining about software
          piracy.  He then writes a second letter three months later, openly condemning it.
    o    The "twin Steves," Wozinak and Jobs, build the very first Apple computer.  The Apple Computer Corporation is
          subsequently founded on 1 April 1976.  They begin shipping "garage-built" Apple I computers almost immediately,
          and Steve Wozinak begins designing for what would become the Apple II.  Wozinak quits his job at Hewlett-
          Packard to devote his full energies to the fledgling Apple computer company.  A prototype of the Apple II is
          demonstrated by the end of the year.
    o    Bill Gates drops out of Harvard to concentrate on making Microsoft a viable computer company.
    o    Commodore Business Machines buys MOS Technologies, makers of the MC6501 and MC6502.  One of their
          employees, Chuck Peddle, designs the Commodore PET computer.
    o    The "twin Steves" make proposals to both Hewlett-Packard and Atari that they develop personal computers.  Their
          proposals are rejected out-of-hand.
Videogames
    o    A number of vendors rush to join Atari in the videogame market.  Among them is one with the innocent-sounding
          name of Coleco, short for COnneticut LEather COmpany (they had originally been in the shoe business).  Coleco
          markets its own clone of Pong.
    o    Fairchild releases the Channel F, the first programmable home videogame console.  It also pioneers the use of the
          plug-in cartridge for videogame software.
    o    Exidy Games releases the coin-op arcade game Death Race.  It is widely regarded as the first violent videogame,
          where players are awarded points by running over people, and causes a major outcry. (sound familiar, all of you
          Carmageddon fans out there?)
    o    Seeing no way to remain competetive in the growing videogame market, Nolan Bushnell sells Atari to Warner
          Communications.  At this point, Atari is still the number one manufacturer of videogames in the industry.
Legal
    o    Digital Research copyrights the CP/M operating system.
    o    The word "microsoft" becomes a registered trademark owned by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
Personal
    o    The author gets his first taste of the arcade coin-op videogames then available.  It sparks a never-ending passion
          with computers and computer technology.


1977 - PCs on the rise; birth of the home videogame console

Computers
    o    Charles Tandy, president of Radio Shack, is shown a working prototype of the TRS-80 personal computer.  At
          the same time, they reject an offer from Commodore to market the PET computer.  The TRS-80 Model I is formally
          unveiled in August and becomes an instant hit, selling more units than any other personal computer then available.
          Radio Shack opens its first retail store in October.
    o    Commodore shows its PET 2001 prototype at various trade shows in an effort to provoke interest in the machine.
          Its production facilities finally gear up in time for the Summer CES.
    o    Apple unveils the Apple II computer  It is the first personal computer to employ color graphics.  Company president
          Mike Markkula makes it their avowed goal to add an affordable floppy disk drive to the Apple II as soon as
          possible.
Videogames
    o    Taito of Japan releases the coin-op arcade videogame Gunfight, which is the first to use a microprocessor instead
          of solid-state circuits.  It is later vended in the United States by Midway Games.
    o    Bally toys with the idea of entering the personal computer market.
    o    Atari introduces the Atari Video Computer System (VCS), later renamed the Atari 2600.  It is the first widely
          popular home videogame console in North America, with units marketed by many major retail outlets.  The original
          retail price is US$250 for the console, an RF adapter, two joysticks, and two cartridges (Pong and Tank).
Legal
    o    The Apple Computer Company is formally incorporated.
    o    Microsoft is formalized as a business partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen.


1978 - An industry in flux

Computers
    o    Apple demonstrates a prototype 5.25" floppy disk drive for the Apple II at the Winter CES.
    o    Intel creates and then subsequently releases the 16-bit 8086 CPU in just three weeks.  It is a replacement for the
          troubled i432 project.
    o    The Altair 8800 personal compuer is discontinued.
    o    Atari formally enters the personal computer market with its Atari 400 and 800 systems, both based on the MC6502.
    o    Commodore successfully establishes its own dealer network for product distribution.
    o    Apple begins work on a new generation of personal computers using bit-sliced architecture.  The prototype is code-
          named Lisa.
    o    Christopher Curry founds Acorn Computer Ltd. in England.
Videogames
    o    Taito, a Japanese videogame company, develops the coin-op arcade game Space Invaders.  It is an immediate hit
          with the Japanese public.
    o    Due to Atari's long-standing practice of not crediting its programmers for its videogames, Atari 2600 game developer
          Warren Robinett creates the first "Easter Egg" for a computer videogame (Adventure).  It consists of a hidden room
          accessed via a special procedure in which is inscribed on the floor, "Programmed by Warren Robinett."
    o    Bally ships its Bally Professional Arcade game.
    o    Cinematronics releases SpaceWar to the arcades.  It is based on a popular game originally developed for PDP
          minicomputers by Stever Russell back in 1961.
    o    Nintendo of Japan releases its first videogame, Computer Othello.  It set the standard for Japanese coin-op arcade
          gameplay prices (one 100-yen coin per play).
    o    The popularity of computer videogames soar to new heights as Atari releases Atari Football and Midway imports
          Space Invaders from Japan.  At the same time, Namco develops and vends Gee Bee in Japan - the first
          computerized videogame based on the classic game of pinball.
    o    APF Electronics introduces the MP-1000 videogame unit.
    o    Magnavox releases the Odyssey2 home videogame console.
Internet
    o    The first computerized bulletin board system is started by Ward Christianson and Randy Suess.  It goes online in
          February, and is based in Chicago, Illinois.


1979 - Opportunity knocks

Computers
    o    Radio Shack announces the TRS-80 Model II.
    o    Intel releases the 8088 CPU.  It is a scaled-down 8086, operating at 16 bits internally but using a 8-bit data bus in
          order to better work with available hardware.
    o    Texas Instruments releases the TI-99/4A personal computer system.
    o    Motorola releases the 16-bit 68000 CPU.  Its name is derived from the fact that it incorporates 68,000 transistors
          into its design.
    o    Ross Perot offers to buy Microsoft from Bill Gates, but walks away from the reputed asking price of US$40-60
          million.
    o    Alan Shugart founds Seagate Technologies.  He also develops the Shugart Associates System Interface (SASI),
          the direct ancestor of SCSI.
    o    NEC releases the NEC PC 8001 microcomputer.  It is Japan's first personal computer system.
    o    300-baud modems become widely available, although they are still a bit pricey (US$175-$400).
Videogames
    o    Atari releases the coin-op arcade game Lunar Lander, its first game to use vector graphics.  Shortly thereafter it
          the coin-op arcade game Asteroids, also using vector graphics, which becomes its all-time most profitable title.
    o    Mattel introduces the Intellivision home videogame console.
    o    Sega of Japan releases the coin-op arcade game Monaco GP - a franchise that it would continue with many sequels
          and various adaptations and follow-ons for its various videogame consoles during the ensuing years.
    o    The Bally Videocade Computer System is offered for sale.
    o    Automated Simulations releases Temple of Asphai for personal computers.
    o    Atari manages to negotiate exclusive deals with many of the coin-op arcade vendors of the day whereby home
          console translations are produced exclusively for the Atari 2600.
    o    Nolan Bushnell leaves Atari to manage the Pizza Time Theater company.  This is the holding company for the Chuck
          E. Cheese pizza restaurant franchise.
Internet
    o    CompuServe begins the MicroNET service for computer hobbyists.  It is a combination of bulletin boards, databases,
          and on-line games.
Legal
    o    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopts a set of official rules for radio frequency interference
          generated by personal computers.
Personal
    o    The author receives an Atari 2600 videogame console and about a half-dozen cartridges as a Christmas present.
          Among the games he receives are Missile Command and Adventure, which were insistent requests on the author's
          part.


1980 - IBM and Microsoft make their move

Computers
    o    Computer Shopper commences publication.
    o    Commodore founder Jack Trammel announces in a company strategy session that he intends to build and sell a
          personal computer in the U.S. market for the unheard-of price of US$300.
    o    1200 baud modems enter the personal computer market.
    o    Apple unveils the Apple III computer
    o    Seagate sells the first 5.25" Winchester-style hard disk drives.
    o    Radio Shack unveils the TRS-80 Model III, the TRS-80 Color Computer, and the TRS-80 Pocket Computer.
    o    The EDLIN text editor is created as part of Seattle Computer's QDOS 0.10 (Quick and Dirty Operating System),
          Its projected lifetime is approximately six months.  QDOS itself is upgraded several times before it is bought by
          Microsoft as part of an exclusive deal with Seattle Computer.
    o    IBM initiates Project Chess. Its ultimate goal is to produce a viable microcomputer.  Digital Research is approached
          about making CP/M-86 (the latest incarnation of CP/M) available for the project, but declines interest.  Not to be
          daunted, IBM enlists the aid of Microsoft in designing an operating system for their new machine.  At the instance of
          Bill Gates, IBM dumps the Intel 8080 in favor of the 8086 as the heart of the machine.  In the meantime, Microsoft
          buys all the rights to a series of products collectively known as DOS (Disk Operating System) from Seattle Computer
          Products for under US$100,000, with the intent of converting and adapting them into a single package for use as the
          operating system on IBM's new personal computer.
    o    Sony and Philips invent the compact disc (CD).
    o    Intel introduces the 8087 math coprocessor.  It is designed to handle intense floating-point operations, hence the
          alternate name of floating-point unit (FPU).
    o    Commodore of Japan debuts the system that would later be known as the VIC-20.
Videogames
    o    A number of disgruntled Atari programmers, upset at the company's continued practice of discreditation, openly
          break with their employer and found their own company, Activision.  Their offerings for the Atari 2600 soon gain
          a reputation for originality and dark humor, and tap into many subject areas that Atari had previously ignored.
    o    Atari coin-op programmer Ed Rotberg creates Battlezone, widely regarded as the all-time greatest tank simulator
          ever made (despite its now-seeming simplicity).  It proves to be so revolutionary that the United States military
          commissions a special edition for training Army and Marine tank crews, thereby also becoming the first real-time
          computerized military combat simulator.
    o    Bill Henieman of Whittier, CA wins the First National US Space Invaders Competition, scoring 165,200.  His prize
          is an Asteroids tabletop unit.
    o    Namco releases Pac-Man, the most popular (and cloned) coin-op arcade game ever made.
    o    Infocom releases the first of the Zork roleplaying games for the Apple II and TRS-80.
Emulation
    o    Microsoft introduces its first hardware product, the Z-80 SoftCard for the Apple II.  This US$350 product gives the
          Apple II full CP/M capability, greatly adding to its software base and adding to Apple's success.
    o    Microsoft releasex XENIX/OS, a portable commercial version of UNIX.  It is designed to work with systems based
          around the Intel 8086, the Zilog Z8000, Motorola 68000, and the DEC PDP-11.
Personal
    o    The author is finally able to purchase a copy of Stellar Track for his Atari 2600.  It is an excellent port of Super
          Star Trek, that mainstay of mainframe gaming back in late 1960s and early 1970s (although the author is unaware
          of this at the time).


