- January 20
- SCO Group files a lawsuit in Utah against Novell, alleging that Novell has falsely claimed to control the Unix operating system. [1559]
- January 25
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A personal computer appears, with dual floppy drives, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and printer. [2150]
- January 26
- The British Foreign Office announces that Microsoft’s Bill Gates has been selected to receive an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. Gates will become a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Gates was selected because of the impact on the British economy brought on by the transformation of business practices due to Microsoft technology. [1559]
- Romania issues four postage stamps depicting a CD-ROM, diskette, laptop computer, and on screen is a user at a desktop computer. [2525.551]
- January (month)
- Top selling computer game in the USA for the month: Delta Force: Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre. [2416.28]
- (month unknown)
- Adobe Systems announces it is ceasing future development of PageMaker for the Mac OS. [1501.16]
- About 30,000 files (660 MB) forming about 5% of the Windows 2000 operating system source code is illegally released to the Internet. [1602.9]
- Gateway closes its remaining retail stores in the US. [2508.16]
- February 2
- Intel introduces the 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, and 3.4 GHz Pentium 4 processors, with 800 MHz front-side bus and 1 MB cache. Prices are US$178, US$218, US$278, US$417 respectively, in 1000-unit quantities. [1559] [1602.8]
- Intel releases the 3.4 GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processor, with 2 MB cache and 800 MHz front-side bus. Price is US$999 in 1000-unit quantities. [1559] [1602.8]
- February 4
- Sun Microsystems introduces StarOffice 7 for Solaris x86. Price is US$80 per license. [1559]
- February
- Microsoft provides the Thai government a Thai-language reduced-feature version of Windows XP, for about US$40 per copy. Normal world price is US$199. [1559]
- February 10
- Corel releases the CorelDraw 12 graphics software suite. Versions are available in eight languages. Price is US$399 for full version, US$179 for upgrade, and US$99 for student version. [1559]
- PalmSource announces that Palm OS 5 will be known as Garnet, and Palm OS 6 will be known as Cobalt. The Cobalt version will be more suitable for cell phones and other wireless devices. [1559]
- February
- The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issues a ruling stating that similar technologies for launching plug-in applications were demonstrated before Eolas filed its patent application in 1994. [1559]
- February 17
- Microsoft launches a version of the Office software suite supporting nine Indian languages. [1559]
- February (month)
- Top selling computer game in the USA for the month: Everquest: Gates of Discord. [2417.27]
- (month unknown)
- Sony releases the Clie PEG-TJ27 handheld computer in the US. It features Palm OS 5.2, 32 MB RAM, Memory Stick slot, built-in digital camera, Motorola processor, 320×320 color screen. Price is US$199.99. [1559]
- Sony releases the Clie PEG-TJ37 handheld computer in the US. It features Palm OS 5.2, 32 MB RAM, Memory Stick slot, built-in digital camera, Motorola processor, 320×320 color screen, audio player, 802.11b wireless networking. Price is US$299.99. [1559]
- Sony releases the Clie PEG-TH55 handheld computer in the US. It features Palm OS 5.2, 32 MB RAM, Memory Stick slot, built-in digital camera, 480×320 pixel color screen, 123 MHz Sony Handheld Engine processor, 802.11b wireless networking, audio player, voice recorder. Price is US$399.99. [1559]
- March
- Hitachi Global Storage Technologies announces the Deskstar 7K400 hard drive. It stores 400 MB on 3.5-inch platters, and spins at 7200 rpm. [1559]
- Electronic Arts releases the Battlefield Vietnam game for personal computers in the USA. [2565.31]
- Dell’s board of directors replaces Michael Dell with Kevin Rollins as chief executive officer of the company, in addition to his roles as president and chief operating officer. Michael Dell will remain chairman of the board. The move will be effective as of the company’s shareholder meeting on July 16. [1554.6]
