Advent of Computing Episode 7 - Attack of the PC Clones
Jun 30, 2019
Discover the fascinating rise of PC clones and their impact on the tech landscape from 1981 to 1984. Learn how IBM's innovative open parts strategy propelled the original PC to success. Delve into the challenges of early cloning attempts, and uncover how Compaq's cleanroom reverse engineering established a compatible BIOS. Explore the emergence of BIOS licensing and its role in the commoditization of PCs. This dynamic shift led to the x86 architecture dominating the market, reshaping the computing world we know today.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Off-The-Shelf Design Enabled Rapid Success
- The IBM PC used mostly off-the-shelf parts which enabled rapid development and low cost.
- That openness made the design easy to reproduce and attractive to third-party developers.
Documentation Fueled An Ecosystem — With A Catch
- IBM published the technical manual and BIOS source listing which encouraged third-party hardware and software.
- But the BIOS copyright still blocked exact cloning without legal risk.
BIOS Was The Real Proprietary Lock
- The BIOS was the proprietary glue that most software depended on to run and boot the PC.
- Copying IBM's BIOS verbatim would infringe copyright and invite lawsuits.