1981 - Portables, PCs, and the Beatles

Computers
    o    The Osborne I portable computer is introduced, weighing in at 24 pounds.  It uses the CP/M operating system.
          Other components include a Zilog Z80 CPU, 64K RAM, 2 5.25" single-sided floppy disk drives, and an internal
          modem.  10,000 units are sold in a single month, far exceeding projections.
    o    The Atari 400 personal computer is discontinued.
    o    The IBM 5150 Personal Computer (IBM PC) is introduced into the market. It ships with 64K RAM at the
          insistence of Bill Gates.  A single 5.25" floppy disk drive is standard, but provisions are allowed for other kinds of
          data storage.  Another option is the Color Graphics Array (CGA), a 16-color video card.  The IBM PC begins
          production immediately and units are shipped to buyers ahead of schedule - a first for the industry.
    o    Across the ocean, Acorn Computer Ltd. introduces the BBC Minicomputer System.
    o    National Semiconducter releases the 32000 CPU, the world's first 32-bit processor.
    o    The ANSI X3T9 standards committee adapts SASI as a working model for a new system interface, which will be
          formalized some five years later as the SCSI standard.
Videogames
    o    Nintendo creates the coin-op arcade game Donkey Kong, direct precursor to its Mario franchise.  The character
          of Mario is the brainchild of Nintendo artist Shigeru Miyamoto, and his given his name by the American office of the
          company in honor of their landlord, Mario Segali.
    o    Konami releases the coin-op arcade side-scrolling shooter Scramble - the game that would inspire oh-so-many
          such shooters. (R-Type, Gradius, Macross, et. al.)
    o    Atari releases the hit coin-op arcade game Tempest.
    o    Sega makes its mark on the American videogame scene by releasing a licensed version of Konami's Frogger.
    o    A man dies of a heart attack while playing Atari's coin-op arcade shooter Berzerk.  To date, this is the videogame
          industry's only known direct fatality.
    o    Bally enters into a licensing arrangement with Commodore whereby Bally arcade games are ported to the VIC-20.
          They are released as plug-in cartridges.  Similar arrangements are made with Bally and other companies for
          Commodore's new home computer project; among these is Walt Disney Software.
    o    Astrovision releases the Bally Computer System.
Legal
    o    Microsoft reorganizes into Microsoft, Inc., and several months later changes its name again to Microsoft
          Corporation.
    o    Apple Computer signs a secret agreement with Apple Records, the label of the Beatles pop rock band.  As part of
          the deal, Apple gets to retain use of the name while promising not to market any audiovisual products with recording
          or playback capabilities.
    o    Intel and AMD agree to collaborate on the design and production of new products.


1982 - The clone wars commence; a legend is born

Computers
    o    Commodore unveils a working prototype of the Commodore 64 (C64) personal computer at the Winter CES in
          January.  It is the first personal computer with integrated sound synthesis technology, and its SID audio processor
          garners much attention.  Actual productions modes begin shipping that summer, along with the VIC-1540 5 1/4"
          floppy disk drive.  The drive uses a serial bus, effectively limiting its use to the VIC-20 and C64.
    o    Apple reveals to Microsoft the existence of several prototypes for a new personal computer system that uses a
          graphic user interface (GUI) instead of the common command-line approach.  Microsoft is given one of these
          prototypes in order to develop compatable software.
    o    Microsoft MS-DOS is released for the IBM PC.
    o    Columbia Data Products releases the first working clone of the IBM PC.
    o    Digital announces the dual-processor DEC Rainbow 100.  It has both Z80 and 8086 processors, thus allowing it
          to run both CP/M and MS-DOS programs.
    o    Franklin Computer unveils the Franklin Ace 1000, the first working clone of the Apple II.
    o    Intel unveils the 80286 processor.
    o    Compaq Computer Corporation unveils the Compaq Portable PC.  It uses the Phoenix BIOS so as not to infringe
          on IBM's copyrighted BIOS code.
    o    Andrew Fluegelman releases PC-Talk, a communications program, free of charge.  It is the world's first shareware
          computer program.
    o    Hard disk drives become available for the IBM PC from several third-party vendors.
    o    Mouse Systems introduces the first mouse for the IBM PC.
Videogames
    o    General Consumer Electronics introduces the Vectrex, the first-ever home videogame system with a built-in display
          and the first to employ vector graphics..
    o    Milton Bradley buys General Consumer Electronix.
    o    Mattel releases the Intellivision II.
    o    Emerson releases the Emerson Arcadia 2001.
    o    Coleco releases the ColecoVision.  It is actually a scaled-down Japanese computer system in disguise.  Realizing
          that Atari has negotiated exclusive rights with Namco for ports of its arcade coin-op titles, Coleco quickly negotiates
          similar arrangements with Nintendo, Sega, Konami, and Universal.  Among the remarkably accurate ports that it
          offers for the ColecoVision are Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Froggger, and Mr. Do!
    o    Astrovision renames the Bally Computer System as the Astrocade.
    o    Atari releases its ill-fated Pac-Man and E.T. videogames for the Atari 2600.  They sell poorly and are widely
          derided as garbage, where the bulk of the unsold cartridges eventually wind up.
    o    Activision releases Pitfall for the Atari 2600, authored by David Crane.  It is one of the year's hottest-selling games.
    o    Atari releases the Atari 5200 home videogame console.  Sales are poor because the software base does not take
          advantage of the technology, resulting in games that are little more than souped-up Atari 2600 ports.
    o    Midway releases Namco's Ms. Pac-Man to the American arcade coin-op scene.  It becomes the most successful
          arcade coin-op game ever released.  By this time, there are a number of official (and unlicensed) clones, knock-offs,
          and spin-offs of the Pac-Man franchise.
    o    On 7 December 1982, Atari announces that Atari 2600 sales have not meet projected expectations.  Warner stock
          drops 32% of its value by the end of the day.  It is the beginning of "the great shake-out" in the videogame industry.
Emulation
    o    Compaq backs the development of the Phoenix BIOS, the first successfully reverse-engineered version of the IBM
          PC BIOS.
    o    Intel unveils the 80286 processor.  Little noticed at the time was its inclusion of "real 8086 mode" for full back-
          compatability with 8086 and 8088 oriented software.
    o    Xedex Corporation introduces the Baby Blue card for the IBM PC.  It is a Z80 processor on a plug-in card, thus
          allowing the system to use software developed for CP/M systems.
    o    Coleco provides a special adaptor that will let the ColecoVision play Atari 2600 games.
Legal
    o    Atari vs. Coleco.  Atari sues Coleco over its Atari 2600 videogame cartridge adaptor.  The courts eventually rule
          in favor of Coleco, as Atari's technology cannot be shown as being unique in any way.
    o    Intel and AMD sign a 10-year technology exchange agreement centering on Intel's x86 processor architecture.
    o    IBM vs. Phoenix.  IBM sues Phoenix Technologies and its sponsor, Compaq, over the development of the
          reverse-engineered Phoenix BIOS.  The courts rule that the Phoenix BIOS is a legal product and refuse IBM's
          request for an injunction.  This opens the floodgates on the PC compatible market.
Personal
    o    Late in the year, the author decides to obtain a C64 as his very first personal computer due to its video and graphics
          capabilities.  It never enters his mind to consider any other system.  Perhaps the commercials featuring STAR TREK
          star William Shatner (longtime fan of the series) and music by Johnann Sebastian Bach (a longtime fave) have a lot to
          do with his choice.


1983 - More legends, more lies, and lots of winnowing

Computers
    o    Mattel introduces the Aquarius personal computer.
    o    Apple officially unveils the Lisa personal computer, with an estimated development cost of US$150 million overall.
          It is considered slow, but innovative.  It is the first GUI-based personal computer, built around a Motorola 68000
          CPU, and includes a 5 MB disk drive.  Although only 100,000 units will be sold, it will serve as the basis for Apple's
          next machine.  To quote Apple executive Steve Jobs, "We're prepared to live with Lisa for the next ten years."
    o    Apple releases the Apple IIe personal computer.
    o    Atari rolls out the Atari 1200XL personal computer.  It subsequently cancels it several months later due to
          production problems.
    o    Commodore releases the SX-64, the first portable computer with a color display.
    o    Lotus Development releases Lotus 1-2-3 for MS-DOS based systems.
    o    IBM releases the IBM PC-XT.  It is the first product in the IBM PC line to adopt the 8-slot design for expansion
          cards, and also the first IBM personal computer to include a hard drive (10 MB).
    o    As part of a nationwide sales and rebate blitz, the Commodore VIC-20 becomes the first personal computer with a
          color display available for under US$100 at the retail level.
    o    Microsoft gives a "smoke and mirrors" demonstration of a new program dubbed Interface Manager that appears to
          be multitasking various programs.  In fact it is not, but it represents the first known public demonstration of what would
          become Microsoft Windows.
    o    Sony introduces the 3.5" floppy disk drive.  Previous efforts by other companies with 2.5" and 3.25" formats had
          failed to gain widespread acceptance.
    o    Radio Shack unveils the TRS-80 Model IV.
    o    Microsoft sells its first Microsoft Mouse.
    o    The Coleco Adam is introduced by Coleco at the Summer CES.  It restores the more obvious personal computer
          elements to the ColecoVision hardware that were deleted prior to its release.
    o    IBM announces, along with several other systems, the PCjr.  It instantly becomes the subject of much vitriol by both
          retailers and users alike due to its poor design.
    o    Having sustained consistent losses for some time, Texas Instruments abandons the personal computer system market.
    o    Microsoft officially announces the impending release of its Windows GUI.  Nobody is interested, and nobody really
          cares, either.
    o    Apple redesigns the Lisa and dubs the new system as the Macintosh.  It runs the now-famous "1984" add ahead of
          schedule in an obscure Midwestern market for the sole purpose of making it eligible for awards during that year.
    o    Commodore releases the Datasette and VIC-1541 floppy disk storage devices for its personal computers.
    o    Borland International is founded by Phillipe Kahn.
    o    Sony and Philips develop CD-ROM technology for personal computer systems, an extension of audio CDs.
    o    Bjarn Stroustrup creates the C++ extension to the C programming language.
    o    Microsoft, SpectraVideo, and 14 Japanese computer companies collaborate to develop the MSX standard for 8-bit
          Japanese personal computers.
Videogames
    o    Mattel announces the Intellivision III, and then quietly abandons it several months later.
    o    Atari demonstrates an add-on computer unit for the Atari 2600 called The Graduate.
    o    Starcom releases Dragon's Lair to the arcades.  It is the world's first laserdisc-based coin-op arcade game.
          Principal animation for the game is done by Bluth Studios, founded by former Disney animator Don Bluth.
    o    Atari ceases production of the Atari 5200 home videogame console.
    o    Dan Silva founds Electronic Arts.
    o    Over the course of the entire year, the home videogame console industry in the United States begins to slowly
          collapse.  The period is afterwards referred to as "the great shake-out."
    o    Nintendo releases the Famicom personal computer (i.e FAMily COMputer) in Japan.  Also available for it are
          excellent ports of a number of coin-op arcade titles, including Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers.  This, with
          certain alterations, would become known in North American markets as the NES.
Emulation
    o    Atari provides a special adaptor for the Atari 5200 that will let the system play Atari 2600 games.
    o    Video Technology demonstrates the Laser 2001, a dual-purpose videogame console that works with both
          ColecoVision and Atari VCS game cartridges.
    o    Taiwan Happy Home Computer Company shows the MultiSystem microcomputer at the Summer CES.  It is
          compatable with both the Apple II and the IBM PC.
Internet
    o    Tom Mack releases RBBS for MS-DOS, the first shareware BBS program.
Legal
    o    Apple vs. Franklin.  Apple files suit against Franklin, claiming copyright infringment of propretary Apple microcode
          stored within its  Apple system ROMs.  The courts rule in favor of Apple, and Franklin is forced to cease production
          of its clones.  The resultant fines and court costs eventually force Franklin out of the personal computer industry.
Personal
    o    The author receives his first personal computer as a birthday present.  It is a Commodore 64 with a Datasette drive.
    o    A local UHF station begin showing Star Blazers on weekday mornings.  It is the English-dubbed version of the
          legendary Japanese anime space opera Uchuu Senkan Yamato (Space Battleship Yamato), and the author is
          instantly hooked.  Through repeated viewings, he is able to catch each and every one of the original 48 episodes
          and carries that memory with him after the show goes off the air.  He also recalls seeing the Roger Corman English-
          dubbed version of Galaxy Express 999 around the same time, and becomes an instant Captain Harlock fan.


