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Vinpaq About Compaq

Jun 1978

Intel 8086 Released

Jun 1978

Jun 1979

Intel 8088 Released

Feb 1982

Intel 80286 Released

Feb 1982

16 Feb 1982

Compaq Founded



Founders of Compaq
By Joseph R. Canion ("Rod"), James M. Harris ("Jim"), and William H. Murto ("Bill"). They were all former Texas Instruments senior managers.

Nov 1982

Compaq Portable Announced

Compaq announced its first product, the Compaq Portable.

Nov 1982

Mar 1983

Release Compaq Portable 1

Compaq Portable 1 launched on the market, starting at  $2,995. One of the first 'portable' pc's and truely IBM PC Compatible. In 1 year, Compaq sold over 53.000 units.

Oct 1983

10MB HDD Announcement, creating the Compaq Portable Plus

Compaq announces the Compaq Portable Plus, a Portable with a 10MB HDD. Many non-plus Portables were converted into Plus variants by removing 1 5in floppy drive and installing the 10MB HDD.

Oct 1983

28 Jun 1984

Release Compaq Deskpro

In 1984 Compaq entered the desktop market with a 16-bit computer running at 7.14 MHz.

30 April 1985

Compaq Portable 286 Announced

The Compaq Portable 286 came equipped with 6/8-MHz 286 and a high-speed 20-MB hard drive.

30 April 1985

Oct 1985

Intel 386 Released

1985

Compaq sales reached $504 million

1985

20 Feb 1986

Release Compaq Portable II

The Compaq Portable II succeeded the Portable 286 and was seen as the slimmed down version. It also had a base clockspeed of 8 MHz.

There were four models of the Compaq Portable II.
  • The basic Model 1 shipped one 5.25" floppy drive and 256 KB of RAM.
  • The Model 2 added a second 5.25" floppy drive and sold for $3599.
  • The Model 3 shipped with a 10MB hard disk in addition to one 5.25" floppy drive and 640 KB of RAM for $4799 at launch.
  • The Model 4 would upgrade the Model 3 with a 20MB hard drive and sold for $4999.

1986

Compaq enjoyed record sales of $329 million from 150,000 PCs

and became the youngest-ever firm to make the Fortune 500.

1986

18 Feb 1987

Release Compaq Portable III

The Compaq Portable III was designed to be the smallest portable pc with a 286 processor. It was succeeded by the Compaq Portable 386

Apr 1987

Bill Murto (SVP of sales) announced to depart Compaq

Apr 1987

Oct 1987

Release Compaq Portable 386

Early versions of the Compaq Portable 386 were sold with the Compaq Portable III case and badges. A differing screen bezel stating "386/20" was the only externally visible change.

1987

Compaq hit the $1 billion revenue mark

Taking the least amount of time to reach that milestone.

1987

May 1988

AMD Am29000 Released

Apr 1989

Intel 486 Released

Apr 1989

Oct 1991

Rob Canion forced to leave Compaq



In a move that appears to be orchestrated by the board, Eckhard Pfeiffer, previously the executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been appointed as the president and chief executive officer, succeeding Canion. This unexpected decision was made in a week when Compaq announced an unexpected loss of $70.2 million, a restructuring plan involving the loss of 150 jobs, and a division of the company into two separate entities.

Oct 1991 - May 1992

Release Compaq Portable 486(c)

The Compaq Portable 486, launched by Compaq Computer Corporation in 1991, was the final portable computer or “luggable” under the Compaq Portable series. The computer was available in multiple models with varying hard disk configurations. It was also offered in two screen types: a more affordable monochrome version and a pricier active matrix color version, referred to as the Compaq Portable 486c. This diversity in models and features provided users with a range of options to suit their specific needs and budget.

Oct 1991 - May 1992

Mar 1991

AMD Am386 Released

Nov 1991

James M. Harris Resigned from the company



His departure came as the company disclosed a crash program to develop a new PC line to compete in price at the low end of the market and as its new president, Eckhard Pfeiffer, proclaimed a "marketing revolution that has galvanized our entire company."

