The Personal Computer: IBM PC

The IBM PC was released 27 years ago today -- on August 12, 1981. Priced at $1,565, the personal computer had a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 microprocessor and a 160-KB floppy disk drive. There was an optional CGA color monitor. IBM's Disk Operating System was the OS for the "PC".

The development team at IBM developed and announced the IBM PC in 12 months, at that time, faster than any other hardware product in IBM's history.

Technology History: Intel Corporation

Intel was founded on July 18, 1968 by former Fairchild Semiconductor Company engineers Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore. The name Intel is a shortened version of "Integrated Electronics." The company's first money making product was the 3101 Schottky bipolar 64-bit static random access memory (SRAM) chip.

Computer History - The Microprocessor

Intel released the 4004 CPU in November, 1971. The 4004 was the first computer on a chip. It ushered in the era of the microprocessor. The combination of memory and processor on a single chip dramatically reduced size and cost while increasing computer speed. This event was the latest in the evolution of the vacuum tube --> to the transistor --> to the integrated circuit.

Apple Laptops -- Good to Their "New" Core

Apple is upgrading the Macbook Pros to include the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The move comes right after reporting terrific 3rd-quarter earnings and is timed perfectly for the holiday season.
Source: ABC News.com
Related Article: TopTechNews
Apple's iMac desktops made the transition to the Core 2 Duos last month, a move that left Apple fanatics wondering—What about a Core 2 Duo Macbook and Macbook Pro? You have to love how Mr. Jobs keeps people on their heels. Yesterday, the Apple core gets the official refresh, upgrading the Macbook Pros to the Intel Core 2 Duo, but not the Macbooks. The move comes right after reporting terrific 3rd-quarter earnings and is timed perfectly for the holiday season. The Macbook Pro 15.4-inch and 17-inch (5x Faster; 36% brighter; iLife ’06; and still 1-inch thin) laptops will make the leap to the Intel Core 2 Duos.
As with the 20-inch and 24-inch iMacs, the 15- and 17-inch Macbook Pros will let users select the Intel Core 2 Duo T7400(2.16Ghz) and up to 3GB of RAM. Unlike the desktops, the Macbook Pros will also have an option for the T7600 2.33Ghz, the highest clocking Core 2 Duo processor to date.
You can find it on several Windows-based laptops as well, making Apple laptops just as powerful as their Windows counterparts. The new Core 2 Duos should offer significant improvements over the previous Intel Core Duos, especially when it comes to video and audio encoding.
They also happen to be the hottest processors in the laptop market, which raises some concerns about heat issues. As seen with their Windows counterparts, we can expect new MacBook Pro temperatures to get quite hot. Hard drive options will go up to 200GB for both the 17-inch and the 15-inch Macbook Pros, and they'll stick with the same graphics solution, the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600. Surprisingly, the Macbooks, Apple's best-selling, consumer-oriented laptops are denied the upgrade, for now. The Macbook Pros still have the best features around, including the iSight camera, the FrontRow interface and remote, and a trip-proof magnetic adapter. Prices start at $2799 for the 17-inch and $2,499 for the 15-inch with the , and $1,999 for the 15-inch with the T7400 processor. Get Your MacBook Pro now!