1984 - New kids on the block

Computers
    o    Apple formally unveils the Macintosh personal computer, re-running its "1984" ad during that year's Super Bowl game.
          The machine is almost identical to the Lisa except that it is smaller, twice as fast, and uses 3.5" floppy disks drives.  Its
          marketing slogan is, "Never trust a computer you cannot lift."  It is an instant success, with over 70,000 sold within the
          first 100 days on the market.  At the same time, Canon secures the Japanese distribution rights to the Macintosh from
          Apple.
    o    Seiko displays the first wristwatch computer.
    o    Commodore becomes the first personal computer company to break US$1 billion in sales for a single model - in this
          case, the C64.
    o    Jack Tramiel, founder and president of Commodore, resigns his post and leaves the company for good.
    o    IBM ships the PCjr.
    o    Apple retires the Apple III product line, and at the same time unveils the Apple IIc.  It also proves quite popular with
          the masses.
    o    Over at Microsoft, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer write an internal applications strategy memo regarding the company's
          commitment to GUI-based systems such as the Macintosh and its then-developing Windows.
    o    Commodore releases the Plus/4 and C16 personal computers, and discontinues the VIC-20.  The Plus/4 is the first
          personal computer to include applications software in ROM.
    o    A small startup company named Amiga demonstrates a prototype personal computer, code-named Lorraine.
          Impressed by their showing at the Summer CES, Commodore buys out Amiga - lock, stock, and barrel.
    o    Jack Traimel buys a controlling interest in Atari's personal computer products from Warner for US$240 million.
    o    IBM announces the release of the IBM PC-AT, running on Intel's 80286 CPU inside a redesigned system utilizing
          16-bit architecture and 16-bit expansion card slots that are back-compatable with older IBM PC and PC-XT
          hardware.  At the same time, it announces the Enhanced Graphics Array (EGA) for the new machine, supporting up to
          16 simultaneous colors on screen at 640x350 resolution.  A 20 MB hard drive is offered as an option, and Microsoft
          makes sure the MS-DOS 3.0 is ready in time to ship with the new system.
    o    2400 baud modems become available.
    o    Mattel sells off the Aquarius computer to Radofin Electronics.
    o    Hewlett-Packard introduces the first LaserJet printer.
    o    Philips offers the first CD-ROM drive for personal computers.  It is a single-speed device adapted from existing audio
          CD drive technology.
Videogames
    o    Sierra On-Line releases the first game in the King's Quest series
    o    The "great shake-out" continues.  The home console market goes bust as most folks, irritated by a constant barrage
          of low-quality games (of which Atari is the major responsible party), turn to the superior offerings to be found on
          personal computer systems.  Atari 2600 game cartridges are dumped at bargain-basement prices.  Almost every
          major player bails out of the market by the end of the year, with the notable exceptions of Atari and Nintendo.
    o    Milton Bradley discontinues the Vectrex.
    o    Magnavox officially discontinues the Odyssey and its derivatives.
    o    Nintendo offers Atari the opportunity to market a retooled version of the Famicom within the United States.  Atari
          shows interest in the machine but eventually declines, as they are secretly developing their own new console.  Miffed,
          Nintendo eventually decides to go it alone.
    o    Atari introduces the 7800 ProSystem home videogame console.
    o    subLogic releases the very first version of Flight Simulator, written for the Commodore 64.
Emulation
    o    NEC successfully clones Intel's 8-bit 8088 and 16-bit 8086 processors via reverse engineering.  The low-cost
          NEC V20 and V30 CPUs subsequently find their way into many IBM PC and PC-XT clones.
Internet
    o    Tom Jennings creates the FidoNET BBS network.
Legal
    o    IBM wins a copyright lawsuit against Corona Data Systems for infringing on the IBM PC BIOS.
    o    Federal judge Harold Green orders the breakup of the Bell System.  AT&T is split off as an independent company,
          and the "Baby Bells" are created from the old Bell System's various regional divisions.
Personal
    o    The author uses an Apple II computer system for the first and last time as part of a special summer program for
          gifted youth.


1985 - A new wave builds

Computers
    o    Commodore unveils the Commodore 128 (C128) at the first of the year.  It is actually three computers in one - a
          fully functional C64 mode for back-compatability, a new 128K operating mode (with 80x25 display text capability),
          and a CP/M mode.  It also unveils the 1571 double-speed, double-sided 5.25" floppy disk drive, the 1670 modem
          (1200 baud), and the 1902 combination chroma-luma/CGA monitor as accessories.
    o    Atari unveils its new Atari ST line of personal computers, developed with the backing and aid of Jack Traimel.
          It is quickly dubbed the "Jackintosh" as a result of his involvement.
    o    Coleco divests itself of the Adam and leaves the personal computer business.
    o    Apple officially redesignates the Lisa as the Macintosh XL.  It is dropped from the product line three months later.
          Around the same time, Steve Jobs is dismissed from his executive position at Apple and is eventually forced to leave
          the company.
    o    IBM discontinues the PCjr.  (YES!!!  Sorry sack of $#!+!)
    o    Microsoft releases Microsoft Windows 1.0 for the IBM PC.  Nobody notices, and nobody really cares, either.
    o    Commodore unveils the Amiga personal computer at a special showing in New York.  On hand is famous pop artist
          Andy Warhol to promote the machine.  It features the first true multitasking, multithreading GUI-based operating
          system for a personal computer, as well as being the first computer to offer on-board digital stereo sound synthesis.
          The model that debuted on that day would later be renamed the Amiga 1000 (A1000).
    o    Intel introduces the 80386 CPU.  It is a pure 32-bit processor through and through, and attracts the immediate
          attention of the PC clone makers.
    o    Commodore attempts to cease production of the C64 several times during the year, but is forced to restart each and
          every time due to popular demand.
    o    Intel introduces the 80287 FPU.
    o    Commodore releases the C128D in Europe, a special version of the C128 with a detachable keyboard and internal
          1571 disk drive.  It is unable to release the machine in the United States due to its failure to gain FCC certification.
Videogames
    o    Epyx releases Summer Games II for the Commodore 64.
    o    Broderbund releases Karateka and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? for the Commodore 64.
    o    Activision releases Hacker for the Commodore 64.
    o    Nintendo begins limited marketing its Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America via its own
          distribution network.  They create R.O.B. the Video Robot as a marketing ploy to get the unit into retail outlets,
          who are still rather gun-shy after "the great shake-out."  A number of games are developed for release, but the three
          that eventually wind up in the original shipments are Gyromite (for the R.O.B. version), Duck Hunt, and Super Mario
          Brothers.
Emulation
    o    Mimic Systems introduces the Spartan, an accessory for the Commodore 64 that transforms it into an Apple IIe.
          Sales are understandably sluggish given the unit's high price, which is comparable to that of a stripped-down Apple II.
    o    Among the announced accessories for the new Amiga computer is the PC Sidecar, a hardware-software emulator
          that offers support for IBM PC and PC-XT software
Internet
    o    General Electric begins the GEnie on-line service.
    o    QuantumLink, a Commodore-specific telecommunications network, begins operations.
Personal
    o    The author scrapes up the money to buy an Indus GT floppy disk drive for his C64.  The major reason for going with
          the third-party product is its built-in track indicator for the read/write head - which proves to be quite useful in his
          various efforts at breaking the copy-protection schemes of C64 videogame software.
    o    The author makes his first connections with the computer underground.  Among the first programs he obtains from
          his new friends is the legandary C64 disk duplication program Fast Hack'em, as well as a copy of one of his all-time
          favorite polygonal shooters - Stellar 7.


