For Microsoft, 1984 means a partnership with Apple, Microsoft Press Introduces its first two titles and we create a new Hardware and Peripherals Division dedicated to developing and marketing

hardware products.

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

The History of Microsoft - 1982

The History of Microsoft - 1983

1984 Revenue/Headcount

The 1984 Fiscal year-end sales total $97,479,000. The 1984 fiscal Year employee headcount totals 860 people.

January 24, 1984

Microsoft and Apple Computer announce the new Apple Macintosh computer and Microsoft's custom-designed productivity software for the new computer. Macintosh's interface, combined with Microsoft’s software: Multiplan, Chart, Word, File, and BASIC provides a

powerful and functional environment for all users.

March 4, 1984

Microsoft joins forces with Spectravideo and four Japanese firms to establish a hardware/software compatibility standard based on the popular Z80® 8-bit microcomputer. The standard, called MSX, was announced on June 15, 1983 and made available a new set

of standard specifications so diverse software programs would be compatible with low-cost home computers from different manufacturers. MSX was developed primarily for the Japanese market as the first unified format in Japan for software or hardware. It was

never adapted for sale in the U.S.

March 22, 1984

Microsoft Press introduces its first two titles: Cary Lu's "The Apple Macintosh Book” and Peter Norton's "Exploring the IBM PCjr Home Computer."

March 29, 1984

Microsoft creates a new Hardware and Peripherals Division dedicated to developing and marketing hardware products that complement Microsoft's software product line.

August 14, 1984

IBM chooses XENIX and MS-DOS for its new ge