Tonight, more than 300 people representing a broad cross-section of the technology industry will mark the 20th anniversary of the IBM PC at a dinner hosted by Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates and Intel Corporation Chairman Andy Grove. The event, celebrating an indispensable asset in homes and businesses worldwide, will be held at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Calif. On Aug. 12, 1981, IBM introduced a personal computer powered by the Intel 8088 microprocessor and Microsoft® PC DOS 1.0. With the IBM PC, users could create documents, make basic spreadsheets and play simple games displayed in glowing green type on a monochrome monitor. Despite a price tag that would translate to more than $5,000 today, the IBM PC was an instant sensation that appealed to more than just hobbyists and kit-makers. The result was a default standard that helped spawn an industry and a new era marked by rapid and dramatic change.
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