Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/02/15

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Subject: [Leica] The History of the Personal Computer
From: kanner at acm.org (Herbert Kanner)
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:54:09 -0800
References: <F6A063A0-9A6E-42B6-B562-2C90ECFD8196@acm.org> <1360941460.62556.YahooMailNeo@web125001.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> <047a01ce0b92$b64c5670$22e50350$@verizon.net>

There are many stories about why CPM was not the OS for the PC. I once saw a 
video made by a close associate of Kildare (SP?), the CEO of Digital 
Research in Pacific Grove, CA. The story was that the IBM guys, dressed to 
kill, of course, descended unexpectedly on the company at a time when 
Kildare and this associate were flying in Kildare's plane to a scheduled 
meeting with a customer. The IBM guys were left to deal with Kildare's wife, 
something these sexist guys wouldn't do. So they went to Microsoft, which 
said that they could do an OS, and then bought one from Seattle Software--he 
claimed that the latter OS was a rip-off of CPM, the Digital Research 
system. IBM then went to Digital Research and gave them $100,000 for signing 
a document stating that they would not sue IBM.

When the PC went on sale, the original price did not include the OS. They 
sold DOS for something under $50 and CPM for something over $100.

All the above is my inaccurate memory of a video I saw some years ago and 
would probably have a problem resurrecting, even via Google.

Herbert Kanner
kanner at acm.org
650-326-8204

Question authority and the authorities will question you.




On Feb 15, 2013, at 7:39 AM, Frank Filippone wrote:

> The Z-80 processor was used in several early computers, some for PC use,
> others for industrial control use.  It was, by far, the most common OS for
> special purpose industrial control computers.
> 
> If I remember correctly, Radio Shack used an operating system made by
> Digital Research.....  CP/M, but customized it to their way of thinking.
> 
> The OS was considered much more robust than the Apple or early IBM.
> 
> Digital Research is best known for its refusal to write the OS for the IBM
> PC....
> 
> And the rest is history......
> 
> As I write this, I am working on an original TRS-80 Desk.  Original with
> modification: a new top.  My then boss wanted to get rid of it, so I
> repurposed it....and it is still today more steady than anything I have 
> ever
> tried.  It will last another few decades......
> 
> 
> 
> Frank Filippone
> Red735i at verizon.net
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
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Replies: Reply from frank.dernie at btinternet.com (FRANK DERNIE) ([Leica] The History of the Personal Computer)
In reply to: Message from kanner at acm.org (Herbert Kanner) ([Leica] The History of the Personal Computer)
Message from bill_clough at yahoo.com (Bill Clough) ([Leica] The History of the Personal Computer)
Message from red735i at verizon.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] The History of the Personal Computer)