Editing Timeline of computing 1980–1989 (section)

==1980==
{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Date
! Location
! class="unsortable" | Event
|- valign="top"
| 29 January 
| [[United Kingdom]]
(UK)
| [[Sinclair Research|Sinclair]] [[ZX80]] was released for under £100.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sinclair ZX80 Launched |url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/5445/Sinclair-ZX80-Launched/ |access-date=23 December 2018 |website=Centre for Computing History}}</ref>
|- valign="top"
| 22 May
| [[Japan]]
| The game [[Pac-Man]] was released.<ref>{{cite web|title=Behind a pizza-slice smile: the dark side of Pac-Man|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/22/behind-a-pizza-slice-smile-the-dark-side-of-pac-man|website=The Guardian|access-date=September 22, 2017|date=May 22, 2015}}</ref>
|- valign="top"
| June
| [[United States]]
(US)
| Commodore released the [[VIC-20]], which had 3.5 KB of usable memory and was based on the [[MOS Technology 6502]] processor. Magazines became available which contained the code for various utilities and games. A 5¼" [[Floppy disk|disk drive]] was available, along with a cassette storage system which used standard audio cassette tapes. Also available were a number of games, a color plotter which printed on 6 in (152 mm) wide paper tape, and a graphics tablet (the [[KoalaPad]]). A TV screen served as the monitor. The VIC-20 became the first computer to sell 1 million units.
|- valign="top"
| July
| US
| Tandy released the [[TRS-80 Color Computer]], based on the Motorola 6809E processor and using [[Microsoft BASIC]] as its programming language.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1981-03/1981_03_BYTE_06-03_Programming_Methods?view=theater#page/n91/mode/2up |title=Byte Magazine Volume 06 Number 03 - Programming Methods |date=1981}}</ref> It was the first Tandy computer to support color graphics, and also supported cartridge programs and games, attempting to bridge both the home computing and video gaming markets.
|- valign="top"
| October
| US
| Development of [[MS-DOS]]/[[IBM PC DOS|PC DOS]] began. Microsoft (known mainly for their programming languages) were commissioned to write the operating system for the PC; Digital Research failed to get the contract (there is much legend as to the real reason for this{{Original research inline|date=June 2021}}). DR's operating system, CP/M-86, was later shipped, but it was actually easier to adapt programs to DOS rather than to CP/M-86, and CP/M-86 cost $495. As Microsoft did not have an operating system to sell, they bought Seattle Computer Product's [[86-DOS]] which had been written by [[Tim Paterson]] earlier that year (86-DOS was also known as QDOS, Quick & Dirty Operating System; it was a more-or-less 16 bit version of CP/M). The rights were actually bought in July 1981. It is reputed that IBM found over 300 bugs in the code when they subjected the operating system to scrutiny and re-wrote much of the code.
Tim Paterson's DOS 1.0 was 4000 lines of assembler.
|- valign="top"
| ?
| [[Netherlands]]<br>Japan
| [[Red Book (audio CD standard)|Red Book]] on Audio CDs was introduced by Sony and Philips.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-08-17 |title=How the CD was developed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6950933.stm |access-date=2025-02-14 |language=en-GB}}</ref> This was the beginning of the compact disc; it was released in Japan and then in Europe and America a year later.
Roland releases the drum machine [[TR-808]] which would end up revolutionizing music of all genres in the 1980s to a more electronic/futuristic sound.<ref name="Fact-2014">{{Cite web |date=16 January 2014 |title=Everything you ever wanted to know about the Roland TR-808 but were afraid to ask |url=http://www.factmag.com/2014/01/16/roland-tr-808-beginners-guide-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-introduction/ |access-date=16 January 2017 |website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]] |publisher=[[The Vinyl Factory]]}}</ref>

The drum machine [[Linn LM-1]], also released in 1980, was the more expensive alternative to the [[TR-808]]. It became a staple of 1980s pop music.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=McNamee |first=David |date=2009-06-22 |title=Hey, what's that sound: Linn LM-1 Drum Computer and the Oberheim DMX |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/22/linn-oberheim-drum-machines |access-date=2018-02-09 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
|}