1986 - The dawn of the emulation age

Computers
    o    Intel begins production of the 80386 CPU
    o    Compaq introduces the Deskpro 386, the first mass-marketed 80386-based system, clocking at 16 MHz.
Videogames
    o    The NES begins widespread distribution in the United States.  It quickly establishes superiority, outselling its closest
          competitor by a 10-to-1 margin.  Almost all of Atari's cachet of licensors quickly defect to the new system, which
          has a suggested retail price of US$250.
    o    Convinced that it has a shot in the rebuilding American videogame market, Sega releases the Sega Master System
          in the United States.
    o    Atari begins marketing the 7800 ProSystem home videogame console, which is directly back-compatable with its
          Atari 2600 videogame base.  By now, Atari's reputation is thoroughly shot, and most pundits do little but snicker
          at Atari's doomed efforts to recapturing the home console market.
    o    Nintendo releases a disk drive system for the Famicom in Japan.  It decides not to bring the expensive peripheral
          to the American market, deeming that it will not sell well.
    o    The Legend of Zelda, the legendary Nintendo RPG, is released for the NES.
Emulation
    o    PC-Ditto is released for Atari ST systems.  It is the world's first pure software emulator, allowing Atari ST users to
          use software for IBM PC and PC-XT systems
    o    Commodore releases the PC-Transformer, a pure-software IBM PC emulator for Amiga systems.
Personal
    o    The author receives his first "Beemer" - a Zenith PC-AT clone on loan from the U.S. Navy during his military service.
          Included with it is a copy of Microsoft Windows 1.0.  The author looks at it for two days and then trashes it, noting,
          "Too much overhead for not enough function on my hardware."  It is a comment that he will wind up repeating with
          each successive version of Windows.
    o    The author buys his first IBM PC game - Bill Budge's Pinball Construction Set.  It proves to be an instant hit with
          his shipmates.
    o    The author receives his first bootleg IBM PC program.  It is a working copy of Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.0.  The first
          bootleg PC games that he recalls receiving from his shipmates are CGA versions of Alley Cat and subLogic's Jet.


1987 - More horsepower for the masses

Computers
    o    Commodore officially releases the A500 and A2000 models of the Amiga, as well as the Commodore 128 and
          128D 8-bit computers.
    o    IBM introduces Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) in its new line of IBM compatible PS/2 personal computer
          systems.  It is the first, but not the last attempt to escape the limitations of the IBM PC-AT's 16-bit expansion bus.
          IBM's proprietary nature regarding the technology will eventually cause it to be abandoned several years later,
          although the card connector design will later be adapted and transformed by Intel for its own purposes.
    o    The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) is founded.
    o    Borland introduces Quattro, a fast spreadsheet program that is fully compatable with Lotus 1-2-3 macros and
          includes a copy of its famous "slash-bar menu."
Videogames
    o    Sega sells the U.S. distribution rights of the SMS to Tonka.  The console is generally regarded as inferior to the
          wildly popular NES.
    o    NEC debuts the PC Engine (TG16/PCE) home videogame console in Japan.  Its technology is developed in
          cooperation with videogame maker Hudson Soft, who subsequently shifts away from NES development in favor of
          the new console.
Legal
    o    AMD files suit against Intel for breach-of-contract.  This is the opening salvo in what will become the Intel vs. AMD
          dispute over cloning the 80386 CPU.
Personal
    o    The author finishes his tour of duty with the Navy and is forced to return his PC-AT clone.  It soon goes unmissed,
          but he saves all of the software that he obtained during its use - a fortuitous move, as later developments will show.
    o    The author returns from his stint in the Navy and resumes both his above-ground and underground computer contacts.
    o    The author finishes coding what will be his one and only commercial-level application, CRMP 2.0 for the C64.
          The name is an acronym for Church Records Master Program.  Coded entirely in BASIC, it employs module-
          swapping techniques to provide small churches with a means of building and maintaining simple membership and
          financial databases.
    o    The author becomes schooled in the use of new C64 hacking technology available from Datel Computers Ltd. of
          Great Britian.  Among these is the original Action Replay cartridge.
    o    The author scrapes together the money to buy one of the new and highly prized C128D computers via mail order in
          late summer for use on his BBS.  He is the only C128D owner within a seventy-five mile radius of his home, as other
          Commodore users elect to keep their existing disk drives and upgrade to the cheaper C128 instead.
    o    The author obtains two additional 1571 floppy disk drives and a Lt. Kernal 20 MB hard drive for his C128D.  He
          recalls getting the floppy drives on loan from other users and paying almost US$900 for the Lt. Kernal.  He has now
          become the center of a burgeoning C64 "warez" community.


1988 - A pivotal year

Computers
    o    The SCSI standard for data transfer is formally adopted.
    o    The Atari ST continues its swift decline in the light of the superior Amiga.
    o    Intel releases the 80386SX processor.  It uses 32-bit internal processing and a 16-bit data bus.  Overall performance
          is not markedly different from the tried and true 80286, but its chief draw is support for the 80386DX's "extended
          mode."
    o    Apple releases the Apple IIGS - the last major variation on the Apple II product line.  It is the first Apple II to ship
          with a GUI-based operating system.
    o    Digital Equipment begins Project Alpha, whose goal is to develop a next-generation 64-bit CPU.
    o    Steve Jobs unveils the NeXT computer - a concept design that is supposed to represent the future of personal
          computing.  Although it is never accepted and the company eventually forced into bankruptcy due to lack of sales,
          several of the concepts it embodied are later picked up by the industry.  Bill Gates, president of Microsoft, was
          quoted as saying, "Develop for it?  I'll piss on it."
    o    GEOS 2.0 is developed for Commodore 8-bit computers.
    o    Digital Research transforms CP/M into DR-DOS as a cheaper and compatable alternative to MS-DOS.
    o    The IBM PC-AT expansion bus is given the formal name of Industry Standard Architecture (ISA).
Videogames
    o    NEC secures the support of such licensees as Irem, Namco, and Capcom in a concerted effort to produce and port
          higher quality titles for the PC Engine than are available for the NES.
    o    Spectrum Holobyte imports the popular Russian videogame Tetris into the United States.  It is a first for the industry,
          and the program proves as popular in America as it is in its mother country.  It is the first popular puzzle videogame,
          indicating a previously untapped market, and the clones are quick in coming.
    o    Sega develops the MegaDrive 16-bit home videogame console in Japan.  It is released to limited success.
Emulation
    o    Readysoft unveils A-Max at the World of Commodore show in November.  It is the world's first Macintosh
          emulator - a combination hardware-software product designed for use with Amiga computer systems.
    o    At the same show, Commodore unveils its A2088 and A2286 PC-Bridgeboards for the Amiga A2000.  Both are
          combo hardware-software emulators, with the first providing PC-XT compatability and the second providing PC-AT
          compatability.
Legal
    o    Atari vs. Nintendo.  Atari files suit over Nintendo's monopolistics practices
    o    Apple vs. Microsoft and Hewlett Packard.  Apple files suit over Microsoft Windows, claiming that it is an
          unlicensed "port" of MacOS for use with PC compatible systems.  It also claims the same of Hewlett-Packard's
          NewWave product.
Personal
    o    The author establishes his own "warez group," with a core of two veteran C64/128 hackers, one veteran Amiga
          hacker, and one dedicated videogamer who is willing to serve as the group's chief "wareztester."  Other members
          float in and out to verify the useability of new warez as need dictates.
    o    The author buys an Amiga 2000 in September with a US$2000 bank loan.  He raises part of the initial capital by
          selling his beloved C128D system - the only time he has ever sold a personal computer for the same price that he
          initially paid for it (US$450).
    o    The author obtains his first piece of bootleg Amiga software sometime arount November.  It is a copy of the long-
          discontinued PC Transformer emulator.


1989 - The Golden Age of Emulation begins

Computers
    o    The VESA standard for SVGA graphics modes is formalized.
    o    Commodore discontinues the C128 and C128D; however, the popular C64 (which they were supposed to replace
          remain in limited production.
    o    Intel releases the 80486 CPU.  It is actually an 80386 CPU and 80387 FPU on the same mask, along with 16K of
          internal cache.  This move effectively discards the then-current practice of a separate FPU.
Videogames
    o    The NEC PC Engine is market in North America as the Turbo Grafx 16.  They also develop a CD-ROM accessory
          for the unit (the PC-CD), and it becomes the first home videogame console to support this new delivery system.
    o    Nintendo releases the first version of its Gameboy handheld console for US$149.
    o    Atari devises its Rabbit emulator as a means of bypassing Nintendo's proprietary lockout technology for the NES.
          They soon begin releasing their own unlicensed NES games under the Tengen banner, and also acquire the rights to
          such popular Sega titles as Shinobi and Alien Syndrome.
    o    Sega releases the Sega Genesis in the United States for US$250.  Altered Beast is the console's flagship title.
    o    Atari releases the Atari Lynx for US$180, the first hand-held color portable videogame console, made in conjunction
          with fellow financially ailing Epyx Games.  A number of Atari 7800 ports are developed, but sales are poor and the
          intended market is plagued with constant rumors that Atari is about to discontinue the product.
Legal
    o    Xerox gets involved in the Apple/Microsoft dispute by filing its own action against Apple, claiming that the MacOS
          incorporates liberal portions of the Xerox Star operating system for Xerox workstations.
    o    Apple Records vs. Apple Computer.  The record label for the Beatles files suit against Apple, claiming that the
          development of multimedia equipment and applications for the Macintosh, which makes it possible to produce
          digital renditions of copyrighted Beatles songs, violates the terms of their 1981 agreement.
Personal
    o    The author encounters the retail version of A-Max for the first time.
    o    The author strips the 20 MB SCSI hard drive out of his old Lt. Kernal hard drive and mounts it on a newly purchased
          GVP combo card (2 MB on-board) for use with his Amiga.  He quickly runs out of room and eventually winds up with
          a 200MB Quantum SCSI hard drive, having also gone through an 80 MB drive in the process.
    o    The software pirate group that the author leads begins networking with other such groups.  This marks the beginning
          of what would become two year's worth of "road trips," culminating in the largest bootleg software archive for C64,
          C128, and Amiga computer systems ever assembled in that part of the United States.  It is during one of the very first
          of these road trips that he obtains the infamous A-Max bootleg.
    o    The author develops his fondness for Creative soundcards and ATI video cards around this time, due to extensive
          testing and usage involved as part of his then-current job as a free-lance computer consultant with an unnamed
          major corporation.
    o    The author gets a sampling of Microsoft Windows 2.0 when he has to install it to run a particular presentation
          program for a local graphics company.  It does little to change his distaste for Microsoft's GUI-based operating
          system.


