23 Dec
2013
23 Dec
'13
5:58 p.m.
It was thus said that the Great BE Arnold once stated:
I think I'm missing something.
For the sake of differentiating between, I'm going lump the Altair's,
SWTPC, etc. into the Microcomputer group, Apple II's Atari's etc. in Home
Computers, and IBM PC and compatibles in IBM PC group.
I have a question.
Why did microcomputers die off?
It was the natural consolidation of the market.
Take any market (please! Ba-dum-dum!) When the market first comes into
existance, you have tons of companies scrambling for market share, but over
time, just a few emerge and the rest whither away or become very nitche
players.
The automobile market? Around 1900 there were tons of car manufactorers,
until three became dominant in the US market.
The phone market? Again, around 1900 there were tons of phone companies
until Ma Bell took over.
Soda pop, candy makers, rail roads, you name it. It starts out as the
Wild West, then settles down as civilization comes.
-spc