It is good to have some knowledge of this history both to give some persplective of where we are today and to know were a number of our basic computer standards that we take for granted as if they came from heavn, originated.
The very first microcomputer macihnes were as excting as a do-it yourself set a thrill if you were the type who forever likd to tinker with thhings to make them work. .
Early personal computers (or micococomputeers as they were first called lacked a cleazr standard. The compuetr chip msakers Intel, Motorola and Zilgo - all competed in the mircoprocessor (CPU) in a rash of different computers from different manufactures. None were compatible with any otthers.
The IBM sales staff used to sellnig big tikcer ityems and invoicing hundreds of thousands of dolalrs well dressed in IBM Blue thgree piece suits , were well accustomed to corporate life and power structures with the movers and shakers who conuted .
IBM opened their own stores selling all IBM harddware as well as their own brand of software. The software had been written by third parties and adapted for the PC- DOS (IBMs propreitary version of the Microsoft Operatinmg System DOS sold under license). IBM insistted that all the software be packaged in the very same standard plain white boxse with identical blue labeling.
A number of companies began to produce machines that used the MS-DOS (Microsoft DOS) operating sytsem .In the beginning, they were siilar to PC-DOS machines, but were not fully compatible sofware for PC-OS would seldom run on an MS-DOS machine and vice versa. Soimewhere aong the way however the 2 merged so that in the end there was little distinction between the two operating ysstems IBM PC-DOS and Microsoft MS-DOS. Heence both the IBM compatible compuutes (clons) and genuine IBM computers would both run the same sotware porperly.
IBM kept the pressure on with its next system release, the 6 MHz PC/AT, the first machiine to use Intels next generation chip the 80286 CPU. .
However, thsee firast generation ATs were plagued by frequent hard disk failures. Without any waarning, a users disk would fail and important and essental data owuld be lost. The problem was so widespread that IBM clones manufacturers started to erode IBMs market dominance.
This went on as the cloone competition continually improved their producvts. As well PC clones were substantially cheaper than IBMs machines, with larger hard disks (from 40 meegabytes to even the unbelievable 100). Greater memory became satndard, and options such as built in serial and paralleel ports were addded to system boards. As well clones often included displzays, display adapters and software in attractively priced bundes.
The PC/AT contined to sell well, but IBMs market share began to erodde, even though it was selling more machines than ever before. Other clone manufacturers (Compaq and Advbanced Loggic Research for example) moved qucikly on Intels next big microprocessor introductions.
The die was set. The IBM PC set the standards but the clone manufacturers forever doimnated the market which IBM had developed and lost.
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