1990 - The death (and birth) of other legends

Computers
    o    Microsoft Windows 3.0 is released.  It is the first version of Windows to gain widespread public acceptance.
    o    Commodore unveils the Amiga A3000, representing the third (and final) generation of the original Amiga.  It is the
          first Amiga to incorporate the AGA chipset (among other things) - along with built-in support for VGA monitors.
    o    Apple releases the Mac Classic, and discontinues almost all models at the lower end of its computer system line at
          the same time.  Among the casualties is the Apple IIc+, the last of the Apple II series computers.
    o    AMD publically acknowledges that it is working on cloning Intel's 80386.
    o    The MPC Level 1 standard for multimedia systems is established.  It calls for an 80386SX-powered computer with
          2 MB RAM, a single-speed CD-ROM, a 40 MB hard drive, and 640x480 8-bit VGA graphics.
    o    Stacker is released by Stac Electronics.  It is the first commercially available "disk-compression" program, using
          patented compression algorithims to effectively increase the storage capacity of both hard and floppy disk drives.
    o    Commodore officially discontinues the C64.  A derivant, the 64GS dedicated videogame console, lives on in Europe
          and other parts of the world for about a year longer.
Videogames
    o    Nintendo releases Super Mario Brothers 3, the all-time best-selling videogame cartridge.  This is generally
          considered by many as the console's best year for software production.
    o    Nintendo unveils its successor to the NES, the 16-bit Super Famicom (aka the Super Magicom) in Japan.  Its
          premiere title is Super Mario World, and it takes the Japanese home console market by storm.
    o    SNK debuts the NeoGeo System in Japan.  It is the industry's first and only 24-bit videogame system, with its
          hardware being identical to the actual arcade coin-op machines that SNK also distributes.  The audiovisual power
          of the NeoGeo easily crushes its opponents, but the price of the NeoGeo crushes SNK's sales.
    o    Sega releases an almost perfect port of Capcom's well-received arcade coin-op Strider for the Genesis.  The
          Genesis port of Strider wins the prestigous Game of the Year award.
    o    NEC releases the TurboExpress, a handheld version of the TG16/PCE.  It is the first self-contained portable.
          console that can play a dedicated videogame console's games (an earlier product by Atari lacked a screen).
    o    Sega releases the handheld GameGear system.
Emulation
    o    Hidden inside the newest release of Windows are a small number of emulators, including Calculator and kludge code
          for systems not equipped with FPUs.
    o    Duo Computing releases the DuoPC, which combines both a PC-AT and a NES into a single unit.
    o    IBM sponsors the "Patriot Partners" program.  Its avowed goal is one operating system for multiple platforms.
Legal
    o    Xerox's charges of copyright infringement against Apple are thrown out of court.
    o    This years goes down in infamy on the part of many hackers due to Operation Sun Devil, a massive nationwide sweep
          by the FBI against the computer underground.
    o    Nintendo vs. Blockbuster.  The two media giants go to court, with Nintendo arguing that videogame rentals cut into
          its profits.  They eventually settle, with Blockbuster making arrangements with Nintendo to legally rent any and all
          present and subsequent titles for its videogame consoles.
    o    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) begins an investigation against perceived monopolistic practices on the part
          of Microsoft.
    o    The saga of Lotus vs. Borland begins.  Lotus sues Borland over Quattro, claiming that the program unlawfully
          duplicates the "look-and-feel" of Lotus 1-2-3.
    o    Macronix vs. Nintendo.
Personal
    o    The author obtains a GVP 33MHz 68030/82 accelerator, an IBM 330 MB SCSI hard drive, and a tower case for
          his A2000.  He also beefs it up with 24 MB RAM (8 fast, 16 on the 030 card), a 2 MB Fatter Agnus, AmigaDOS
          Kickstart/Workbench 2.04, a ProGen SVHS genlock, and the Shadow hardware-based floppy disk duplicator.
    o    The author gets his first taste of the NewTek Video Toaster.  He (correctly) predicts to his friends that it will
          revolutionize the personal computer industry.
    o    In late summer, the author narrowly escapes arrest as part of the Operation Sun Devil sweep.  As a result, he swears
          off any and all involvement with software piracy and resolves to stay on the straight and narrow from that point on.
          Over this and the following year, he unloads his vast collection of over 3000 C64, C128, and Amiga bootlegs.   It
          will be a number of years before he will even consider using a modem or doing anything even remotely connected to
          videogames.


1991 - Communities in flux

Computers
    o    Commodore releases CDTV, available as both a standalone unit and as an accessory for Amiga computers.  It is
          almost universally derided.
    o    Intel begins work on what many call the 80586 processor.  Although back-compatable with the 80486, it employs
          a 64-bit design scheme.
Videogames
    o    Sega releases Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis.  Console sales skyrocket, and the Genesis begins to gain
          ground in sales against the NES.
    o    Under pressure from soaring sales of the Sega Genesis, Nintendo ports the Super Famicom to the North American
          market.  It is released as the Super Nintendo, but most folks call it the Super NES or SNES for short.
    o    Sony and Nintendo announce a joint venture to develop a CD-ROM drive for the SNES.  The resulting product is
          to be called the PlayStation.
    o    Galoob releases the very first version of its Game Genie game enhancer, which is specifically designed for use with
          the NES.
    o    Capcom releases the highly popular arcade coin-op Street Fighter 2, which breathes new life into fighting games.
    o    Nintendo gains a one-year exclusive contract with Capcom for its arcade game ports.
    o    Sega releases Time Traveler to the coin-op arcades.  It is the first videogame to employ holographic imaging.
Emulation
    o    RDI announces the availability of Mac emulation software for SPARC workstations.
Internet
    o    The ban on business advertising is lifted on the Internet - a decision which many have regretted ever since.
Legal
    o    Intel vs. AMD.  Intel sues for copyright violation over the use of copyrighted Intel 80286 microcode within AMD's
          new Am386 processor.  It also claims trademark infringement over the use of the term "386" in AMD's product.
    o    Sega vs. Accolade. Accolade is sued by Sega for marketing unlicensed videogames for the Sega Genesis videogame
          console.
Personal
    o    The author's brother buys a NES.  The author is unimpressed, commenting that the C64 could do better.
    o    As part of his Commodore software reduction, the author releases CRMP 2.0 into the public domain.  He donates
          the original program disks, source code, and master copy of the user's manual to a local C64 software archivist.
    o    By this time, the author has reduced his old software archies to a mere 100 or so Amiga titles and some 25-30 IBM
          titles, almost all of which are in 3.5" floppy disk format.  The author begins to seriously contemplate parting ways
          with the Commodore community.
    o    The author's love of anime (Japanese animation) is reawakened by a chance viewing of the English-dubbed version
          of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.  Over the next seven years, he becomes deeply immersed in what fans of
          the scene call "the third wave" of anime to hit the American market.  This knowledge base will prove useful in later
          years.


1992 - The next wave breaks

Computers
    o    Intel introduces clock-multiplier technology with its 80486DX2 series of CPUs.  It also decides to adopt the name
          "Pentium" for its new 64-bit processor instead of calling it the 80586, due to the fact that both AMD and Intel are
          preparing to announce clone CPUs under the latter name.  "Pentium" becomes a registered trademark of Intel, with
          the chip itself code-termed P54.
    o    Microsoft Windows 3.1 ships, incorporating a number of significant enhancements to its immediate predecessor.
          This is the version widely regarded by Windows aficionados as the first "stable" version.
    o    Intel introduces the PCI bus for system expansion cards, while the VESA consortium rolls out the VESA VLB bus.
          Together, these represent the first significant major change to PC architecture since the introduction of the original
          16-bit ISA extension for the IBM PC-AT. (NOTE:  Some regard the inclusion of on-board cache for 80386-based
          systems as the first significant change, but I do not since it only affected the CPU.  If you want to take that arguement,
          then the use of the 80386 itself would get first dibs.)
    o    The firstfruits of a joint IBM/Motorola venture become evident as the first PowerPC CPUs hit the market.
    o    Philips unveils its CDi system.
    o    Apple's Macintosh Powerbook becomes the first laptop comptuer to break the US$1 billion barrier in sales.
    o    Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) ships the first Alpha RISC processor, the first true 64-bit CPU.  The initial
          incarnation has a base clock speed of 150 MHz.
    o    The last old-style Amiga models, the A600 and A1200, are announced.  These are both AGA machines and the first
          to incorporate the AGA 2 specification.  By now it is public knowledge that Commodore's profit margins are
          shrinking, although Commodore refuses to discuss the issue.
Videogames
    o    Sega releases the Sega CD (Mega CD overseas) accessory for use with the Genesis  for US$250.  It is the first
          Genesis accessory to give the console something of the power of the SNES/SFC (true sprite scaling and zooming).
          Its potential is seriously hampered by Sega's reluctant access to development tools, with the result that many of its
          early titles are either interactive moves or ports of popular Genesis titles with a CD-quality soundtrack.
    o    Sony completes the prototype for the SNES PlayStation CD-ROM drive.  In a surprise move, Nintendo decides to
          drop the project.  Angered by Nintendo's behavior, Sony uses its experience to develop an all-new 32-bit home
          videogame system from scratch, based around the CD-ROM delivery system that it originally developed for
          Nintendo.  The PlayStation name is retained, but rewritten as Playstation.
    o    Realizing that Capcom's best programmers will be working on SNES ports and the effect that this deal will have on
          the Genesis, Sega retaliates with Sonic the Hedgehog 2.  It comes out just in time for Christmas and becomes the
          all-time best-selling game for the console.
Emulation
    o    The PowerOpen Association openly calls for specifications for personal computer plaforms that can enable them
          (under emulation if necessary) to provide cross-platform support for all Unix, MacOS, DOS, and Windows
          software.
Legal
    o    AMD vs. Intel.  AMD wins the legal battle when the courts rule that the Am386 is a legally valid clone product, but
          a later ruling bars them from continued use of Intel microcode within its products.  AMD opts to re-license the code
          from Intel rather than having to reverse-engineer the offending code.  The overall case is hailed as a landmark by
          the personal comptuer industry.
    o    Lotus vs. Borland.  Lotus wins a preliminary injunction against Borland.  Borland responds by voluntarily removing
          all 1-2-3 style features from Quattro and its descendant, Quattro Pro.
    o    Sega vs. Accolade.    A federal appeals court rules that Accolade's unlicensed videogames are legal so long as they
          do not trip the Sega Trademark Security System (TMSS) within the Sega Genesis.  The two parties eventually settle
          out of court.  In the process, the legality of the practice of "cart dumping" for the sole purpose of software
          development and the concept of reverse engineering as a legal tool of developers are confirmed - much to the chagrin
          of the computer software industry.
Personal
    o    The author breaks up his beloved Amiga system to various interested parties, and eventually sells the original A2000
          base unit for US$800.  When asked why, he responds, "I can see the writing on the wall.  You can't sell a computer
          without advertising it, and Commodore won't pay for good advertising.  They're running the Amiga into the ground,
          and I'm not going to get stuck with an obsolete computer.  I'm bailing out now."  Impressed, all but one of his friends
          and many old contacts also bail out of the Amiga scene around the same time or by the end of the following year.
    o    The author builds his first "Beemer" - a 40 MHz 80386 system disguised inside a stock PC-AT case  The only thing
          it lacked apart from the system he uses today in comparison is a CD-ROM drive, as those were still rather pricey at
          the time.


