I saw a question on a vintage computing forum this week: How did the IBM PC become the de facto standard for PCs, and the only desktop computer architecture from the 1980s to survive until today? It’s a very good question, and I think there were several reasons for it. I also think without all [...]
All posts tagged IBM
How the IBM PC became the de facto standard for desktop computers
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 4, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/05/how-the-ibm-pc-became-the-de-facto-standard-for-desktop-computers/
Lenovo’s phone is ringing again. And it’s IBM. Again.
When IBM sold its desktop and laptop PC business to Lenovo nine years ago, it held on to its x86-based server business. But now, IBM doesn’t see the x86 server business as a growth area anymore, and now they’re interested in selling that to Lenovo, too.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on April 21, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/04/lenovos-phone-is-ringing-again-and-its-ibm-again/
How I once took down a network, including a radio station
I met up Monday night with some other security professionals for some emergency networking of the professional kind. One of the attendees, a penetration tester, had a little incident where he took down a production system when he conducted his penetration test. The system owners were a bit arrogant, and, well, they paid for it. [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on April 3, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/04/how-i-once-took-down-a-network-including-a-radio-station/
Mark Hurd doesn’t sound like he’s just what Dell needed
Word on the street is that Blackstone Group has a plan for turning around Dell: Buy the company, take it private, and install Mark Hurd as CEO. The thinking is that he’s available, has experience, and would have baggage keeping him from being the CEO of a public company. I just see one glitch. Available [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 25, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/03/mark-hurd-doesnt-sound-like-hes-just-what-dell-needed/
A not-quite-heir to the Model M
So today I came across the story of a new Cooler Master keyboard, which claims to be very IBM Model M-like, but with modern styling and conveniences. The verdict is that this keyboard is even stiffer than the Model M, which raises a question that not many are asking. Maybe I’m showing my age and [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 8, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/03/a-not-quite-heir-to-the-model-m/
If you’re wondering where those anti-Google ads came from
If you’re wondering why political-style anti-Google ads are suddenly running everywhere, it’s no coincidence. Microsoft has hired one of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s advertising masterminds to try his hand at campaigning against Google. While it seems to be having some effect on public opinion, its effect on market share and Microsoft’s bottom line will take [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on December 17, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/12/if-youre-wondering-where-those-anti-google-ads-came-from/
How to add a second SSD to a laptop optical bay
A longtime reader asked me recently about putting an SSD into a laptop optical bay. The idea has crossed my mind–the extra storage is increasingly more useful than the optical drive as time wears on. Thinkpad warriors have been doing this for a long time, though IBM’s caddies were a bit pricey. It’s not an [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on October 21, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/10/how-to-add-a-second-ssd-to-a-laptop-optical-bay/
Teleworking on the cheap
As I’ve mentioned recently, my new job allows me to work from home one day per week. They provide me a laptop to take home, but that’s it. If I want other hardware, I have to provide it. Fortunately for me, I was able to outfit my office on the cheap.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on October 13, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/10/teleworking-on-the-cheap/
Whatever happened to GEM?
GEM was an early GUI for the IBM PC and compatibles and, later, the Atari ST, developed by Digital Research, the developers of CP/M and, later, DR-DOS. It was very similar to the Apple Lisa, and Apple saw it as a Lisa/Macintosh ripoff and sued. While elements of GEM probably were inspired by the Lisa, [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on August 10, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/08/whatever-happened-to-gem/
Gary Kildall and what might have been
I didn’t have time to write everything I wanted to write yesterday, so I’m going to revisit Bill Gates and Gary Kildall today. Bill Gates’ side of the DOS story is relatively well documented in his biographies: Gates referred IBM to Gary Kildall, who for whatever reason was less comfortable working with IBM than Gates [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on August 8, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/08/gary-kildall-and-what-might-have-been/