25th Anniversary of the Personal Computer" 4220

As I said, I was not really interested in PCs until 386 systems became available-affordable.

However, I can't find anything in the specs that would make a 6 MHz AT a less suitable multi-user system than a 6 MHz Z80.

It is possible that there was a lack of suitable multi-port serial port adapters.

Software was of course always a weak point on PCs. The BIOS and MS-DOS was nothing to write home about.

However, MS-DOS was very popular. It looks like very few PC buyers needed multi-user systems optimized for database applications.

As far as I remember PC monitors (maybe not the ones sold by IBM, but certainly the ones that came with clones) worked well for relatively applications static screen output. It didn't work at all for games.

Anyhow, for most people the alternative would be one of those systems that would basically generate a TV signal.

It is possible that the PC succeeded because it was such a strange mix.

Everybody compares the PC to the Apple II, C-64, TRS-80, etc.

The CP-M systems are mostly forgotten. I don't know why. I guess that the more capable CP-M systems were to expensive for personal use, and not interesting-powerful enough (compared to a VAX) for departmental use.

-- That was it. Done. The faulty Monk was turned out into the desert where it could believe what it liked, including the idea that it had been hard done by. It was allowed to keep its horse, since horses were so cheap to make. -- Douglas Adams in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency