AFTER 1980'S KAYPRO ERA COPYRIGHT F. GADEK 12/27/2009 1 EVOLUTION OF PERSONAL,PORTABLE COMPUTERS { PPC } AFTER THE 1980’S KAYPRO ERA FRANK J. GADEK, PH.D

AFTER 1980'S KAYPRO ERA

COPYRIGHT F. GADEK 12/27/2009 1

EVOLUTION OF EVOLUTION OF PERSONAL, PERSONAL, PORTABLE PORTABLE

COMPUTERS { PPC }COMPUTERS { PPC }

AFTER THE 1980’S AFTER THE 1980’S KAYPRO ERAKAYPRO ERA

FRANK J. GADEK, PH.D.

“ “ STILL INITIAL DRAFT ONLY “ STILL INITIAL DRAFT ONLY “



PLEASE CONSULT THE “DRAFT” OF MY BOOKON THE EVOLUTION OF KAYPROS & PERSONAL,PORTABLE COMPUTERS { PPC ‘S } FOR SPECIFICDEFINITIONS, PATTERNS, UNDERSTANDINGS, PASTHISTORY, ETC.

POSTED ON MY WEB SITE – WWW.KAYPROSTS.ORG

ALSO ON THE 2008 TRENTON COMPUTER FESTIVALCD - WHERE I GAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE DRAFT OF THIS BOOK

TWO [2] PUBLISHERS, ONE FROM USA & ONE FROMCANADA ARE PRESENTLY CONSIDERINGPUBLISHING THE FINAL VERSION OFTHIS BOOK

http://www.kayprosts.org/



THE SPECIFIC DEFINITION OF PPC’S IS IMPORTANTTHE SPECIFIC DEFINITION OF PPC’S IS IMPORTANTSO THAT WE CAN BETTER EXPLORE THE ERASO THAT WE CAN BETTER EXPLORE THE ERAAFTER KAYPROSAFTER KAYPROS

PPC’S ARE GENERALLY CONSIDERED FOR HOME& BUSINESS, WITH APPLICATIONS INVOLVING THEMOST COMMON USES OF COMPUTERS IN THESEAREAS –

WORD PROCESSINGDATABASE MANAGEMENTSPREADSHEETSCOMMUNICATION

PPC’S ARE NOT “GAME” OR SPECIALTYCOMPUTERS – ALTHOUGH SOME WERE VERYPOPULAR & PROFITABLE, WITH A FEWCOMPANIES SURVIVING FOR RELATIVELYLONG TIMES FOR THE INDUSTRY



PPC’S CAME WITH ALL THE ESSENTIALSTO BEGIN USING THEM IMMEDIATELY

E.G., OSBORNE & KAYPRO OFFERINGS –

“THE COMPLEAT COMPUTER”[E.G. KAYPRO SLOGAN]

COMPUTERMONITORKEYBOARDSTORAGE – DISK DRIVES, ETC.COMMUNICATION – MODEMCOMMON SOFTWAREREASONABLE PRICE / AVAILABILITY /

SUPPORT / ETC.SOME EVEN INCLUDED MOST COMMON

SOFTWARE – OSBORNE / KAYPRO



PERSONAL, PORTABLE COMPUTER { PPC }PERSONAL, PORTABLE COMPUTER { PPC }

PERSONAL – REGULAR PEOPLE COULD REASONABLYAFFORT IT & IT DID WHAT THEY NEEDED TO BE DONE AT HOME AND AT WORK

PORTABLE – COULD BE REASONABLY TRANSPORTEDBY INDIVIDUALS TO OTHER LOCATIONS –ALTHOUGH ORIGINAL PPC’S WERE FAIRLYBULKY & HEAVY – KAYPROS ABOUT 18” X 10” X 8”& WEIGHED ALMOST 30 POUNDS

COMPUTERS – REAL COMPUTERS, NOT JUST FOR GAMESOR SPECIALTY WORK



FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH EARLY COMPUTERSBEFORE PPC’S –

MANY COMPUTERS, IF YOU REALLY COULD CALL THEM THAT IN THAT ERA -

DID NOT HAVE A MONITOR, KEYBOARD, STORAGE, ETC.