- March 17
- Advanced Micro Devices releases the 1.6 GHz Athlon XP-M 2100+ processor for notebook computers. Price is US$97 in 1000-unit quantities. [1559]
- March 18
- Advanced Micro Devices releases the 2.4 GHz Athlon 64 FX-53 processor. It features 128 kB level 1 cache, 1 MB level 2 cache. The processor is manufactured in a 0.13-micron process with 106 million transistors. Price is US$733 in 1000-unit quantities. [1559] [1603.8] [1604.21]
- March 21
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A personal computer appears, with “ergonomic” keyboard and LCD monitor. [2151]
- March 24
- The European Competition Commission labels Microsoft an abusive monopolist. The Commission says Microsoft must offer European computer makers two versions of Windows, with and without Windows Media Player, must share technical information on server software with rivals, and must pay a US$613 million fine. [1559] [2111.45] [2314.81]
- March
- MandrakeSoft emerges from bankruptcy protection. [1559]
- March 29
- OpenOffice.org releases the OpenOffice 1.1.1 software suite for free download. [1559]
- March (month)
- Top selling computer game in the USA for the month: Battlefield Vietnam. [1552.124] [2418.32]
- January-March
- Shipments of handheld computers worldwide during January to March: 2.2 million. [1559]
- Market share of handheld computers worldwide during January to March: Palm OS-based 40.7%, Windows CE-based 40.2%, Research In Motion 14.8%. [1559]
- (month unknown)
- Quote by Todd Rundgren “The ultimate fix for any Amiga was just to slap it really hard”. Rundgren used several Amiga computers in creating a music video in 1991 for his song “Change Myself”. [1865.48]
- April 2
- Sun Microsystems and Microsoft sign a ten-year cooperative agreement, settling long-standing hostilities. The agreement includes server technology cross-licensing, US$700 million paid to Sun to resolve pending antitrust issues, US$900 million paid to Sun to resolve patent issues, and US$350 million paid to Sun in royalty payments. Sun and Microsoft will collaborate on Java and .NET technologies. [1555.1] [1559] [1604.9] [2314.80]
- April 7
- Intel releases the ultra-low-voltage 1.1 GHz Pentium M processor. Power consumption is about 7 watts at just over 1 volt. Price is US$262, in 1000-unit quantities. [1559]
- Intel releases the ultra-low-voltage 900 MHz Celeron M processor. Power consumption is about 7 watts at just over 1 volt. Price is US$161, in 1000-unit quantities. [1559]
- Intel releases the low-voltage 1.3 GHz Pentium M processor. Power consumption is about 12 watts at 1.18 volt. Price is US$284, in 1000-unit quantities. [1559]
- Intel releases the 1.4 GHz Celeron M processor. Power consumption is about 25 watts at 1.36 volt. Price is US$134, in 1000-unit quantities. [1559]
- April 13
- Microsoft and EEye Digital Security announce a security vulnerability in the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASRV.DLL file) of Windows. Microsoft releases a patch to resolve the problem. (In May, the Sasser worm begins spreading, exploiting the flaw and affecting milions of computers worldwide.) [2100.117]
- April 14
- Lindows renames its operating system from Lindows to Linspire. [1559]
- Nvidia unveils the GeForce 6800 series of graphics cards for personal computers. [1559]
- April 16
- Apple Computer releases updated eMac computers. They feature 1.25 GHz G4 processor, 17-inch monitor, 256 MB RAM, 40 or 80 GB hard drive. [1909.232] [1910.188] [1918.204]
- April
- Microsoft files a trademark application for its Excel spreadsheet software, 19 years after introducing the product. [1559]
- April 19
- Apple announces new PowerBook computers. They feature 12.1- to 17-inch LCD screens, 1.33 GHz to 1.5 GHz G4 processor, 60-80 GB hard drive. [1909.18,233]
- Apple announces new iBooks computers. They feature 1-1.2 GHz G4 processor, 30-60 GB hard drive, 12.1- or 14.1-inch LCD screen. [1909.18,233]
- April 27
- Corel releases WordPerfect Office 12 for Windows. Included are Wordperfect word processor, Quattro Pro spreadsheet program, and Presentations slide show software. Price is US$300 for full version, or US$150 for upgrade from a previous version. [1559]
