IBM Declares the End of the PC Era

[Computer_Commando]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/237916/ibm_declares_the_end_of_the_pc_era.html

They always say something like this to justify their actions.  This usually means they really think it was a bad move, but will never admit it in public.

[truenorth]

Well fortunately there are others of prominence and influence that disagree "Obviously not everyone agrees. In a separate blog post, Microsoft corporate communications chief Frank Shaw says that he likes to think of the current state of computing as the "PC-plus" era. He adds that more than 400 million PCs will be shipped in 2011 alone." As one who grew up in the era that an inclined shade tree mechanic could fix just about anything on an automobile which is now out of the question. If the prediction re the imminent demise of the PC  becomes fact it shall become similar. With PC's should we be so inclined users can do a lot of repairs/upgrades/additions/deletions/etc most if not all of which shall not be possible with the "new" technologies.I for one shall be sorry to see that.Throw away shall become the norm.truenorth

[Geek-9pm]

Hey, nice find!
I think they are right. It is almost over, the fat lady is about to sing.

August 12 marks the 30th anniversary of the IBM 5150 PC, whose debut was widely considered to mark the beginning of the PC era.

Thirty years is not to bad for a a major new technology. But the foundation for the Personal Computer was established earlier by the Apple ][
 and the early CP/M boxes sold by Kay pro. And not to mention Amiga and Commodore. Anybody remember Adam Osborne?

The iPods, iPhone and iPads and other mobile devices are replacing the personal computer laptops. With the advent of broadband Cloud Computing, there is less need to have a conventional PC in your office or living room. 

[patio]

Balderdash...

The PC will not be replaced anytime soon...

[Geek-9pm]

Balderdash...

The PC will not be replaced anytime soon...

Think of C-Band satellite dishes, Dial-up modems, the eight track tape players, 45 RPM phonograph records, red and blue 3-D glasses.

[patio]

Think of C-Band satellite dishes, Dial-up modems, the eight track tape players, 45 RPM phonograph records, red and blue 3-D glasses.

I have...whats your point ?

[BC_Programmer]

Thirty years is not to bad for a a major new technology. But the foundation for the Personal Computer was established earlier by the Apple ][
 and the early CP/M boxes sold by Kay pro. And not to mention Amiga and Commodore. Anybody remember Adam Osborne?

IBM PC release Date August 12 1981.

Apple II: January 1983



There were of course many other "PCs" at the time, but none of them were compatible with one another. the IBM PC was the first one to really be accepted as an industry standard.

Think of C-Band satellite dishes, Dial-up modems, the eight track tape players, 45 RPM phonograph records, red and blue 3-D glasses.

Those all have very specific purposes. The PC does not.

[Geek-9pm]

IBM PC release Date August 12 1981.

Apple II: January 1983


There were of course many other "PCs" at the time, but none of them were compatible with one another. the IBM PC was the first one to really be accepted as an industry standard.
N
Those all have very specific purposes. The PC does not.

The IBM 5150 PC was not the first personal computer. The Apple II was on the market then, as were computers from Commodore and Atari and from several vendors selling CP/M micros. But it was, by any measure, the most important.

Read more: http://www.cnet.com/8301-30976_1-20091890-10348864/reporters-roundtable-happy-30th-birthday-ibm-pc/#ixzz1UrxodNKy

It was not an industry standard.  People in the industry were skeptical. Microcomputers were being widely used in a lot of things. The only thing close to an consumer standard were the PCs make by Apple, Commodore and Radio shack.

Personal computer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about personal computers in general. ...

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator. In contrast, the batch processing or time-sharing models allowed large expensive mainframe systems to be used by many people, usually at the same time.
...
In 1976 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak sold the Apple I computer circuit board, which was fully prepared and contained about 30 chips. The first successfully mass marketed personal computer was the Commodore PET introduced in January 1977. It was soon followed by the TRS-80 from Radio Shack and the popular Apple II. Mass-market ready-assembled computers allowed a wider range of people to use computers, focusing more on software applications and less on development of the processor hardware.

Through the late 1970s and into the 1980s, computers were developed for household use, with software for personal productivity, programming and games. One such machine, the Commodore 64, totaled 17 million units sold, making it the best-selling single personal computer model of all time.[
...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer

[patio]

8 Track tape players were also being widely used...
Some while wearing 3D glasses...

[BC_Programmer]

It was not an industry standard.

The success  if the IBM PC led to the creation of PCs "compatible" with them and their software. It wasn't a De Juere Standard at the time, but it became one with the release of the XT (which used the Industry Standard Architecture Bus)

The only thing close to an consumer standard were the PCs make by Apple, Commodore and Radio shack.

Until the IBM PC came and became one. There weren't any significant number of clones of those other machines. There were countless clones/compatibles of IBM PCs, however.

[rthompson80819]

Think of C-Band satellite dishes, Dial-up modems, the eight track tape players, 45 RPM phonograph records, red and blue 3-D glasses.

There are still hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of C band dishes still in use world wide.

A number of people still use dial up modems to access CH.

I've got an old work truck that still has an 8 track player that works (although the only place you can find 8 track tapes is in thrift stores).

45 records are still sold but mostly to collectors.

The old 3-d cardboard glasses are still used in many attractions where the theme park doesn't want to give everybody a $100 pair of newer 3-d glasses.

[Geek-9pm]

Until the IBM PC came and became one. There weren't any significant number of clones of those other machines. There were countless clones/compatibles of IBM PCs, however.

Interesting point. IBM had a hard time tying to clone itselAnybody f. Remember the IBM JR? Nobody remembers it. Or the IBM portable? No kidding, they tied to make a portable. More that once. Didn't fly.  And there were mother IBM desktop models that did not do well. The IBM PC was,yes, a pivotal point in the PC era. So much that the term PC came to mean only that IBM model, which even IBM could not upstage.