History Of The Microcomputer Revolution
Segment 14 - Send in the Clones again
The PC marketplace changed radically after the introduction of the IBM
PC in August of 1981. As the IBM PC was built from commercially available
off-the-shelf parts - a concept similar to the original Altair microcomputer,
companies began trying to clone it. This created a generation of MSDOS
computers which called themselves compatible, but which weren't 100% compatible.
This created numerous headaches for unsuspecting end users. Some systems
offered the capability to run both CP/M and MSDOS. The first company to
successfuly build a 100% compatible IBM PC clone was Compaq computer, who
introduced their first system as what they called a portable, but its size
and weight made it a luggable computer. Then other companies followed with
true IBM compatibles, mostly built overseas in Taiwan. Most of the CP/M
computers quickly disappeared, as did the not true compatibles, leaving
their owners in a category which is now well known and feared in the PC
world - orphaned computer owners.
Just as IBM appeared to conquer the marketplace by 1983, Apple Computer
introduced the Macintosh, whose graphical user interface and mouse presented
a totally new approach to personal computing. Microsoft was having to walk
a careful narrow line, saying nice things about the Mac because they worked
closely with Apple, while not offending IBM, while at the same time Bill
Gates had plans for his own graphical user interface, which he called Windows.
Gates had taken a walk in the PARC too and was convinced that a graphical
user interface based operating system was the future. In fact, he made
the brash statement that one day soon all IBM PC's would be running Windows.
His estimates were so far off that he is credited with inventing the term "vaporware".
IBM also had plans for its own new operating system, trying to break its
reliance on Microsoft by developing their own character-based but windowing
operating system they called TopView, announced at the release of the IBM
AT computer in 1984. This went absolutely nowhere. The heralded new Intel
80286 processor also wasn't fast enough to run Microsoft's Windows at acceptable
speed, and had a design flaw related to multitasking which caused Industry
Analysis to refer to it as "brain dead". Microsoft and IBM continued to
argue over operating systems, with Microsoft trying to convince IBM to
go with Windows. IBM however opted to develop their own GUI operating system
which they named OS/2, and enlisted Microsoft's help in writing it. This
created years of doublespeak by the two companies as to where each product
was going to fit into the marketplace. Meanwhile the millions of IBM PC
and compatible users got along fine with plain old DOS, and Apple's Macintosh
with a GUI-that worked continued to gain market acceptance.
In 1986, Compaq computer beat IBM to the punch and introduced the world's
first 80386-based PC, using an Intel processor which finally had the power
and design to run a GUI-based operating system. By this time, IBM's PC
sales were taken over by clone PC sales. In fact, the word clone was a
misnomer, as these copy-cat computers actually offered better performance
and features, and more bang for the buck.
In 1987 IBM made an attempt to recapture the marketplace with its new line
of PS/2 personal computers and microchannel architecture, but users stayed
away by the millions.
The relationship between IBM and Microsoft finally exploded and evaporated,
with IBM taking over the job of trying to write OS/2, and with Microsoft
going full speed ahead with a marketplan for Windows to dominate the world.
The power of the 386 processor made this happen, and Windows 3.0 actually
worked - to a degree. The introduction of the Intel 486, coupled with Windows
3.1 and Microsoft's aggressive marketing practice of including Windows
along with all copies of Dos sold placed Microsoft into the leader position
among GUI based operating systems, along with owning DOS, the PC world
predominant operating system. Microsoft today also markets a suite of application
programs and is the largest software company in the world, with plans for
world wide information systems and financial networking.
Next week as we end this series, we'll look
at how far the Microcomputer revolution has come, and how far it still
has to go.
For Raw Bytes, this is Frank Delaney
Copyright © 1995 MTA Micro Technology Associates
Frank Delaney
928 E. Thurston Spokane, WA 99203 (509) 624-7286/7230
Raw Bytes Computer News - KPBX FM 91.1 National Public Radio
In computer news this week (May 24, 1995):
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Copyright © 1997-2006 William Thomas Sanderson.
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Frank Delaney
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