[Elecraft] ELEPRODUCT POLL - IBM PC (OT)

[Bill Coleman]

On May 14, 2004, at 8:43 PM, Mike Morrow wrote:

> Having graduated as an EE in 1974, I tracked development during the 
> early PC days with great interest.  I too thought the 68000-series was 
> superior to the 8086-series, but I have always understood that the 
> 8088/8086 was selected by IBM largely due to the fact that Intel had a 
> math coprocessor nearer to delivery than did Motorola.  I was amazed 
> by the capability of the 8087 math coprocessor when it first came out.

Interesting to look at all this and note all the historical elements 
left out.

Shortly after the IBM PC came out, IBM also came out with a 68000-based 
PC product. This was in a different division (IBM Instruments?). It did 
not sell.

The two key factors that destined the original IBM PC to use the 8088 
were a) the fact that the 808x family was sampling much earlier in the 
late 70s than the 68000 and was available in quantities sooner and b) 
the edict from the Data Systems Division that the Entry Systems 
Division's PC would not compete with the DisplayWriter series. The 
68000 did not initially have an 8-bit bus device in the family. The 
68008 came several years later.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901