Xref: utzoo comp.os.minix:7807 comp.sys.ibm.pc:37503 comp.unix.xenix:8380
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!lll-winken!tekbspa!optilink!cramer
From: cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: IBM and Apple Operating Systems (Re: dosread.c again)
Message-ID: <2577@optilink.UUCP>
Date: 2 Nov 89 17:22:31 GMT
References: <6661@ficc.uu.net> <10609@cbnews.ATT.COM> <143@asihub.UUCP> <6773@ficc.uu.net>
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA
Lines: 38

In article <6773@ficc.uu.net>, peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
> In article <2564@optilink.UUCP> cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) writes:
> > In article <6724@ficc.uu.net>, peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
# # # IBM didn't create the PC indusry. It doesn't do that any more. It looked and
# # # it saw a thriving industry, and said "I want that". So it took it.
# 
# # Short memory, Mr. da Silva?  Before the IBM PC came out, there were
# # Apple IIs, and CP/M boxes, and Radio Shack computers, but it was 
# # still a hobbyist market.
# 
# Short memory, Mr. Cramer? The IBM-PC was priced in the same range as Altos,
# Cromemco, and other low-end business computers running various advanced
# versions of CP/M. It was a LOT more expensive than the Apples and Radio
# Shacks. The only reason it sold was the percieved value of the IBM name.
# For quite some time the only way to do anything useful with an IBM was to
# stick a "Baby Blue" card (or equivalent) in and run CP/M software.
# -- 
# `-_-' Peter da Silva <peter@ficc.uu.net# <peter@sugar.hackercorp.com#.

How many businesses were using CP/M machines?  How many were using
PCs four years later?  My experiences with the Radio Shack Model 3
were a chilling reminder of how untrustworthy some of the early
microcomputer hardware really was -- and how slow it was, even 
compared to an IBM PC.

The IBM PC didn't sell all that well initially, and largely because
of a dearth of software for it.  (In particular, there wasn't a
useful word processor for the PC until Volkswriter came out -- the
early releases of WordStar and the other package IBM was hyping for
the PC were junk).  But once business applications started to show
up for it, PCs sold very, very well -- and at least part of that
was not being stuck with the 48K and 64K RAM limits of the Apples
and most Z80 systems.
-- 
Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer
California: 2 years for mayhem; 4 years for an unregistered "assault rifle"
in your home.  Aren't liberals amazing?
Disclaimer?  You must be kidding!  No company would hold opinions like mine!