Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The text continued: "Welcome to the most exciting and important marketplace since
the computer revolution began 35 years ago. And congratulations on your first personal
computer. Putting real computer power in the hands of the individual is already improving
the way people work, think, learn, communicate, and spend their leisure hours. Computer
literacy is fast becoming as fundamental a skill as reading or writing. When we invented
the first personal computer system, we estimated that over 140,000,000 people worldwide
could justify the purchase of one, if only they understood its benefits. Next year alone, we
project that well over 1,000,000 will come to that understanding. Over the next decade, the
growth of the personal computer will continue in logarithmic leaps. We look forward to
responsible competition in the massive effort to distribute this American technology to the
world. And we appreciate the magnitude of your commitment. Because what we are do-
ing is increasing social capital by enhancing individual productivity. Welcome to the task.
Apple."
At first, the personal computer movement had not threatened - or had not seemed to
threaten - IBM's core data processing and office-systems business. But with the rise of ma-
chines such as the Apple II, which quickly offered strong word processing, spreadsheet and
database management software applications, IBM quite rightly perceived a change in the
dynamic. No more did small machines merely represent the sequestered and unprofitable
domain of obscure techies, amateur programmers and gamers. The ham radio era of per-
sonal computers had ended. The business apps period of these machines was on the rise. In
the presence of this looming competition, IBM at last chose to act.
The Intel 8088-based IBM PC (IBM 5150) used 16-bit words to handle data internally,
and could handle external communication at 8 bits. The machine included a 62-pin bus,
five expansion slots, and used ASCII code. The most stripped down versions of the ma-
chine needed no operating system, per se, only BASIC, as it was diskless and featured a
cassette port. For those users who wished to incorporate disk storage, they had a choice at
first of only the PC-DOS operating system, and later Gary Kildall's more expensive CP/
M-86. (The tale of these competing operating systems has, you'll remember, already been
told.)
The IBM PC was in many ways better than the Apple II. As Ceruzzi notes: "The mono-
chrome monitor could display a full screen of 25 lines of 80 characters - an improvement
over the Apple II and essential for serious office applications. A version with a color mon-
itor was also available. With the PC, IBM also announced the availability of word process-
ing, accounting, games software, and a version of VisiCalc . A spreadsheet introduced in
October 1982 - 1-2-3 from Mitch Kapor's Lotus Development - took advantage of the PC's
architecture and ran much faster than its competitor, VisiCalc . The combination of the IBM
Personal Computer and Lotus 1-2-3 soon overtook Apple in sales and dispelled whatever
doubts remained about these machines as serious rivals to mainframe and minicomputers."
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