- April 28
- PalmOne introduces the Zire 72 handheld computer. It features Garnet operating system, RealOne Mobile Player 3, Secure Digital / MMC slot, 1.2 megapixel camera, 320×320 16-bit color transreflective display, 312 MHz Intel PXA270 processor, 32 MB RAM, and integrated Bluetooth. Price is US$299; size is 4.6 x 2.95 x 0.67 inches; weight is 4.8 ounces. [1559] [1605.91]
- PalmOne introduces the Zire 31 handheld computer. It features Garnet operating system, Secure Digital slot, audio player, 16 MB RAM, 160×160 STN backlit color display, 200 MHz Intel ARM processor, and integrated Bluetooth. Price is US$149; size is 4.4 x 2.9 x 0.6 inches; weight is 4.1 ounces. [1559] [1605.91]
- April (month)
- Top selling computer game in the USA for the month: City of Heroes. [1552.124] [2419.25]
- May 1
- The Sasser worm is first noticed on the loose, affecting Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The worm crashes and rebots computers, replicating itself to other computers. Millions of computers are quickly affected worldwide. [2100.117]
- May 10
- Intel launches the Pentium M 735, 745, and 755, in speeds of 1.7, 1.8, and 2.0 GHz respectively. They feature 2 MB level 2 cache and 400 MHz front-side bus. The processors are manufactured in a 0.90-micron process. Code-name during development was Dothan. [1559] [1605.91]
- May 17
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US.
- A personal computer appears in a newspaper business: system unit, monitor, and keyboard.
- A laptop computer with external mouse is shown in a house, hooked up to the Internet, showing a Web page receiving “hate Spam”.
[2152]
- May 18
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A Power Pals computer logo looks similar to the Mac OS logo. [1966]
- Dell releases the Dell Axim X30 handheld computer. It features Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless, stylus, SecureDigital slot, 624 MHz Intel PXA270 processor, Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Pocket PC OS, 240×320 color display, 64 MB RAM, 64 MB ROM, docking cradle. Price is US$349; size is 4.6 x 3.0 x 0.6 inches; weight is 4.9 ounces. A mid-range version for US$249 comes with a 312 MHz processor and no docking cradle. A low-end version for US$199 comes with a 312 MHz processor, 32 MB RAM, 32 MB ROM, no docking cradle, and no wireless capabilities. [1559] [1616.54]
- May 19
- Microsoft releases Microsoft Office 2004 for the Macintosh in the USA, and Microsoft Office: Mac 2004 in the United Kingdom. Price for the Standard Edition in the USA is US$399, or US$239 upgrade price. [1559] [1616.53] [2185.21] [2227.20]
- May 23
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A personal computer with flat-panel screen is used to edit a newspaper. [2153]
- May (month)
- Top selling computer game in the USA for the month: City of Heroes. [2420.38]
- (month unknown)
- Software piracy rates around the world: USA and Canada 23%, Western Europe 36%, Asia Pacific 53%, Middle East and Africa 56%, Latin America 63%, Eastern Europe 71%. [1607.9]
- Intel introduces the PCI Express system architecture, allowing data transfer rates of up to 4 GBps. [1609.51]
- Hewlett-Packard announces it has sold over 50 million consumer desktop computers, including the Compaq Presario line, making it the first company to reach that mark. [1618.8]
- PalmOne releases the LifeDrive handheld computer. It features 4 GB Hitachi Microdrive hard drive, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless communications, Palm operating system, audio/video player, 320×480 color display. Price is CDN$699 in Canada; weight is 193 grams. [1690.1] [1852.29]
- June 1
- Intel releases Pentium 4 mobile processors, models 518 (2.8 GHz), 532 (3.06 GHz), and 538 (3.2 GHz). They feature Hyper-Threading Technology, 1 MB Level 2 cache. [1559]
- Intel releases 1.5 GHz Celeron M 340 mobile processor. It features 512 kB Level 2 cache, 400 MHz system bus. [1559]
- At the Computex trade show in Taiwan, ATI releases the Radeon X300, X600, and X800 graphics chips. The chips use the high-speed PCI Express data bus to communicate with the main processor. [1559]
