7. Microsoft MacEnhancer (1985)

It may seem surprising to computer users of today that Microsoft was a big supporter of the Macintosh platform throughout the 1980s. Microsoft released a very useful expansion peripheral, the MacEnhancer, which plugged into a Mac's modem or printer port and added one IBM PC-compatible parallel port and two IBM PC-compatible serial ports. With the MacEnhancer and its custom software, Mac users could utilize many printers, modems, and accessories designed for the IBM PC.

8. Microsoft InPort (1986)

In 1986, Microsoft announced a new mouse input interface called InPort. The interface had a Microsoft-designed integrated circuit and a new, compact 9-pin connector. Microsoft created the new interface as a way to free up system serial ports and to create less expensive mice, since the Microsoft's InPort chip provided much of the interface's intelligence onto the PC end. Microsoft even released its own InPort interface card and versions of its mice to utilize it.