MANY WERE JUST A COMPUTER BOARD – THAT YOU HADTO ADD THINGS TO FOR REALISTIC OPERATION

IN FACT SOME ONLY COULD BE OPERATED BY SWITCHES

SOFTWARE WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE & NOT VERY SOPHISTICATED – IN ESSENCE, YOU HAD TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN SOFTWARE – “BASIC” WASA VERY POPULAR SIMPLE COMPUTER LANGUAGETHAT ALLOWED MANY TO HAVE THEIR COMPUTERSBEHAVE AS THEY WANTED THEM TOO.



NATURALLY, THERE WERE THE “REAL” COMPUTERS,ESPECIALLY LARGE MAINFRAMES, THAT MANYBUSINESSES USED FOR THEIR EVER INCREASING SOPHISTICATED & COMPLEX OPERATIONS

BUT THESE WERE VERY EXPENSIVE & CERTAINLYNOT AFFORDABLE BY COMMON INDIVIDUALS

IN ADDITION, A LARGE BUILDING WAS REQUIRED THAT HAD TO BE SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED FOR OPERATION OF SUCH A SOPHISTICATED & COMPLEX DEVICE

THIS IS HOW IBM GOT STARTED – PROVIDING THE COMPUTER, SOFTWARE & SUPPORT FOR SUCHLARGE BUSINESSES, WHICH COULD BE CONFIDENTTHAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THATASPECT, JUST PAYING THE BILLS TO IBM



BUT AS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED& BECAME MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED, THE POWEROF COMPUTERS INCREASED SO THAT MAINFRAMESCOULD BE DUPLICATED BY PPC’S IN MANY WAYS

THUS, BUSINESSES & THE COMMON PERSON NOW HAD]THE POWER OF A MAINFRAME, WITHOUT ALL THE DISADVANTAGES

IBM HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY ADAPTING TO THE NEW REALITY !

SUCH IS HISTORY !



CERTAINLY THIS IS A GOOD AREA FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION TO AT LEAST HELP DEMONSTRATEHOW FAR WE HAVE COME WITH COMPUTERS,ESPECIALLY IN OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES – PPC’S !



NO DOUBT WHEN THE KAYPRO ERA ENDEDIN THE LATE 1980’S -COMPAQ WAS THE UNDESPUTED LEADERIN PPC’S

THERE FOLLOWED AT LEAST FOUR [4] FOLLOWING GENERAL ERAS –

AS PPC’S BECAME MORE OF JUST ANOTHER“CONSUMER COMMODITY”

1] COMPAQ DOMINATION2] MANY SMALLER COMPANIES FIGHTING

TO EXIST WITH COMPAQ3] EVENTUAL DOMINANT COMPAQ, APPLE,

IBM, GATEWAY + USUAL MANY STRUGGLINGSMALLER COMPANIES,

4] MORE RECENT DOMINANCE BY HP & DELL + USUAL MANY STRUGGLING SMALLER COMPANIES



NOTE –

THERE ARE AS USUAL MANY COMPLEXITIESINVOLVED

MAINLY CONCENTRATE ON USA

EUROPE, ASIA, ETC. CAN BE VERY DIFFERENTFOR MANY SPECIFIC LOCAL REASONS



MANY OF THE SAME CHALLENGES& FACTORS IN THE PAST KAYPRO ERACONTINUED TO MOLD THE STILL THISRELATIVELY NEW PPC ERA



NATURALLY, ONE OF THE BIGGESTCHALLENGES FOR ANY COMPANYWAS TO TRY TO MAKE BEST USEOF EVER NEW & INNOVATIVETECHNOLOGY

BUT STILL REMAIN PROFITABLE

BUT HOW ?

