Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watdcsu.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watdcsu!rsellens From: rsellens@watdcsu.UUCP (Rick Sellens - Mech. Eng.) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: demise of 8086 family? Message-ID: <1488@watdcsu.UUCP> Date: Thu, 20-Jun-85 10:41:33 EDT Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1488 Posted: Thu Jun 20 10:41:33 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 20-Jun-85 23:42:09 EDT References: <120@SCINEWS.UUCP> <11271@brl-tgr.ARPA> Reply-To: rsellens@watdcsu.UUCP (Rick Sellens - Mech. Eng.) Distribution: net Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 43 Summary: In article <11271@brl-tgr.ARPA> geoffs@brl-tgr.ARPA (Geoffrey Sauerborn (TANK) ) writes: >In article <120@SCINEWS.UUCP> ned@SCINEWS.UUCP writes: >. >. >. >>Perhaps the 8086 was a stop-gap for IBM. They needed to get into the >>micro market in a hurry or they would have risked being too late.... > > I wonder if there is such a thing as too late for IBM. If they >had waited until today to come out with a micro, and it used the 4040 >(4004?) and their own propriety operating system, I think it would still >be an overnight success. > > People would buy it because it would have three letters on the >cover. I disagree. Even IBM has to provide a reasonable level of utility in its products in order to sell them. Despite its flaws, the PC can run nice word processing, BIG spreadsheets and reasonable database systems. This is all that the average user wants. Also, you must consider the timeframe. When I bought my PC three years ago (it had been out for about 8 months) it was the most advanced *commercial* machine available. The only other choices in the computer stores in Calgary were the Apples II and III, and CP/M machines like the Osbourne. It was possible then to buy an IBM PC strictly on merit, and I think it is still possible now. If you don't need amazing speed, then the incredible library of software makes the PC very attractive. Disclaimer: Don't misinterpret the above. What *I* really want is a 68020 or 32032 box with an FPU and gobs of memory, running a decent multitasking OS. My point is that there are still applications where an IBM PC makes sense, even if you ignore those three little letters. Rick Sellens UUCP: watmath!watdcsu!rsellens CSNET: rsellens%watdcsu@waterloo.csnet ARPA: rsellens%watdcsu%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa