References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2022 April 29.

1982

January

• Intel releases the Pascal/MT+86 compiler. [1167]

January 22

• Microsoft signs an agreement with Apple Computer, for Microsoft to develop applications for the Macintosh computer. The applications are spreadsheet, business graphics, and database software. Microsoft is not allowed to release similar software for non-Apple computers until one year after the Macintosh introduction, or January 1, 1983, whichever came first. [477.157] [1149.268] [1299.188] [2605.169]

(month unknown)

• Digital Research signs an agreement with Intel, to write an MPM multitasking operating system for Intel's iAPX 286 processor. [994.20]

March

• Apple Computer ships Apple LOGO, supplied by Logo Computer Systems of Canada. [615.120]
• Microsoft releases FORTRAN for MS-DOS. [346.262]
• At Microsoft, Tim Paterson completes work on DOS 1.1. [1149.215]

(month unknown)

• The acronym WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) first appears in print, in the April issue of Byte magazine. The acronym refers to software that displays on-screen close to the same output that will be produced on a printer. [1056.372]

April 5

• The New York Times newspaper reports on page one that the IBM PC's BASIC contains a basic mathematical flaw. Entering 0.1 divided by 10 will result in a wrong answer. The culprit is a bug in Microsoft's floating-point math routine in the BASIC ROM chip. [1299.205]

April

• Digital Research releases Pascal/MT+ 8086 for CP/M-86 and MS-DOS. [1167]
• Digital Research releases CP/M-86, for US$240. [1149.211]
• IBM first offers Digital Research's CP/M-86 for the IBM PC. [346.90,262]

(month unknown)

• Microsoft ships its Multiplan spreadsheet program to IBM for testing and marketing for the IBM PC. [346.109]
• Microsoft releases Microsoft COBOL for MS-DOS. [346.262]

May

• Microsoft releases MS-DOS 1.1 to IBM, for the IBM PC. It supports 320 kB double-sided floppy disk drives. Microsoft also releases MS-DOS 1.25, similar to version 1.1 but for IBM-compatible computers. [146] [346.251] (June [346.263])
• Digital Research releases the MP/M II v2.1 operating system. [444.194]
• Microsoft grants a license for DOS to Digital Equipment for the Rainbow computer, for a flat-fee of US$95,000. [1299.205] (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

(month unknown)

• Supersoft releases its first C compilers for CP/M-86 and MS-DOS. [901.20]
• An insurance company contracts with programmer Wilton Jones to create a PC word processing program that mimics Wang word processing. That program becomes MultiMate. [33]
• MicroPro releases WordStar for PC-DOS. [1298.188]
• Andrew Fluegelman begins distributing his PC-Talk communications software, the first copyrighted program distributed as shareware. [315.32]
• Muse Software releases the Castle Wolfenstein game for personal computers in the USA. [1473.94]
• Sierra On-Line releases the Time Zone game. [1474.77]
• Activision releases the Pitfall! game for various systems. [1540.49]
• Microsoft releases the Flight Simulator game for the IBM PC. [1732.90]
• Jim Knopf, as "Jim Button", releases the PC-File software as freely-distributable shareware. [2506.92]

August

• Microsoft releases the Multiplan spreadsheet software for the Apple II, Osborne I, and IBM PC. Initial name was Electronic Paper. [346.263] [1149.222] [1701.138]
• Sid Meier delivers the completed Hellcat Ace game to Bill Steedy. The MicroProse company is born. [1068.8]

October

• IBM begins marketing Microsoft Multiplan for the IBM PC. [346.109]

November 15

• Atari signs an agreement with Nintendo for the world-wide license of Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior video games for Atari home computers. [1187.D5]

November

• Freefall Associates begins work on what will be the Murder on the Zinderneuf game. [241.109]
• Satellite Software International introduces the WordPerfect word processing program for the IBM PC. [330.108] (October [502.49])

December

• Satellite Software International ships WordPerfect 2.0 for DOS, for US$500. [330.108] (v2.2 in October [502.49])
• Digital Research announces CP/M+. [443.431]

Other web pages of interest:

• Chronology of Personal Computers
• Personal Computer References in Pop Culture
• Chronology of Apple Computers
• Chronology of Windows Operating Systems
• Chronology of Video Game Systems
• This Day in Personal Computer and Video Game History
• This Day in History

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Last updated: 2022 April 29.
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