Maybe my memory is off. I thought when the units were shipped, IBM only supplied PCDOS, that you had to buy CP/M-86 separately. If it was indeed a market decision, then, sure the MS Basic, plus I suspect PCDOS commands were more intuitive for non-CP/M (8080) users probably led to MS 'winning'
>john alvord said: >The original IBM PC had three operating systems at anouncement. >PC-DOS, CP/M, and a UCSD P-system (interpreted pascal or something). >We know what happened, no need to wonder... Care to speculate why? I >would bet on superior marketting and the fact that MS basic was the >camel's nose into the OEM tent. This is strictly my own speculation, this has nothing to do with my present employer, and I was wondering this well before I became an IBM employee.
