4 ms·

I'm asking how commoditized hardware come to be over earlier computers with non COTS parts. If this is the first modular computer, why was all that hardware on

I'm asking how commoditized hardware come to be over earlier computers with non COTS parts. If this is the first modular computer, why was all that hardware on the shelves in the first place?

ghaff 9y ago
It wasn't really a new concept with the IBM PC. (Though it certainly was for IBM.) To greater or lesser degrees, a lot of the early PCs such as S-100 bus systems were largely built up using boards and peripherals from various manufacturers. For one thing, these were mostly hobbyist systems, which implied the buyers wanted to tinker (and were also relatively price-sensitive). This was in contrast to minicomputers and other similar systems (and mainframes of course), where the manufacturers pretty much designed and built everything (including the OS) and made it as difficult as possible for third-parties to play. The IBM PC was a new design so third-parties had to redesign products for it in some cases but it wasn't some sort of never-been-seen-before approach.
cwyers 9y ago
It wasn't the first modular computer. The big thing with the IBM PC is that IBM didn't manage to have a single significant component that they licensed exclusively; the most obvious culprit for this was DOS, which they licensed from Microsoft. Other companies at the time had OSes they controlled the distribution of. But Microsoft was able and very willing to sell any company the rights to distribute DOS.
- mohaine 9y ago
  Well, there was the custom BIOS that they owned outright. This was enough until it was "clean room" cloned.
ethbro 9y ago
Look at the question the other way: from what at the time did not seem a COTS system from IBM, the lack of exclusive patents and sourcing rights allowed competitors to make those standards into deep facto COTS parts via market adoption of clones that also implemented them.

4 ms·

I'm asking how commoditized hardware come to be over earlier computers with non COTS parts. If this is the first modular computer, why was all that hardware on

by pdelbarba 9y ago

I'm asking how commoditized hardware come to be over earlier computers with non COTS parts. If this is the first modular computer, why was all that hardware on the shelves in the first place?

ghaff 9y ago
It wasn't really a new concept with the IBM PC. (Though it certainly was for IBM.) To greater or lesser degrees, a lot of the early PCs such as S-100 bus systems were largely built up using boards and peripherals from various manufacturers. For one thing, these were mostly hobbyist systems, which implied the buyers wanted to tinker (and were also relatively price-sensitive). This was in contrast to minicomputers and other similar systems (and mainframes of course), where the manufacturers pretty much designed and built everything (including the OS) and made it as difficult as possible for third-parties to play. The IBM PC was a new design so third-parties had to redesign products for it in some cases but it wasn't some sort of never-been-seen-before approach.
cwyers 9y ago
It wasn't the first modular computer. The big thing with the IBM PC is that IBM didn't manage to have a single significant component that they licensed exclusively; the most obvious culprit for this was DOS, which they licensed from Microsoft. Other companies at the time had OSes they controlled the distribution of. But Microsoft was able and very willing to sell any company the rights to distribute DOS.
- mohaine 9y ago
  Well, there was the custom BIOS that they owned outright. This was enough until it was "clean room" cloned.
ethbro 9y ago
Look at the question the other way: from what at the time did not seem a COTS system from IBM, the lack of exclusive patents and sourcing rights allowed competitors to make those standards into deep facto COTS parts via market adoption of clones that also implemented them.