Walking out the door along with Mr. Harris was his second in command on the engineering side, Hugh Barnes, vice president of hardware engineering.

Similarly, the senior vice presidents in charge of market development and quality, respectively B. Kevin Ellington and C. Murray Francois, along with Robert E. Vieau, vice president of manufacturing, joined the exodus that week.

With Mr. Harris' departure, following Mr. Canion's, none of the founders remain.

Nov 1991

Mar 1993

Intel Pentium Released

Apr 1993

AMD Am486 Released

Apr 1993

9 Jul 1993

New Logo

Nov 1995

AMD Am5x86 Released

Nov 1995

Mar 1996

AMD K5 Released

Apr 1997

AMD K6 Released

Apr 1997

May 1997

Intel Pentium II Released

23 Jun 1997

Compaq purchased Tandem Computers


For approximately $3 billion.

23 Jun 1997

26 Jan 1998

Compaq bought Digital Equipment Corporation


For $9.6 billion

Feb 1999

Intel Pentium III Released

Feb 1999

Jun 1999

AMD K7 Released

Mar 2000

AMD Athlon Released

Mar 2000

Nov 2000

Intel Pentium 4 Released

Oct 2001

AMD Athlon XP Released

Oct 2001

3 May 2002

Acquisition by HP


For 25 billion.
0
To make the perfect IBM clone
0
revenue mark by 1987
0
1982-2002

Compaq was a special company, first to take on IBM succesfully and one of the main reasons why the PC market is what it is today. They have made groundbreaking computers, sometimes too far ahead for its time. In 20 years it went from a startup company, to one of the biggest players on the market, to eventually needing a merger with HP to survive.

COMPANY HISTORY

Compaq was an American computer technology company that was established in 1982 by three former Texas Instruments managers: Rod Canion, Jim Harris, and Bill Murto. Their vision was to create portable personal computers that could run all the software and peripherals designed for IBM PCs, which dominated the market at that time. Compaq achieved this by legally reverse engineering IBM's technology and producing 100% compatible clones. Compaq's first product, the Compaq Portable, was launched in 1983 and became a huge success, making Compaq the fastest-growing company in US history. Compaq continued to innovate and compete with IBM by introducing new features, such as faster processors, better graphics, and expandable memory.

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Between 1983 and 1999, Compaq launched several product lines that catered to different segments of the PC market. Some of these product lines were:

  • The Deskpro series, which were desktop PCs for business and professional users. The first Deskpro model was released in 1984 and featured an Intel 8086 processor. Later models used Intel 80286, 80386, and 80486 processors, as well as Pentium and Pentium Pro processors.

  • The Portable series, which were portable PCs that could be used as desktops when connected to a monitor and a keyboard. The first Portable model was released in 1983 and featured an Intel 8088 processor. Later models used Intel 80286 and 80386 processors, as well as LCD screens and hard disk drives.
  • The LTE series, which were laptop PCs for mobile users. The first LTE model was released in 1989 and featured an Intel 80286 processor. Later models used Intel 80386, 80486, and Pentium processors, as well as color LCD screens and CD-ROM drives.
  • The Presario series, which were consumer-oriented PCs that offered multimedia features and Internet access. The first Presario model was released in 1993 and featured an Intel 80486 processor. Later models used Pentium, Pentium II, Pentium III, and AMD processors, as well as DVD drives and modems.

By the early 1990s, Compaq had become the world's largest supplier of PC systems, surpassing IBM in sales and profits. However, Compaq also faced challenges from low-cost rivals like Dell, who used direct sales and customized orders to undercut Compaq's prices. In 1998, Compaq made a controversial decision to acquire Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), a leading maker of minicomputers and servers, for $9.6 billion. The acquisition proved to be costly and difficult to integrate, and Compaq soon lost its market share and leadership position to Dell and HP. In 2002, Compaq agreed to merge with HP in a $25 billion deal that created the world's largest PC maker. The Compaq brand name was gradually phased out by HP until 2013, when it was discontinued in most markets. Today, the Compaq name is licensed to third parties for use on electronics like smart tv’s and tablets in Brazil and India.

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