1993 - Multimedia gains wide acceptance

Computers
    o    The Macintosh finally "goes color" and gets digital sound (and about damn time, too! - ed.)   ^_^
    o    Microsoft and Intel begin development of what will eventually become the Plug-and-Play (PnP) specification for
          computer system expansion cards.
    o    Intel officially unveils the Pentium CPU.
    o    Microsoft introduces the first version of Microsoft Windows NT, a pure 32-bit version of Windows intended for
          network usage.  Many power uses quickly gravitate toward this faster version of Windows - a move that is not lost
          on Microsoft.
    o    Apple offically discontinues its Apple II product line.
    o    The MPC Level 2 specification is adopted, calling for a 486SX-based PC compatible system with a 160 MB hard
          drive, a double-speed XA-ready CD-ROM, 16-bit digital sound, and 640x480 15-bit SVGA graphics.
    o    Commodore's worsening financial situation forces it to cease production of its PC clone line.  It decides to concentrate
          all of its efforts into the Amiga. (This is seen by many as the beginning of Commodore's slow death)
Videogames
    o    Panasonic unveils the 3D0 for US$700, the first 32-bit videogame console to hit the market and the first to adopt the
          CD-ROM delivery format for its games.  Backed by a huge consortium of developers (all of the ones not aligned
          with either Sega or Nintendo, that is), the 3DO appears invincible.
    o    Atari releases the Atari Jaguar, touted as the first 64-bit videogame console in history.  This is true only in a technical
          sense, as the actual technology and performance is only a step above existing 16-bit systems.  Sentiment for the
          machine is high (if not sales), due to the fact that it is the first "all-American" videogame console in some time.
    o    Sega now controls 50% of the American videogame market, thanks largely to its Sonic franchise.
    o    Both Sega and Nintendo announce that development has commenced on its next generation systems.
    o    Sonic the Hedgehog CD (aka Sonic CD) is released for the Sega CD as perhaps the only game that can save the
          platform.  It is a phenomenal accomplishment, but in a surprise move Sega changes the music for the American
          release.  Since the American soundtrack was retained for all subsequent releases, including the PC port, the original
          and superior Japanese version of the game has become something of a collector's item.
    o    Berkeley Softwarks releases Star Trek: The Screen Saver, based on its popular After Dark engine.
Emulation
    o    75 major computer companies agree to adopt the Spec 1170 definition of Unix.  The name is derived from the fact
          that it defines a set of 1170 standard API calls.
    o    Apple demonstrates a hardware-software PC emulator at Comdex, utilizing an expansion board called the DOS
          Compatable Card running MS-DOS on a 486SX CPU.
    o    Nintendo retools the NES with "an improved cartridge slot." (!)
Legal
    o    The FTC decides not to take any action against Microsoft concerning monopolistic trade practices.  Subsequently,
          the Department of Justice begins its own antitrust investigation against Microsoft.
    o    Incensed by the violent content of such games as Midway's Mortal Kombat and Sega's Night Trap, the U.S.
          Senate launches a congressional investigation into videogame violence.  The eventual results are the development of
          the game ratings system in use today by software vendors and the subsequent release of even more violent games.
    o    Compton New Media receives a patent on the search engine used in its Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia.  As a
          result, Compton begins seeking fees and back royalties from any other vendor using any kind of search engine within
          its own products.
    o    Atari sues Sega for patent infringement (?!)
    o    Apple vs. Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.  The courts deny Apple exclusive rights to a standardized GUI interface
          for personal computers, permitting them to copyright only a relatively small portion of the over 180 elements that were
          in dispute during the lawsuit and the rest ruled as being covered under a prior 1985 agreement.  Apple appeals the
          decision, but their appeal is denied.  The decision is widely seen as a tremendous victory for Microsoft.
    o    Lotus vs. Borland.  A federal district court rules in favor of Lotus for copyright infringement.  Borland stock falls to
          US$7 a share, well below its all-time high of US$82 a share, and the company is all but ruined due to its financial
          misfortunes.  Borland is subsequently barred from including any 1-2-3 compatability features in Quattro and its
          derivatives.  Borland appeals the ruling.
    o    Stac vs. Microsoft.  The disk-compression software vendor sues, claming that Microsoft's DoubleSpace violates
          Stac's patent on the Stacker compression algorithims.
Personal
    o    The author's brother buys a Sega Genesis.  The author is quite impressed at the time, but forces himself to stay away
          and stick with his "Beemer."  Still, he can't help sneaking an admiring peek now and then, as its videogames bring
          back many fond Amiga memories.
    o    The author builds himself a new "Beemer" - an 80486DX33 system with 32 MB RAM and the Quantum 200 MB
          hard drive that used to be in his Amiga.
    o    The author attends the Summer CES in Atlanta as part of his current job as the vice-president of a small startup
          computer-based training company.  He is unimpressed with the Pentium CPUs then available, and remembers leaning
          more towards the DEC Alpha ("Oh, if it were only PC compatible!").  He fondly recalls the Berkeley booth, which
          was a mockup of the bridge of the original starship Enterprise, and came back home with two boxes full of freebies
          from the likes of IBM, Microsoft, Intel, AMD, and so on.


1994 - DOS-day afternoon

Computers
    o    The Macintosh jumps on the clock-multiplier bandwagon with the introduction of Newer Technologies' clock-
          doubled 68040 CPU upgrades.
    o    Windows for Workgroups, aka Windows 3.11 ships near the end of the year.  The only major changes are increased
          network support and an improved disk caching system reputedly lifted from the next-generation version of Windows.
    o    Apple begins shipping the first of its PowerPC Macs.  145,000 systems ship within the first two weeks.
    o    Commodore begins its long-overdue self-implosion with the voluntary liquidation of two of its major branches,
          Commodore International and Commodore Electronics.
    o    Microsoft formally announces the impending release of its new operating system, which will be called Microsoft
          Windows 95.  A series of alpha and beta versions of Win95 are shipped to registered software testers over the
          course of the year, with bootlegs managing to escape "in all directions."
    o    Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 is released.  It will prove to be the last "straight" version of that operating system officially
          authored by Microsoft.  Around the same time, Novell halts all development of DR-DOS, the chief competitor to
          MS-DOS.
    o    Microsoft offers Netscape US$1 million for the right to license the Netscape browser.  Netscape declines.  (NOTE:
          several sources claim that Netscape felt that Microsoft's price was way too low for this evolving technology)
    o    Dr. Thomas R. Nicely discovers the now-infamous Pentium floating-point bug.  The resulting ruckus causes Intel to
          recall the Pentium and offer free replacements to anybody with the defective version.
    o    Gary Kildall, author of CP/M, dies in a bar brawl.
    o    AMD unveils its K5 CPU, the first Pentium clone.  It is also AMD's first purely reverse-engineered CPU.
Videogames
    o    Nintendo releases Super Metroid for the SNES, and also unveils the Super FX chip in a concerted effort to keep
          the SNES/SFC competetive while it readies its next-generation console.  The most widely regarded Super FX
          title is StarFox.
    o    Sega introduces the 32X upgrade for its Genesis home videogame console, priced at US$180.  The premiere
          title is an almost perfect port of idSoft's DOOM.  The upgrade is a significant one but Sega remains mysteriously
          uncommitted to the 32X, resulting in poor third-party support.
    o    Nintendo releases the Super GameBoy adaptor for the SNES/SFC at US$60, which allows the console to play
          GameBoy games.
    o    Nintendo wows the crowd at an industry trade show with the first Donkey Kong Country game, proving that the
          SNES/SFC can hold its own against the 3D0 and Jaguar.  It is the best-selling game of the year, and it allows
          Nintendo to regain ground against Sega in the home console wars.
    o    Sega releases Sonic vs. Knuckles for the Genesis.  Sales are surprisingly poor, but videogame sales as a whole are
          low for that year.  Sega attributes poor sales due to massive market saturation by the Sonic franchise, and eventually
          winds up giving away a significant portion of the cartridges.
    o    The home console industry witness the near-simultaneous releases of the Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation in Japan.
          The Saturn's premiere title is Virtua Fighter.  The Playstation's premiere titles are Ridge Racer, Battle Arena
          Toshinden, and Space Griffon.

Emulation
    o    Apple discontinues the DOS Compatable Card only 2 1/2 months after initally offering it.  This turns out to be in lieu
          of a new version for PowerPC Macs that incorporates a 50 MHz 486DX2, with full network and sound support.
          The entire inventory of Houdini boards, as they are termed by Apple, sell out within a few months.
    o    Reply Corporation licenses DOS Compatable technology from Apple, which it uses to release its own product -
          the DOS-on-Mac PC coprocessor card.
    o    International Meta Systems files a patent application for technology that will allow RISC processors to emulate
          instruction sets used by other processors.
Internet
    o    Mosiac Communications ships Netscape Navigator 1.0 by Netscape Communications.  It quickly becomes the
          most popular "browser" on the Internet.
    o    The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) adopts the V.34 spec, increasing modem speeds to 28.8 kbps.
Legal
    o    Microsoft is granted trademark protection for use of the term windows with regards to comptuer operating systems.
    o    Microsoft admits that it needs to change some of its American and European marketing practices.  The Department
          of Justice begins the formal process of taking legal action against Microsoft.
    o    AMD vs. Intel.  The California Supreme Court uphold's AMD's victory in the lawsuit.
    o    Atari vs. Sega.  The two videogame giants elect to settle out of court, with Sega paying Atari US$90 million in
          exchange for a 7.4% ownership share of Atari and rights to 70 of its patents.
    o    IMA vs. Compton.  The Interactive Media Association formally requests that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
          (PTO) review Compton's search engine patent.  After doing so, the PTO throws out all 41 of Compton's claims.
    o    Lotus vs. Borland.  Borland's financial weakness prompts it to sell away Quattro and all rights with regards to it.
          The reported sale price is US$140 million.
    o    Stac vs. Microsoft.  A federal district court rules that Microsoft did in fact violate Stac's proprietary patents with
          regards to disk-compresion algorithims.  Microsoft is forced to release a new version of MS-DOS (v6.21) that
          removes DoubleSpace.  Later that year, Microsoft settles the dispute for US$83 million (US$40 million in stock and
          US$43 million in royalties) and licenses Stacker technology for use in its products.
Personal
    o    The author's brother purchases a 3DO system against the author's advice.
    o    The author upgrades his "Beemer" to an Am486DX4-100 with 32MB FPRAM and a 330 MB HDD initially for use
          with Windows NT, and then later with Windows 95 once WinNT proves to be out of his price range.
    o    An old hacking contact of the author provides him with the alpha version of Windows 95.  The author is not all that
          impressed, but recalls building a bootable DOS disk with the "DOS 7" commands included on it for future use with
          his utilities collection, after which he trashed the Win95 alpha.


1995 - The year of Windows 95

Computers
    o    Microsoft releases the much-reviled Microsoft BOB "superapplication."  It is soon forgotten and quietly abandoned.
    o    Iomega introduces the ZIP drive, initially offered in 25 MB and 100 MB sizes.
    o    The self-implosion of Commodore ends when ESCOM buys all rights to the properties and technologies of the now-
          bankrupt Commodore.  ESCOM forms a subsidiary company based in Germany called, appropriately enough,
          Amiga Technologies.
    o    Apple introduces the PowerMac 9500 - first Mac to use the PCI bus instead of its own proprietary NuBus.
    o    IBM buys out Lotus for US$3.5 billion, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.
    o    Microsoft releases Windows 95 in August, with over 1 million copies sold through retail channels in only 4 days,
          4 million copies after one week, and 7 million copies after two months.
    o    A unified Digital Video Disc (DVD) standard is announced.  This permits the development of DVD-ROM
          technology, which will eventually suppliment and then replace CD-ROM as the mass-media format of choice.
    o    Intel announces the first successor to the Pentium, the Pentium Pro (or P6).  It does not receive a warm welcome
          due to various compatability problems, the chief of which are the price and package design.  The Pentium and its
          various clones remain the processor of choice for most users.
    o    Amiga Technologies finally ships the A1200 computer, which had been held up due to Commodore's collapse.
          It also ships the last 680x0 system in the Amiga line - the A4000T, whose base model uses a 25 MHz 68040.
          The company then announces that future Amigas will use the PowerPC for its CPU.
    o    AMD buys out NexGen, makers of the NexGen 5x86 CPU, for US$861 million.
Videogames
    o    Sega unveils a portable version of its Genesis console called the Nomad.  It is similar to the GameGear system, but
          slightly large and can handle standard Genesis cartridges.
    o    Nintendo officially discontinues the NES, and about the same time unveils the dismal Virtual Boy for US$180.
    o    Sega and 3DO announce a joint venture to develop a new 64-bit video technology called M2.  The talks break off,
          and Panasonic quickly snaps up M2 as a perceived means of upgrading the fast-failing 3DO videogame system.
    o    Sega releases the Sega Saturn in the United States ahead of schedule for US$400.  The move causes the premature
          death of the 32X.  Among the early releases hailed for the unit are Daytona USA and Panzer Dragoon, but the
          remaing bulk of titles are considered to be garbage.
    o    Sony releases the Sony Playstation to the American market for US$300.  Initial sales are strong, and the console
          receives much praise from both users and reviewers alike.  It soon surpasses the Sega Saturn in sales.
    o    Under public pressure from its customer base, Nintendo displays a working prototype of the N64 at the Shoshinkai
          trade show in Japan running the game that will become Super Mario 64.  Rumors persist that very little software is
          in development for the new machine.
    o    Feeling that it has left the public confused after bombarding the public with several new Genesis peripherals, the 32X,
          and the Sega Saturn in a very short time, Sega decides to drop its planned Neptune all-in-one console.  This would
          have combined the Genesis and the 32X into a single unit.  By the end of the year, Sega officially abandons support
          for both the Sega CD and the 32X.
Emulation
    o    Apple offers an upgraded version of its Houdini board running on a 486DX2-66 and offering video support up to
          800x600 SVGA.  The asking retail price is US$740.
Internet
    o    Microsoft "asks" Netscape not to develop a version of its Netscape browser for Windows 95.  Netscape "politely"
          refuses their request.  Microsoft is forced to develop its own browser, Internet Explorer, using technology licensed
          from Netscape's former vendor Mosaic.  It also appears, based on court documents, that Microsoft began to
          consider ways of shutting Netscape out of the browser market around this time.
Legal
    o    Microsoft and the Department of Justice reach an initial settlement with regards to Microsoft's marketing practices.
          Shortly thereafter, a federal district court approves the consent decree, which will govern Microsoft's marketing
          practices for the next 6 1/2 years and bars it from trying to link any unrelated software licenses to its products.
    o    AMD vs. Intel.  At the beginning of the year, AMD and Intel settle their remaining differences out of court.  AMD
          pays Intel US$58 million in damages and the right to continued use of Intel x86 microcode.  Intel pays AMD US$18
          million in court-ordered levies.
    o    Lotus vs. Borland.  The U.S. Court of Appeals overturns the district court decision and rules in favor of Borland,
          saving Borland from having to pay US$100 million to Lotus in damages.
Personal
    o    The author's brother shows him a brochure of the up-and-coming M2 upgrade for his 3DO.  The author says
          nothing except, "That's nice."
    o    The author finally purchases his first CD-ROM drive - a Mitsumi 4X - based on its favorable reviews.
    o    The author is impressed with Windows 95, but notes that it is still quite buggy and "requires too much for what little
          it offers."  He decides to stick with Win31x until a suitably debugged Win95 service release comes along.


1996 - The rise of the online emulation community

Computers
    o    Microsoft begins shipping its Direct3D SDK for Win95 to developers some eight months behind schedule.  It is a
          universal framework to provide 3D accelleration for various vendors' video cards under Win95.
    o    Visual Information Technologies purchases Amiga Technologies GmbH.
    o    Intel unveils MMX technology for its Pentium line of processors, providing an additional instruction set for 3D-based
          applications.  Not surprising, the Pentium Pro is not slated for a MMX upgrade.
    o    Late in the year, Microsoft released the much-acclaimed SR2 version of Win95, fixing a number of bugs and adding
          many new features.  This is widely considered to be the first "stable" version of Win95.
Videogames
    o    The CD-ROM format becomes the delivery system of choice by most videogame developers, with Nintendo being
          the lone holdout.  Nintendo does not want to adopt the CD-ROM format for the simple reason that old-fashioned
          videogame cartridges have more stringent legal protections (which it helped to put in place) and it doesn't want its
          games to be marketed in a easily copyable format.
    o    Sega releases the arcade coin-op Virtua Fighter 3, shattering previous records for 3D polygon counts.
    o    Stores begin to dump their stocks of 16-bit cartridges for all systems as the new 32-bit and better systems become
          more popular.  Nintendo quietly announces its 1 billionth cartridge sale, while Sega takes huge losses on warehouses
          full of unsold Genesis games.  Acclaim, a well-known third-party vendor for both the Genesis and SNES, takes even
          smaller but even more damaging losses on warehouse full of really bad 16-bit games.
    o    Atari officially discontinues the Jaguar by announcing that it has already been unofficially discontinued for months.
    o    Amid much hoopla, Nintendo officially announces its eagerly awaited N64 home videogame console.  After the
          opening day antics in both Japan and the United States, sales of both the console and software prove to be
          surprisingly poor.  Most industry pundits attribute this to a lack of decent software, with the only titles of not being
          Super Mario 64, StarFox 64, and LucasArt's STAR WARS: Shadows of the Empire.
    o    Capcom's Street Fighter franchise hits the end of the line and is quietly forgotten (by all but its fans).
Emulation
    o    Apple publically demonstrates MacOS running on a PowerPC-equipped IBM personal computer system.
    o    Neil Bradley releases EMU, one of the very first arcade coin-op emulators.
    o    David Spice releases Sparcade, a combination arcade/console emulator.
    o    Nicola Salmora releases a Pac-Man emulator.  This program will eventually evolve into MAME, the Multiple Arcade
          Machine Emulator.
    o    Peter Sharp releases Massage, the first widely accepted Sega Master System/Game Gear emulator.
    o    Markus Gietzen releases GenEm, the first decent emulator for the Sega Genesis/MegaDrive.  (Editor's note - there
          was an earlier effort called MegaDrive, but who did it?  It was garbage, anyway...)
    o    The first version of the open-source SNES9X Super Nintendo emulator is released.  It is also the first SNES/SFC
          emulator with full sound and Mode 7 support.
Legal
    o    AMD and Intel sign a five-year patent cross-license agreement. (sigh - will they ever learn?)
    o    Lotus vs. Borland.  The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the reversal of the district court ruling in the case, making it
          a clear slam-dunk legal victory for Borland.  This becomes a landmark legal case with regards to the issue of "look-
          and feel" in computer software.
Personal
    o    The author resumes a serious interest in videogames, having received a shareware copy of DOOM from one of his
          old Amiga hacking buddies (who also converted to "Beemerdom" not long after the author).  The author is so
          impressed by DOOM that he eventually purchases the full retail version of the game, and begins to soak in the many
          changes that have occured since he last paid serious attention to the videogame scene.
    o    In the spring of the year, the author is given an original CD of the Packard Bell version of Microsoft Windows 95
          (SR0) in exchange for his services with a balky old 486 computer upgrade.  He finally upgrades to Win95 at this
          time, even though SR0 is known to be notoriously buggy.
    o    The author buys a copy of Microsoft Windows 95 (SR2) for about US$110 as soon as it becomes available..


1997 - Salad days for emulation

Computers
    o    Intel begins developing the Pentium II, the second successor to its Pentium line.  It is little more than a Pentium Pro
          with extra cache and MMX support.
    o    Microsoft releases a beta version of WinNT 5.0 at that year's Microsoft Professional Developer's Conference.
          Although never released commercially, this version would prove to be the basis for Win2000.
    o    Microsoft releases the widely derided Internet Explorer 4.0 version of its web browser.  The product survives due
          to sheer marketing muscle, but more knowledgable users jump ship in favor of Netscape Communicator 4.0.
Videogames
    o    Sony releases the NetYaroze SDK workstation for US$750.  It is a matte-black Playstation with special accessories
          intended for interfacing with a PC compatible computer that permits users with deep pockets to develop their own
          custom Playstation games .
Emulation
    o    Thierry Lescott releases System/16, an emulator for Sega's 16-bit arcade coin-op videogames.
    o    Neil Cortlett releases Multi-Gauntlet Emulator (MGE), the first emulator to support the popular multiplayer
          arcade coin-ops by Atari.
    o    Bloodlust Software releases both the Genecyst emulator (Sega Genesis/MegaDrive) and NESticle (Nintendo NES)
          for PC compatible systems.  They are widely hailed both for their ease of use and surprisingly high level of
          compatabilility with the software base available for both emulated systems at the time.  Later in the year they release
          Callus, an emulator based on Capcom's CPS-1 arcade coin-op hardware (Street Fighter 2 and various other such
          games).
    o    MAME hits version 0.30, now supporting over four hundred different arcade games and their variations.
    o    Steve Snake releases the first version of KGen, widely regarded as the best DOS-based Genesis/MegaDrive
          emulator ever made.
    o    Paul Kahler and Kurt Mahan develop an emulator for Cinematronics games.
Internet
    o    The Internet emulation scene begins in earnest, with a number of now-revered sites making their debut.  Among the
          remaining survivors from that time are Archaic Ruins, Dave's Video Classics, SYS2064, and Zophar's Domain.
          Other sites of note are Atmospherical Heights, ROMlist, InsertCoin, and Node99.
Legal
    o    The Department of Justice asks a federal district court to hold Microsoft in contempt of court over their original
          marketing agreement, due to the way in which Microsoft is forcing its Internet Explorer broswer on Windows
          vendors instead of allowing them to offer the superior Netscape browser instead.  The court agrees and issues a
          a preliminary injunction permitting vendors so inclined to offer Netscape without fear of reprisals by Microsoft.
Personal
    o    The author finally comes out of his "hidey hole" and gets an Internet account.  By this time, he has just upgraded his
          AMD K5-100 tower system with a Pentium 200-MMX.  He also takes the opportunity to bump his system memory
          up to 64 MB EDO RAM.  He is now quite pleased with the overall performance of Win95 SR2 (although he is still
          of the opinion that it has way too much overhead).