THERE STILL WAS VERY LITTLETO TRY TO USE AS A LONG TERMSUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODEL IN SUCH SO NEW & RAPIDLY DEVELOPING INDUSTRY

DID A RELIABLE ANSWER EVEN EXIST OR WAS POSSIBLEIN SUCH A “HYPERGROWTH”ENVIRONMENT [OSBORNE TERM]



MANY FAILURES CONTINUED BASED ON –

KNOWN & UNKNOWN FACTORS

PAST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODELS

NEW, INNOVATIVE BUSINESS MODELS

HUMAN FACTORS – ARROGANCE, PERSONALCONFLICTS / TRAGEDIES / AGENDAS, JUST PLAIN “STUPIDITY !, ETC.”[E.G., SOCIETY ASPECTS OF STS]

LUCK OR LACK OF IT

TIMING

CHANGING MARKETS / CONSUMER DESIRES

ETC.



SOME USEFUL BOOKS OF MANY –SOME USEFUL BOOKS OF MANY –COMPANIES -IBMAPPLERADIO SHACKCOMMODOREXEROX

HISTORY –“SILICON JUNGLE” BY ROTHMAN“ACCIDENTAL EMPIRES” BY CRINGELY“FIRE IN THE VALLEY” BY FREIBERGER &

SWAINE

+ MANY NEWER BOOKS AS INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO SO DRAMATICALLY EVOLVE



SOME COMMON PATTERNS SOME COMMON PATTERNS ––

DRIVING EMPLOYEES TO PHYSICAL& MENTAL EXTREMES – MAYNOT BE NECESSARY, IF PROPERPLANNING / MANAGEMENT, DESPITE NEW / UNEXPECTED TECHNICAL ADVANCES

TRYING TO CONTINUE THE PAST INSTEADOF EMBRACING THE FUTURE

CONFLICTING QUOTES OF ALAN KAY –TO PREDICT FUTURE – PREVENT ITTO PREDICT FUTURE – INVENT IT

“MYTH” OF THE SAVIOR LEADER OF THE COMPANY

VERY SMART / CAPABLE PEOPLE NOT RECOGNIZED



OLD MANAGEMENT STYLES

IMMATURITY – LACK OF PROPERDEVELOPMENT BOTHSOCIALLY & TECHNICALLY

USING OLD METHODS FOR NEW ISSUES

ARROGANCE / PERSONAL DEFECTS /

PAST EXPERIENCES – PERSONAL / TECHNICAL

MANAGEMENT NOT PROPERLY REWARDINGEXCELLENCE & NOT KEEPING PASTPROMISES

IDEALISM VERSUS PRACTICALITY -

E.G., THE USUAL & EXPECTED, EVEN CONTINUING TODAY



PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS VERSUS AMATEUR ENDEAVORS

INITIAL BREAKTHRUS CAN BE DRAMATIC, POPULAR & VERY SUCCESSFUL BASED ON “NOVELTY” ASPECT – E.G., GARAGE / BEDROOM ENDEAVORS VERSUS SUCCESSFULLY MEETING LONGTERM TREMENDOUS CREATED DEMAND FOR CONSUMER DESIRES & STILL BE PROFITABLE TO SURVIVE – FOR PRESENT SUCCESS & FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

BUT LONG TERM SUCCESS REQUIRES SOPHISTICATED EXPERTISE IN BUSINESS, LEGAL, MARKETING, FINANCING, ETC., PARTICULARLY AS TIMES CHANGE SO RAPIDLY & DRAMATICALLY IN SO MANY WAYS



INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE DEVELOPERS OFNEW TECHNOLGY [IN THEIR BEDROOMS, GARAGES, ETC. – LOW BUDGET – IDEALISTICNOTIONS

COULD NOT COMPREHEND COMPLEXITIES OFLONG TERM BUSINESS SUCCESS

EXPERIENCED BUSINESS MANAGEMENT – COULDNOT SUFFICIENTLY APPRECIATE JUST HOWINNOVATIVE / CREATIVE DEVELOPERS WERE, BESIDES HOW TO PROPERLY PRODUCE & MARKETSUCH PRODUCTS IN THIS SO NEW ERA OF COMPUTING-NOTHING LIKE IT IN PAST !

