The History of Microsoft - 1982

For Microsoft, 1982 means a new Chief Operating Officer, a new logo and the very first in-house fax machine.  
 

Previous Episodes:
The History of Microsoft - 1975
The History of Microsoft - 1976
The History of Microsoft - 1977
The History of Microsoft - 1978
The History of Microsoft - 1979
The History of Microsoft - 1980
The History of Microsoft - 1981

March 24, 1982Microsoft U.K. Ltd. (United Kingdom) is incorporated (first official international subsidiary).

June 25, 1982 
James C. Towne is appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft. In July he takes over all responsibilities from Bill Gates, who will assume the title of Executive Vice President, responsible for all development activities. Gates remains Chairman of the Board. Towne was previously Vice President and General Manager of the Instrument Division at Tektronix.  He is replaced by Jon Shirley the next year.

June 28, 1982

Microsoft announces a new corporate logo, new packaging, and a comprehensive set of retail dealer support materials. (blibbet)

July 6, 1982 
Microsoft becomes a registered trademark in the U.S. ( No. 1,200,236 in Int.Cls 9 and 42 (computer programs and computer programming services).

July 16, 1982 
Microsoft Acquires a Fax Machine for in-house use. It is a Panafax 1200 and is group I and II compatible.

July 16, 1982

The Microsoft Local Area Network (MILAN) is now fully functional, linking all of Microsoft's in-house development computers, including a DEC 2060, two PDP-11/70s, a VAX 11/250, and many MC68000 machines running XENIX. This system will simplify e-mail delivery on-site. (Bill Gates becomes billg)

August 1, 1982 
Microsoft Multiplan version 1.00 for MS-DOS ships.

September 1, 1982 
Microsoft announces the availability of its symbolic mathematic package muMATH/muSIMP for the IBM Personal Computer. This package is also offered for the Apple II, TRS-80, and CP/M-80 computer systems.

October 1, 1982 
Paul Allen is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, which is localized and in a very treatable form. He is on a limited work schedule while undergoing treatments. Although his treatment is successful, he will resign from Microsoft in 1983.

1982 Revenue/Headcount

The 1982 year-end sales total $24,486,000. The 1982 Calendar Year employee headcount totals 220 people.

Other products released in 1982: Cobol 4.6, Typing Tutor II for Apple II, SoftCard Premium, Flight Simulator for MS-DOS

Other 1982:

·     First Artificial Heart: A permanent artificial heart was implanted in a human for first time.  The operation was performed on Dr. Barney B. Clark, 61, at University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City.

·     Top hits: "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" by Daryl Hall and John Oates - "Waiting for a Girl Like You" by Foreigner - "Hooked on Classics" by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - "The Sweetest Thing I've Ever Known" by Juice Newton.

·     Baby Bells Created: American Telephone and Telegraph settled the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against it by agreeing to divest itself of the 22 Bell System companies. The ATT Bell System was ordered to be subdivided into 7 Baby Bells by the US government.

·     Hinckley Found Not Guilty: John W. Hinckley, Jr. was found not guilty because of insanity in shooting of President Reagan.

·     Israel Invades Lebanon on June 6. The immediate cause cited for the invasion was the attempted assassination of Israel's Ambassador in London. Israel's plan was designed first to create a buffer between Lebanon and Northern Israel. The incursion quickly grew to a full-fledged attempt to destroy the P.L.O.

·     Good News for Dieters: 1982 gave us the beginnings of Diet Coke and Equal artificial sweetener.

·     Academy Awards: the 1982 Oscar for Best Movie went to "Gandhi."

·     New Communist Leader: In Russia Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev died at age 75 and the Kremlin command passed to Yuri Andropov. Brezhnev had suffered from arteriosclerosis of the brain.

·     Record Breaker: Cal Ripken began playing for the Baltimore Orioles.  By Sep 20, 1998 he had played a record 2,632 consecutive games.

·     Computer is Man of the Year: Less than four months after IBM introduced the PC, Time Magazine named the computer as the man of the year! Never before (or since) had an inanimate object been chosen as the "man of the year".

·     Tylenol tampering scare: In the fall of 1982, seven people die from taking cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. The nation panics and Johnson and Johnson quickly recalls over 30 million bottles.

·     Equal Rights Amendment defeated: The ERA, that would prohibit discrimination by sex, falls short of ratification when the deadline passes.

·     Newspaper in Technicolor: A new publication called "USA Today" launched in full blown color, a first for a newspaper.

·     Falkland Islands War: Argentina invades the British-occupied Falklands. After two months, Argentina surrenders to British forces on June 14.

·     Princess Grace Dies: Princess Grace of Monaco dies from injuries suffered when her car plunged off a mountain road. Her daughter, seventeen-year-old Stephanie, a passenger in the car, suffers bruises and trauma.