IBM PCs and PC-Compatibles

The IBM Personal Computer, or IBM PC, was the most widely used —and widely copied — personal computer. Originally, IBM considered its PC a home computer. However, corporate America was quick to recognize the PC's usefulness in boosting knowledge worker productivity. Up until this time, when knowledge workers needed to use a computer, it was usually a mainframe or a minicomputer. But sometimes it wasn't possible to accommodate everyone who needed to work on the computer. In addition, applications suited to an individual worker were limited.

The IBM PC was designed as an open architecture machine. Open architecture means the specifications are available to outside organizations so they may develop compatible software and hardware products. The open architecture philosophy also made it possible for other computer companies to design personal computers that worked almost identically to the IBM PC. Thus, the PC-compatible market was launched, and eventually eclipsed IBM's sales of its own PCs. Companies such as Compaq, Tandy/Radio Shack, Zenith, Epson, and NEC built PC-compatibles with the same types of microprocessor. They used the MS-DOS^® operating system, developed by Microsoft Corporation, which was nearly identical to IBM's PC-DOS. This made it possible to use almost any software for the IBM PC on a PC-compatible.

These companies followed in IBM's footsteps, introducing an XT-compatible and then an AT-compatible shortly after IBM's machines debuted. But in 1986, Compaq decided to take a chance and beat IBM to market with a personal computer that used the newest and fastest microprocessor, the Intel 80386. It was called the Deskpro 386/20 and was followed shortly by the Portable 386. Compaq went on to set the record for reaching the Fortune 500 faster than any other company in history.

Today, the 386 microprocessor is the standard for most personal computers in the office. However, many personal computers already use its successor 80486, and Intel plans to introduce the 80586 in 1993; the 80686 will follow sometime thereafter. These microprocessors bring even greater speed and efficiency and represent the promise of the desktop supercomputer.