10 fun tech ads through the years

What's e-mail? Ad date: November 16, 1981

The issue's top stories

Happy Birthday, Mr. Chip

A birthday will be celebrated this week for one of the most influential, prodigious and mind-boggling 10-year-olds in history -- the microprocessor.

Unlike most other technological discoveries, the "computer-on-a-chip" has touched nearly every facet of human life, rivaling the discoveries of the telephone, television and even electricity. Small and seemingly invisible, microprocessors and their "intelligence" play an indispensable role in space travel and exploration, energy conservation, education, genetic engineering, office automation, robotics and a host of other areas.

The microprocessor is also responsible for fostering an entire industry, estimated to be worth more than $6.5 billion with about 220,000 to 250,000 employees worldwide.

Computerworld

Bell Moving to Digital Net by '84

While several of AT&T's competitors struggle to put digital termination systems on the air, the telephone company is rapidly converting its familiar analog telephone network into an end-to-end, all-digital system capable of competing against the DTS operators.

Release No. 9 of Multics Announced by Honeywell

Honeywell, Inc. has announced Release 9 of its Multics operating system, featuring four new software offerings, enhancements to existing software, support of new hardware and communications improvements. Multics Release No. 9 (MR9) is available for existing or new Multics systems of Honeywell's Series 60, Level 68 (DPS and non-DPS) and DPS 8/70M hardware product lines.

3. Speeds up to 4800 bps

Penril

These modems are "all performers," this ad not-so-subtly boasts -- from 1,200 bit/sec. all the way up to 4,800 bit/sec. The model's hot pants along with those top data-transmission speeds give a clue as to the era it published. Can you guess?