The Intel 80386 microprocessor features 275,000 transistors – more than 100 times as many as the original 4004. It handles data 32 bits at a time and multitasks, meaning it can run multiple programs at the same time.
5.25-inch form factor hard drives shrink considerably in terms of height. A standard hard drive measures about 3 inches and weighs only a few pounds, while lower capacity “half-height” hard drives measure only 1.6 inches high.
3.5-inch form factor hard drives begin to appear. These compact units weigh as little as a pound and are about the size of a paperback book. They are first integrated into desktop computers, and are later incorporated into laptops weighing less than 12 pounds (5.4 kg).
The PrairieTek 220 is released – the first 2.5-inch hard disk for portables. Capacity: 20MB spread over two platters, for a total of just over two volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica.
The Intel 80486 DX makes point-and-click computing practical. The 486 is the first processor to offer a built-in math co-processor, which speeds up computing because it offers complex math functions from the central processor.
US President Ronald Reagan issued a directive to make GPS (Global Positioning System) available to civilians. The first GPS satellite was launched headed by Roger Easton, the primary inventor of GPS.