1998 - Living in the last days

Computers
    o    Intel begins shipping the Pentium II processor.
    o    Microsoft releases Windows 98 to the public.  It immediately draws fire as being little more than a bloated and slower
          version of its immediate predecessor, Win95 SR2, and more knowledgeable users refuse to upgrade.
    o    Red Hat Linux 5.2 is released.  This commercially vended version of the public domain Linux operating system cuts
          a noticeable chunk out of Microsoft's share of the operating system market.
Videogames
    o    Sega previews its new Dreamcast videogame console in Japan.  It is the industry's first 128-bit videogame console.
    o    Paradigm Simulations announces the Vega UltraVision development system.  Among its many modules is one for
          developing N64 games on Silicon Graphics and WindowsNT workstations.
    o    Sega releases the coin-op arcade game Harley Davidson Motorcycles.
Emulation
    o    Peter Hirschberg releases the Vector Dream emulator.
    o    SNES9X development is resumed in early spring.  It becomes the first Super Nintendo emulator to offer support for
          the Super FX chip (albeit limited), with its chief competitor ZSNES adding support several months later.
    o    Johan Koehler releases the very first NeoGeo emulator.  It supports only one game, Nam 1975.
    o    MAME v0.33 now supports over 500 ROMs."  Among these is the unreleased sequel to the popular arcade coin-op
          Q*Bert, released into the public domain by its author.  It is the first recorded instance of a former commercial arcade
          coin-op game released into the public domain for use with an emulator.
    o    Anders Nilsson and Janne Korpola release NeoRage, one of the most popular NeoGeo emulators in existence.  As
          a direct result, those with the resources begin dumping NeoGeo "ROMs" right and left as fast as they can find them.
    o    Callus v0.40 becomes the first videogame emulator to offer network play support (via TCP/IP).
    o    MESS  makes its initnal debut.  It is a multiconsole emulator along the same lines as MAME.
    o    MAME v0.34 is released in August, supporting a total of 629 "ROMs."
    o    Neil Bradley and Mike Cuddy release the first verison of Retrocade.
    o    Nao releases M72, a dedicated emulator for IREM coin-op videogames.
    o    MAME adds preliminary support for NeoGeo games (release v0.34)
    o    Generator is the first Genesis emulator with open source code.
    o    Jason Meehan releases a version of his VGen Sega Genesis/MegaDrive emulator that offers support for the Sega CD
          BIOS.  It is widely hailed as the "first" Sega CD emulator.
    o    Connectix releases Virtual Game Station, the first commercial emulator of the Sony PSX for Macintosh PCs.
    o    Bleem LLC releases bleem!, the first commercial emulator of the Sony PSX for PC compatibles.
    o    Both SNES9X and ZSNES simultaneously develop support for the DSP chip used in certain Super Nintendo games.
    o    ZSNES becomes the first Super Nintendo emulator to offer support for both the C-4 chip (MegaMan X3) and for
          48-mbit memory maps (Tales of Phantasia).
Internet
    o    Atmospherical Heights, the brainchild of Jan van Hertog and one of the most popular emulation sites on the Internet,
          shuts its doors for good.
    o    The IDSA begins a major crackdown on Internet "ROM" sites starting in the spring and running until sometime in
          late summer, after which it tapers off.  Among the casualties are such well-known and popular sites as The Dump
          (Genesis/MegaDrive) and SNESmerism (SNES/SFC).
    o    Netscape makes the source code for its Netscape browser freely available.
Legal
    o    In May, the Department of Justice and twenty state attorneys general file suit against Microsoft under the terms of
          the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, charging Microsoft of attempting to establish an illegal monopoly in the Internet brower
          market.
    o    Microsoft asks for and receives a limited stay in the 1997 ruling regarding Internet Explorer so it will be able to
          ship Win98 on time.  The chief reason is that Microsoft has incorporated Internet Explorer into the Windows core,
          making it an integral part of the operating system.
    o    Sun Microsystems, who hold the copyrights to the Java programming language favored for Internet applications,
          takes legal action against Microsoft for implementing a non-standard version of Java with Internet Explorer 4.0.
    o    President Bill Clinton signs the Digital Millenium Copyright Act into law.  Among other things, it makes the possession,
          use, and distribution of security bypass technology illegal within the United States and its territories.  Cart dumpers are
          but one of the many existing and previously legal technologies rendered illegal by this new law.
Personal
    o    The author becomes aware of the emulation community near the first of the year (late January?) after linking to a
          banner for Amiga Emulators Central, which eventually leads him to the original Atmospherical Heights.  The addition
          is instant.  Later, he becomes appalled at the lack of general information for average users concerning games for his
          favorite videogame console, the Sega Genesis, and resolves to do something about it
    o    In conjunction with The Dump: Genesis, the author begins writing The Genesis Game Guide (G3).  Eidolon's Inn
          picks up sponsorship of G3 after The Dump: Genesis folds, where (thanks to the author's dogged research and the
          contributions of many others) it is released by the end of the year.  It becomes universally recognized as the
          authoritative guide on Genesis/MegaDrive titles.
    o    Later that year, the author buys his first Voodoo board (the Intergraph Extreme Voodoo Rush card).
    o    Near the end of the year, Zoop of EmuCamp talks the author into expanding his emulation research to include the
          SNES/SFC.  The SNES Software Source (S3) and the SNES Chart are born at this time.



1999 - The hammer falls

Computers
    o    Shane Brooks develops 98lite, a shareware utility that allows users to strip out Internet Explorer from Win98 and
          replace it with Win95's Windows Explorer.  The resultant patched operating system gives users the performance of
          Win95 and the features of Win98 without the slowness that resulted from Internet Explorer serving as the operating
          shell.
    o    Intel unveils the Pentium III processor.  They catch a lot of flak due to the CPU's serial number, which is now encoded
          inside the chip.  A sizeable number of users feel this is a violation of their privacy rights and instead turn to CPUs made
          by AMD and Cyrix.
    o    Red Hat Linux 6.0 is released.
Videogames
    o    Nintendo confirms that its new N2000 console will use a variation of DVD-ROM format.  They become the last
          major videogame company to abandon the cartridge format for its console games.
    o    Sega releases the Sega Smash Pack for PC compatible systems.  It uses a modifed form of Steve Snake's KGen
          Genesis/MegaDrive emulator to run eight classic Sega games.  It is the first time in the community's history that an
          original system vendor has licensed a freeware videogame emulator for commercial use.  Many view it as a form of
          unofficial endorsement by Sega for Steve Snake's excellent emulator.
    o    Sega releases the Dreamcast videogame console in the United States.
    o    Sega releases the Star Wars Trilogy coin-op arcade game.  Its graphics are favorably compared to the computer-
          generated graphics used by Lucasfilm in its "special edition" retooling of the original three films.
Emulation
    o    UltraHLE, by Episilon and RealityMan for PC compatible systems, earns the dubious distinction of being the
          world's first working N64 emulator.
    o    ZSNES becomes the first Super Nintendo emulator to support the SA-1 chip (Super Mario RPG).
    o    Omar Cornut and Hiromitsu Shioya release MEKA, widely regarded as the best Sega Master System/Game Gear
          emulator ever made for DOS systems.
Internet
    o    Emulators Unlimited is the first Internet site to offer UltraHLE.
Legal
    o    Nintendo threatens the authors of UltraHLE with prompt legal action, forcing them to shut down their support site
          less than 24 hours after it goes online.  They are unable to stop the widespread distribution and use of the program.
    o    ASCII Software of Japan becomes the first vendor to threaten legal action against the makers of a translation patch
          for a "ROM."  The group involved is KanjiHack of the United Kingdom, and the program in question is RPG Tool
          Super Dante 2.
    o    Millions of lawsuits are filed across what is left of the globe after the Earth's moon is blown out of orbit in early
          September, due to a massive series of thermonuclear explosions on its dark side.  ^_^  (yes, I'm a longtime fan)
Personal
    o    The author buys a copy of Win98 for legal reasons, but refuses to use it until he gets a copy of 98lite.  He later
          purchases a copy of Red Hat Linux and begins preparations to change operating systems, due to the reputed size
          and system requirements for Win2000.
    o    By this time, the author is using a homebuilt PC clone running on an Intel Pentium II at 350 MHz, with 128 MB
          SDRAM, two multigig hard drives (one 4.0 GB, the other 12.0 GB), an Iomega ZIP drive, a 36x CD-ROM, a
          CD-ROM burner, an ATI All-in-Wonder SVGA card, and a Voodoo2 3D accellerator card.
    o    The author develops the N64 Chart in order to determine just how well the new UltraHLE emulator really works.
    o    Worried at the prospects of possible legal action by Nintendo with regards to his documents, the author pulls all of
          his emulation-related works off of the Internet
    o    The author releases Emulation: Right or Wrong? (aka the EmuFAQ).  It is the first serious study on the legal
          issues surrounding emulation.
    o    Concurrently with the development of the EmuFAQ, the author re-releases both the Genesis Game Guide and the
          Genesis Chart thanks to the unexpected intervention by legendary game and emulator developer Steve Snake.  The
          Nintendo-related documents (S3, the SNES Chart) continue to be held in abeyance at this time, as their legal status
          remains in doubt.



The EmuFAQ (c) 1999 Sam Pettus - section last revised 21 June 1999                                                    > BACK <
 

other sources

Kent, Stephen; Horwitz, Jer; and Fielder, Joe.  "The History of Videogames."  Internet document:  VideoGameSpot, 1998.
     Current URL:  http://www.gamespot.com/features/universal/hov/hov01.html

The SYS2064 news archive - August 1997 to present.