Editing Timeline of computing 1990–1999 (section)

==1998==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Date
! class="unsortable" | Event
|- valign="top"
| January
| Compaq Computer Corporation announces pending acquisition of [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] for $9.6 billion.
|- valign="top"
| February
| Intel released the 333&nbsp;MHz Pentium II processor. Code-named Deschutes, they used the new 0.25 micrometre manufacturing process, so they can run faster and generate less heat.
|- valign="top"
| March
| [[Be Inc.]] released [[BeOS]] R3. This was the first BeOS version available for [[IBM PC compatible|x86 PCs]] and [[Power Mac]]s.
|- valign="top"
| May
| Apple announces the [[iMac]], an all-in-one with integral 15&nbsp;inch (381&nbsp;mm) multiscan monitor, 24× CD-ROM, 2× available USB ports, 56&nbsp;kbit/s [[modem]], two stereo speakers, and Ethernet, but no floppy drive. It was encased in translucent [[Bondi Blue]] and Ice plastic. Quantity shipping began in August. Designed by [[Jonathan Ive]], it was the model that enabled Apple to become profitable again.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}
|- valign="top"
| June 25
| Microsoft released [[Windows 98]].<ref name="WITP-Release">{{cite web |author=Paul Thurrott |date=March 11, 1998 |title=Windows 98 release date set: June 25 |url=http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/17693/windows-98-release-date-set-june-25.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131180448/http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/17693/windows-98-release-date-set-june-25.html |archive-date=January 31, 2010 |access-date=February 18, 2017 |publisher=WinInfo}}</ref> Some U.S. attorneys tried to block its release since the new OS interfaces with other programs, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, and so effectively closes the market of such software to other companies. Microsoft has fought back with a letter to the White House suggesting that 26 of its industry allies say that a delay in the release of the new OS could damage the U.S. economy. The main selling points of Windows 98 were its support for USB and its support for disk partitions greater than 2&nbsp;GB with FAT32 (although FAT32 was actually released with Windows 95 OSR2).
|- valign="top"
| September
| Upstart [[eMachines]] announces two home PCs priced at $399 and $499, creating the sub-$600 market and launching a price war. Within four months, the new company becomes the No. 5 computer maker at retail.
|}