- Sony announces it will halt production of all Clié devices for the US market for the rest of the year, to re-evaluate the PDA market. [1559] [1851.17] [2315.44]
- Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 3500+, 3700+, and 2.4 GHz 3800+ processors. They feature 512 kB level 2 cache. The processors are manufactured in a 0.13-micron process. Prices are US$500, US$710, and US$720, recpestively, in 1000-unit quantities. [1606.8] [1559]
- June 7
- Apple Computer announces the AirPort Express wireless network station. Price is US$129. [2316.52]
- June 9
- Apple Computer introduces a new Power Mac G5 computer. It features dual 2.5 GHz IBM PowerPC 970FX processors, 1.25 GHz front-side bus, liquid cooling system, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB hard drive, ATI Radeon 9600 XT graphics card with 128 MB RAM, 8X SuperDrive. Price is US$2999. [1559]
- Apple Computer introduces a new Power Mac G5 computer. It features dual 1.8 GHz processors, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB hard drive, Nvidia GeForceFX 5200 Ultra graphics card with 64 MB RAM, 8X SuperDrive. Price is US$1999. [1559]
- June 14
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US.
- A character accesses the Internet on a personal computer.
- The software says “You’ve got nothing!”, and later “You’ve got tons of mail!”, and “You’ve got committment!”, references to America Online software’s “You’ve got mail!” message.
[1967]
- June
- Advanced Micro Devices releases the Socket 754 Sempron processor, and Sempron 3100+ processor. [1686.24]
- The US DVD industry ships the 3 billionth DVD software disc in North America. [1608.12]
- June 18
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A laptop computer is used to run a “Virtual Camper Program”, with virtual reality goggles. [1968]
- June 21
- OpenOffice.org releases version 1.1.2 of OpenOffice productivity software. [1559]
- June 23
- Intel releases the Pentium M 715 and 725, in speeds 1.5 and 1.6 GHz, respectively. Prices are US$209 and US$241, respectively, in 1000-unit quantities. [1559]
- June 24
- Intel releases the Celeron D 320, 325, 330, and 335, with speeds 2.4, 2.53, 2.66, and 2.8 GHz respectively. Prices range from US$69 to US$117 in 1000-unit quantities. [1559]
- June 27
- Intel releases the Pentium 4 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560 with speeds 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 3.4, and 3.6 GHz respectively. The processors feature 1 MB cache and 800 MHz front-side bus. Prices are US$178, US$218, US$278, US$417, and US$637, respectively, in 1000-unit quantities. [1607.8]
- June 28
- At Apple Computer’s Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple debuts the Mac OS X 10.4 operating system. A major new feature is systemwide search technology “Spotlight”. Code-name during development was Tiger. [1617.19] [1909.18]
- Intel releases the 32/64-bit Xeon processor, with 800 MHz system bus. Speeds and prices are 3.6 GHz (US$851), 3.4 GHz (US$690), 3.2 GHz (US$455), 3 GHz (US$316), 2.8 GHz (US$209) in 1000-unit quantities. Code-name during development was Nocona. [1559]
- June 30
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejects the appeal of the state of Massachusetts and two industry trade groups, opposed to the antitrust settlement of the Department of Justice with Microsoft. [1559]
- June (month)
- Top selling computer game in the USA for the month: City of Heroes. [1545.32] [1767.148]
- April-June
- Market share of Intel-compatible microprocessors during April-June: Intel 82.5%, Advanced Micro Devices 15.5%. [1559]
- Shipments of personal computers worldwide during April to June: 40 million. [1559]
- (month unknown)
- Seagate releases the Barracuda 7200.8 400 GB hard drive, the first personal computer hard drive in this capacity. The drive is available in Ultra ATA and SATA models, with optional 16 MB cache. [1608.6] [1612.55]
- Microsoft releases the Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 software. The software is available for free from the Microsoft Web site. [1620.32]
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