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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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106 results for: Computers and Technology

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Image of Microsoft campus, Redmond, 1991
Photograph

Microsoft campus, Redmond, 1991

Microsoft, a multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington, was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company moved to Bellevue, Washington in 1979 and incorporated in 1981. The company has grown to become the world's largest software maker and a leader in cloud enterprise technology.In 1986, Microsoft moved its headquarters from…
ID Number:2000.107.073.25.27
Date:1991
Image of Paul Allen in his office, Bellevue, circa 1990
Photograph

Paul Allen in his office, Bellevue, circa 1990

Paul Allen was born in Seattle in 1953 to Ken and Faye Allen, a librarian and a teacher, respectivelly. In 1975, Allen and his high school friend Bill Gates started Microsoft. In 1983, Paul Allen left Microsoft after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. After he completed treatment, he opened his software company Asymetrix in 1985, and a year later he…
ID Number:2000.107.073.26.01
Date:Circa 1990
Image of Tim Paterson, original author of MS-DOS, Tukwila, February 10, 1986
Photograph

Tim Paterson, original author of MS-DOS, Tukwila, February 10, 1986

While an employee at Seattle Computer Products in Tukwila, Tim Paterson developed a disk operating system, 86-DOS, to run the company’s newly developed computer. Microsoft purchased the rights to 86-DOS, did some further development, and renamed it MS-DOS. Microsoft made a quick deal with IBM, which used MS-DOS to operate its first personal computer. This image shows Tim Paterson pointing…
ID Number:2000.107.073.28.01
Date:1986
Image of Francis J. Gaudette and Mike Maples announcing shipment of  Windows 3.1 at Sea-Tac Airport, March 18, 1992
Photograph

Francis J. Gaudette and Mike Maples announcing shipment of Windows 3.1 at Sea-Tac Airport, March 18, 1992

In the early 1990s, Microsoft was engaged in fierce competition with IBM for dominance in the software market. The two companies had collaborated on the OS/2 operating system in the 1980s before Microsoft broke ties and focused on its own operating system, called Windows. Microsoft began shipping copies of Windows 3.1 in March 1992, about two weeks before IBM began…
ID Number:2000.107.073.33.02
Date:1992
Image of Women working at Genetic Systems lab, Redmond, July 15, 1991
Photograph

Women working at Genetic Systems lab, Redmond, July 15, 1991

In 1980, New York stockbroker David Blech and his brother Isaac partnered with Dr. Robert Nowinski of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle to start Genetic Systems, focused on producing antibodies to diagnose diseases. The Blech brothers raised $40 million in start-up costs, and the company went public in 1981. Bristol-Myers Squibb acquired the company, Seattle's first major…
ID Number:2000.107.073.47.01
Date:1991
Image of Tom Gibbs and Molly Boone checking water monitoring system, Seattle, August 31, 1963
Photograph

Tom Gibbs and Molly Boone checking water monitoring system, Seattle, August 31, 1963

Charles V. "Tom" Gibbs (1932-2019) was an engineer whose historic projects in the 1960s ended the constant flow of raw sewage into Lake Washington and Puget Sound. Born in Oregon and raised in Winlock, Washington, Mr. Gibbs received civil engineering degrees in 1954 and 1966 from the University of Washington (UW). He and his wife, Jean C. Gibbs, later endowed…
ID Number:2000.107.074.15.01
Date:1963
Image of Charlotte Guyman, director of marketing for Microsoft consumer division, September 1993
Photograph

Charlotte Guyman, director of marketing for Microsoft consumer division, September 1993

Until the early 1990s, Microsoft focused on making software for business use rather than home users. However, in 1993, as personal computers became both cheaper and more versatile, the company decided to expand its consumer offerings under a new brand called Microsoft Home. The new products included a multimedia encyclopedia called Encarta and a collection of office programs such as…
ID Number:2000.107.080.28.01
Date:1993
Image of Mike Hallman and other Microsoft executives, Bellevue, December 4, 1990
Photograph

Mike Hallman and other Microsoft executives, Bellevue, December 4, 1990

The growth in the use of networked personal computers in business stimulated the development of more complex business software systems. In response, Microsoft opened a new facility in Bellevue, WA in 1990 to house its restructured Systems Support Business Unit. The new unit was created to focus on corporate users of the new and popular Windows 3.0 software and on…
ID Number:2000.107.081.33.01
Date:1990
Image of Dave Walter, Jeremy Jaech, and Ted Johnson meeting about Axon, Seattle, October 19, 1990
Photograph

Dave Walter, Jeremy Jaech, and Ted Johnson meeting about Axon, Seattle, October 19, 1990

Three former Aldus executives (Jeremy Jaech, Dave Walter, and Ted Johnson) established Axon Corporation in Seattle in 1990, to create business graphics software for use on personal computers. Later known as Visio Corporation, they created the design product Visio, which became Microsoft Visio when Microsoft bought the company in 2000. Both Jaech and Johnson would continue to work on the…
ID Number:2000.107.097.39.01
Date:1990
Image of Jack and Christine King in front of their home, Kirkland, February 28, 1986
Photograph

Jack and Christine King in front of their home, Kirkland, February 28, 1986

In this photo, Christine and Jack King stand outside their home in Kirkland. The couple formed Tymco. Inc., a tiny software company. Tymco's program reminds busy executives about appointments and when their professional goals have - and haven't - been met. Caption information derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.
ID Number:2000.107.105.23.01
Date:1986
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