Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!oliveb!pyramid!octopus!vote
From: vote@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Why clone the PS/2?
Summary: For the Company Image.
Message-ID: <221@octopus.UUCP>
Date: 15 May 88 20:34:29 GMT
References: <8685@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU> <5823@well.UUCP> <10600@steinmetz.ge.com> <5836@well.UUCP> <1252@uokmax.UUCP> <5884@well.UUCP> <5167@cup.portal.com> <488@bnlux0.bnl.gov> <1642@looking.UUCP>
Reply-To: vote@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann)
Organization: Octopus Enterprises, Cupertino CA
Lines: 45

In article <1642@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes:
>What I want to know is, why the big excitement about cloning the PS/2?
>Why all the rush?
>[Not for any technical reasons, since AT's are better than PS/2's...]

You are absolutely right that there aren't any technical reasons for cloning
the PS/2.

The main reason I can see is for Company Image: so clone company X can proudly
go to a Fortune 500 company and say "we've got IBM-style beef".

Once you realize that IBM looks at PC's from a completely different point of
view than the rest of us, everything becomes a lot clearer...

To IBM, a PC is simply a smart terminal connected to a mainframe. The PS/2
was introduced in order to:

	- improve connectivity with mainframes
	- give IBM shops a good reason to buy IBM PC terminals again (now there
		isn't pressure on them to buy cheap clone terminals)
	- improve IBM's profit margins

They don't really care what the rest of us think about the PS/2! Their main
goal is to protect their mainframe business, worldwide.

PS/2 clone battles will be fought on IBM mainframe shop turf, not in
MicroDataTech Taiwan Clone Inc. stores.

It may be informative to know that of *all* stores selling IBM PS/2 computers,
only 1/4 achieved their sales quotas for Q1 1988. And the quotas (set by IBM)
were set extra low for the first quarter; they will rise very quickly during
the year. Lots of chains will be dropping and/or de-emphasizing the PS/2
during 1988. At this point, it sure looks like the PS/2 will go the way of
the PC-JR, XT-286, Convertible, etc, rather than the PC or AT. Ever notice
how, even with all the hoopla, IBM is just as capable of producing a market
dud as a market winner? They are already farming out the PS/2 in Europe to
other companies. IBM wouldn't do that if it were making them a bundle of bucks.

Pete

-- 
  OOO   __| ___      Peter Holzmann, Octopus Enterprises
 OOOOOOO___/ _______ USPS: 19611 La Mar Court, Cupertino, CA 95014
  OOOOO \___/        UUCP: {hpda,pyramid}!octopus!pete
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