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The Web - 1950 A Switch in Time 1-47 was released on:
USA: 23 May 1951
This allows web-based configuration tools to be used with the switch.
I think the best way to answer your question is to point you to this Cisco Web Site:
http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived_issues/ipj_1-2/switch_evolution.html
good article
2+Z