I would make a strong argument that DEC invented the PC: Twice actually.
The PDT11/150 is a pretty amazing system: 64k of memory, serial port,
printer port, RT11 operating system and if I recall correctly someone
wrote a version of Visicalc and a nice word processor on it as a
demonstration.
Unfortunately Dec saw that such a system would cannibalize their sales
of pdp11 computers and sold the damn thing as a communication
controller. Sad beyond belief.
They did it again with the Pro/350: A system that had integrated
graphics, 512k of memory, dual floppies and a hard disk, easy to install
card options (Ethernet, TMS, etc) and of course a real time
multi-program operating system and (with Synergy) a fairly neat GUI.
Unfortunately Dec saw that such a system would cannibalize their sales
of pdp and vax computers and crippled the living daylights out of it.
Ultimately selling it as a front-end processor. Sad beyond belief.
It wasn't just having the technology, it was having it and knowing how
to market it. You need both to make a good product and DEC really was
all about protecting their current market share (which is insane as they
came to be by exploiting a niche in the computer industry).
Oh well.
CZ
On 11/26/2019 8:45 PM, Richard Pope via cctalk wrote:
Fred,
I'm not stating that IBM invented the PC. I am stating that IBM
says it invented the PC. Yeah right. I actually believe that it was
Commodore that invented the Personal Computer for they were the first
company to come out with an affordable home computer system that was
very flexible. Of course this is my opinion.
GOD Bless and Thanks,
rich!
On 11/26/2019 7:39 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
And IBM invented the Personal Computer.
No.
We already established that Steve Jobs did that. Please pay attention.
Where do you suppose he picked up such heretical revisionist ideas?
