Home > Articles > M&M > A History of the Digital Music Revolution - Part III

PART III:

Dawn of the Internet

 

 

INTRO

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

 

 

 

 

1983

The Domain Name System (DNS) is designed by Paul Mockapetris of the University of Wisconsin.  Whereas the previous system required users to access addresses using an assigned IP number, the new system (introduced to the public in 1984) directs packets to a domain name, which are translated by a server database into the corresponding IP number.  The extensions “.com,” “.edu,” “.gov,” “.mil,” “.org,” “.net,” and “.int” are designed into the naming scheme.

 

In addition to the development of the DNS, 1983 marks the year that ARPAnet begins to use TCP/IP.  This is the year that the Internet is truly born.

 

1984

The number of hosts on the Internet crosses 1,000.

 

The Macintosh is launched by Apple Computer on January 24, 1984. It marks the introduction of the computer icons and the computer mouse to the public. 

 

1985

The CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) is introduced into the market by Sony and Philips.  The new standard for computer discs uses the same technology as the audio CD.


The first domain name, “symbolic.com” is registered on March 15, 1985.

 

1987

The number of hosts on the Internet crosses 10,000.

 

The first Cisco router is shipped.

 

1988

 

The MP3 (Motion Picture Experts Group-1, Level 3) audio compression format is created by Leonardo Chiariglione of Germany's Fraunhofer Institut Integriete Schaltungen, and other at the University of Erlangen.

 

1989

The number of hosts on the Internet crosses 100,000.

 

The first consumer CD recorder is released by Denon.  The machine, called the Denon DN-770R costs $20,000, with blank discs costing $40 a piece.

 

1990

The first writable CD is introduced by Sony.

 

Digital Audio Tape (DAT) is introduced by Sony.

 

The World Wide Web is invented by Tim Berners-Lee of CERN in Switzerland.  The innovations included HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), and the URL (Universal Resource Locator).  In December 1990, Berners-Lee finishes code for the first Web browser/editor, which both creates and interprets instructions as to how to display text and pictures in the window of the browser.  Click Tim's picture for a screen capture of the original web browser.

 

1991

The MiniDisc is developed by Sony.

 

1992

The number of hosts on the Internet crosses 1,000,000.

 

The term "Surfing the Internet" is coined by Jean Armour Polly

 

1993

The number of hosts on the Internet crosses 2,000,000.

 

The Mosaic web browser is released.  Developed by Marc Andreesen at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), the Mosaic has a graphical interface, allowing users to see pictures and graphics.  Is the first popular web browser.

 

The Pentium Processor is launched by Intel, which soon becomes the world's largest producer of semi-conductors.

 

1994

The number of hosts on the Internet crosses 3,000,000.


Netscape Communications is founded. Netscape 1.0 is introduced to compete with NCSA’s Mosaic. 

 

 

1995

The number of hosts on the Internet crosses 4,000,000.

 

The RealAudio player and audio streaming technology is introduced by RealNetworks (then known as Progressive Networks).  The software is free and allows users to listen to audio files in near real-time.


Netscape goes public on August 9, 1995.  It is the third largest ever IPO on NASDAQ by share value.

 

Dial-up Internet access is provided to consumers by CompuServe, America Online, and Prodigy.

 

The development of JavaScript is announced by Netscape. 

 

DVD standards are agreed to by the companies in the DVD consortium, paving the way for the eventual replacement of the VHS format.

 

Quote of the Year:  “The Internet, of course, is more than just a place to find pictures of people having sex with dogs.”

–Time Magazine, July 3, 1995

 

1996

The first browser to support JavaScript, Netscape Navigator 2.0, is released.

 

The first DVD players are sold in August in the U.S.

 

NEXT SECTION

 

 

GO TO:

   Introduction

   PART I:  The Dark Ages:  When Time Stood Still

   PART II:  Dawn of the Computer Age

   PART III:  Dawn of the Internet

   PART IV:  The Rise of (and Battle Over) the MP3

   PART V:  Life After Napster   

 

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