-CANNOT COMPREHEND WHAT THEY MUST DO WITHTHIS NEW STUFF TO SUCCEED !



INNOVATORS HAVE TO BETTER APPRECIATE WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR A LONG TERM SUCCESSFULBUSINESS FOR ULTIMATE SURVIVAL - PROFITS

BUSINESS HAS TO BETTER APPRECIATE WHAT ISREQUIRED TO KEEP TH INNOVATORS CONTRIBUTINGTO THE PROCESS – SINCE THINGS ARE NOT STATIC – WHAT YOUHAVE NOW IS “STATE OF ART,” BUT IT LASTS FOR A VERYSHORT TIME – NEW DEVELOPMENTS ARE REQUIRED FORLONG TERM ULTIMATE SURVIVAL

BUT HOW TO DEFINE SUCCESS – INNOVATIVE VERSUS BUSINESS

BUT BOTH CAN AGREE THAT LONGEVITY IS THE ULTIMATE !

THUS, BOTH HAVE TO BE INTIMATELY INVOLVED TO CONTINUETO STRIVE TO THIS ULTIMATE GOAL OF BOTH !



SO INEVITABLE CONFLICT OF TWO DIFFERENT CULTURES –

CREATIVE / INNOVATIVE / ETC.

FUTURE ORIENTED

FREE / UNINHIBITED

VERSUS

PLAY BY THE BOOKS – WHAT WORKEDIN PAST CAN IN FUTURE

PAST ORIENTED

VERY FORMAL / STRUCTURED



BUT BOTH NEEDED FOR LONG TERM SUCCESS

HOW TO “BLEND” / MANAGE / ETC.

PROBABLY THE MOST CRITICAL

SOME COMPANIES DID BETTER THAN OTHERS

BUT ALMOST ALL DID NOT DO ENOUGH

SO EVENTUAL VERY PREVENTABLE DISASTERS

ALL INVOLVES BASICALLY THE “SOCIETY”HUMANISTIC ASPECTS OF STS OVERALL

TECHNOLOGY WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP

BUT SOCIETY IS THE VARIABLE – HOW TO ADJUST PROPERLY FOR LONG TERM SUCCESS



AS NOTED IN THE DRAFT OF MY KAYPRO BOOK,

IT IS LIKE A RELAY RACE – YOU PASS YOUR “PRESENT SUCCESS”BATON OFF TO THE NEXT COMPANY FOR THEM TO GO AS FARAS THEY CAN WITH IT, BEFORE THEY MUST ALSO PASS OFF THE BATON, FOR WHATEVER REASONS

NO ONE WINS, ALL JUST PASS OFF THE BATON FOR INFINITY

THE KEY IS HOW LONG CAN THE “PEOPLE”FACTOR KEEP THEBATON WITH THEIR COMPANY – NOTHING IS FOREVER – BUTYOU CAN EXTEND THE TIME LIMIT IF YOU MANAGE YOUR PEOPLECORRECTLY – THE HUMANITY ASPECT



PERHAPS, THERE IS NO LONG TERM ANSWER / STRATEGY /MANAGEMENT STYLE / BUSINESS PLAN / ETC.

BUT AT LEAST TRY NOT TO RECREATE THE WHEEL OFOBVIOUS PAST MISTAKES BY OTHERS

SO LEARN FROM PAST HISTORY OF STS, SO YOU CANAT LEAST AVOID PAST MISTAKES & BETTER MAKE YOUROWN DECISIONS IN SUCH CONTINUING UNCERTAIN TIMES.



