[Elecraft] Spilling the HF beans .....

[Bill Coleman]

On Jun 3, 2007, at 7:54 AM, Fred (FL) wrote:

> And Bill Gates empire was launched, and IBM got
> its first DOS contract from Gates - and IBM's PC was
> launched.  And in 1981 - the whole PC world,
> as we now know it was started.  CP/M was also
> on the runway - but big blue, killed it at the
> gate. Supposedly Gates bought the guts of DOS
> or PC BASIC, from a college friend, for a
> pittance.

It's important to remember the history correctly. In 1981, Microsoft  
was a dominant supplier of microcomputer BASIC. IBM was already going  
to talk to them about that.

IBM also wanted CP/M, and Gates assured them he could deliver that,  
too. What he ended up doing was buying QDOS from Seattle Softworks  
(for a pittance, really), and then re-working it into PCDOS. The rest  
is history.

>   Had nothing to do with the Osborne
> Computer Inc. company.  They just happened to
> be one of several companies; Heath, Osborne,
> ..... - who at that time ran under CP/M.  So
> I'd call it the Gates effect.

The Osborne Effect came later. It happened when Osborne pre-announced  
a PC-compatible portable computer. Once they did that, all sales of  
their CP/M portable virtually stopped. The reduction in sales  
bankrupted the company before they could finish and ship their PC- 
compatible design.

Of course, the wikipedia entry indicates that perhaps the role of the  
pre-announcement was overstated: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 
Osborne_effect

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