CERTAINLY PROPERLY & EFFECTIVELY / EFFICIENTLYHANDLING THE MEDIA IS ALSO VERY CRITICAL, BUTNEGLECTED & NOT APPRECIATED BY MANY

SO MANY CRITICAL / CRUCIAL / ETC. “MISTAKES” MADE BY SO MANY THATJUST COULD HAVE BEEN SO EASILYAVOIDED

ESPECIALLY TODAY WITH THE MEDIA BEING SOPROMINENT, POWERFUL, INVASIVE, ETC.

AN AREA SO NEGLECTED BY MANY IN THE INTIALSO “HEADY” DAYS OF PPC’S, WITH SO DRASTICNEGATIVE & EASILY AVOIDABLE RESULTS



ALL VERY TYPICAL “STS” PATTERNS INSO MANY INDUSTRIES

SHOWS “SOCIETY” – HUMANISTIC ASPECTSOF STS

QUESTIONQUESTION –

CAN WE LEARN FROM ALL OF THIS TO –

BETTER UNDERSTAND STSTHUS, BETTER MANAGE STSGLOBALLY & EVEN IN OUR OWNEVERYDAY PERSONAL LIVES ???



BY EXPLORING, INVESTIGATING, EXPERIENCING,SHARING, ETC. STS ISSUES, WE MAY BEABLE TO ANTICIPATE EXPECTED & UNEXPECTEDCONSEQUENCES OF STS

SO WE CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS FOR THEOVERALL LONGTERM BENEFIT OF HUMANITY& OUR PLANET / UNIVERSE, ETC.



BRIEF SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE PPC ERA AFTER KAYPROS – BUT SOME BEFORE SINCE THEY PROVIDE USEFULPATTERNS REPEATED LATER – DO WE REALLY LEARNFROM PAST HISTORY ?

COMMODORE – ALTHOUGH MORE OF A “GAMING”TYPE OF COMPUTER & NOT REALLY A PPC,THEIR HISTORY HAS MUCH TO OFFER TO BETTERUNDERSTAND THE EVOLUTION OF COMPUTING,ALONG WITH BEING BETTER ABLE TO SEE COMMONPATTERNS IN OTHER COMPUTING COMPANIES

RADIO SHACK / TANDY – AN EARLY INNOVATIVE LEADERWITH MANY BUSINESS ADVANTAGES, BUT WHAT HAPPENED ?

APPLE – CERTAINLY A KEY PLAYER TODAY, BUT IN VERYDIFFERENT WAYS & PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVETO TRADITIONAL PC’S TODAY



IBM - WHO COULD HAVE KNOWN ? “THE” COMPUTER COMPANY THAT COULD NOT ULTIMATELY “JUST DO IT !”

XEROX – THE FIRST PPC, VERY INNOVATIVE / CREATIVE,BUT NOT INTERESTED IN MARKETING THEIRPRODUCTS, BUT OTHERS WHO SAW WHAT THEYHAD TOOK IT AND DID, SOME VERY SUCCESSFULLY

XEROX DESERVED THE CREDIT, BUT OTHERS GOT ITINSTEAD !



SOME BOOKS TO CONSIDERSOME BOOKS TO CONSIDER













1971

1978



1979

1986



1994

1987



TO BE CONTINUED AS TO BE CONTINUED AS

INTEREST &INTEREST &

RESOURCES PERMITRESOURCES PERMIT

JUST LET ME KNOW !JUST LET ME KNOW !


COPYRIGHT F. GADEK 12/27/2009

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AFTER 1980'S KAYPRO ERA COPYRIGHT F. GADEK 12/27/2009 1 EVOLUTION OF PERSONAL,PORTABLE COMPUTERS { PPC } AFTER THE 1980’S KAYPRO ERA FRANK J. GADEK, PH.D