Section 3 The start of the PC industry

Section 3 The start of the PC industry l Section 2 described the computer hardware development until we reach the microprocessor. l Section 3 will emphasize on the software aspect. l Initially, most software development were directed towards mainframes l The biggest software producer company now is Microsoft which was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. l The big chance was when they transported BASIC from mainframe to PC.

Section 3 The start of the PC industry l he start of the PC industry - introduction Company: Microsoft, IBM, Apple l Personalities: Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs l Technology: Windows, IBM PC, Apple II. l Read on Accidental Empires, Chapter 4, 'Amateur hour. '

Microsoft sets the trend l Bill Gates founded Microsoft with his friend Paul Allen, and their first big break came when they transferred BASIC from mainframe to PC. This event highlights Microsoft trends which are: l Taking an existing product and updating it to make their own. l Taking products from mainframe to PC industry which lead to increase production for PCs and decrease it for mainframes. l Microsoft successfully set the industry standard for a lot of application. l Gates and Allen were good programmers and also good businessmen. Bill Gates is considered a model for software business companies.

Microsoft sets the trend In this section the microprocessor finds its application in small computers, which are essentially aimed at the hobbyist market. l A number of small companies start up that either manufacture these machines, or provide software for them. l In these early days, a small company could find itself well placed to expand with the industry. l Usually these tales of modest beginnings which lead to vast success have two driving factors: 1. a brilliant technical achievement, 2. and a forceful management and marketing drive. l These factors are often represented by two different people in a company. l

Microsoft sets the trend l l Another trend was Microsoft establishing a standard for the industry as a whole. The Microsoft motto has long been 'We set the standard. ' This is usually associated with the operating system standards (DOS, and then Windows) Microsoft has established. Gates as saying 'Money is made by setting de facto standards. ‘

Microsoft sets the trend l There are several key factors which should be noted. First is the ambition exhibited by Gates and Allen. The Microsoft mission is 'A computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoftware. '

What does an operating system do? The operating system is the software which makes the . 3 computer come alive. The operating system has three main functions to perform: 1. Manage the computer resources: The task of looking after the computer is given to the operating system. This must manage use of the CPU, allocation of memory, access to disk drives, control of printers and modems, and so on. All the input/output functions of the computer are controlled by the operating system. 2. Communicate with the user: For a computer to be of use its user must have some means of interacting with it. It is the operating system's task to provide a means of doing this which is easy, consistent, flexible and structured.

What does an operating system do? 3. Run applications: The application packages, such as word processors or spreadsheets, are what the user really wants to use. The operating system provides a means of executing them, and provides the programs with tools and services. These include commands which the application can use to fetch data from a hard disk, or to send data to a printer. With graphical operating systems, the application also utilizes the menu facilities and windows design offered by the operating system.

Bootstrapping: The first thing the computer needs to be able to do is to load its own operating system, so that it can function. It does this by using a small program which is in ROM, called the boot program The system is preprogrammed to look for this boot program, which will load in the essential features of the operating system. These may then load in more programs, which may load in yet more, and so on, until the computer is fully functional. The system looks for the boot program initially on the floppy disk drive; in this way a computer can be restarted if the hard disk has been corrupted. This is why your computer will complain if you have left a floppy disk in the disk drive which is not a system disk, since it assumes any disk in the floppy-disk drive at start-up is a system disk.

Text-based operating systems l Gary Kildall's developed CP/M operating system which was the first operating system for the PC. l It was text based (since graphical interfaces were not in use then, nor was the mouse) and the user had to learn a series of commands to perform actions such as changing directory, listing the contents of a directory, and so on. The operating system that later became a standard was called DOS, and was based on CP/M. l DOS was also text based. When a user first started their machine they would be confronted by a blank screen with a single piece of text, which was typically 'C: '. This was called the prompt. The user had then to type in a command to achieve their desired function. The user had to learn a number of commands in order to use DOS effectively.

Some DOS commands DOS command: dir Function: list contents of directory Example: c: dir DOS command: cd Function: change directory Example: c: CD docs DOS command: del Function: delete files Example: c: del letter. do

Command OS Vs Graphical OS l l what is important is the issue of usability which this raises. How easy a piece of software is to use is one of the most important factors in determining its success. Although many people became very proficient in the use of text-based operating systems, they were a barrier to the acceptance of computers by the general public. Apple developed a graphical interface for the Macintosh, and then Microsoft developed Windows for the PC to overcome this problem.

Command OS Vs Graphical OS l Graphical operating systems make use of icons and menus, which the user interacts with via a pointing device (usually a mouse). These have two main advantages over text-based interfaces. The first is ease of use. Graphical interfaces are quicker to learn. l The second advantage is the consistency the graphical operating system provides. By providing a common set of tools which applications then utilize, the look and operation of many applications can be made uniform, which means that new applications can be learnt quickly.

Command OS Vs Graphical OS l Many users of text-based systems insist that the graphical interface hides a lot of the computer operation and thus removes an element of control from the user. l In general, the more software does for the user, the more it is hiding. This can cause problems; for instance many HTML editors 'hide' what they are doing. This can mean that the HTML code underneath can be excessively long, or the web page produced may not look the same in all browsers. l The graphical interface is now dominant in the microcomputer industry, with Windows and the Macintosh system being the main operating systems.

CP/M and BIOS l CP/M was constructed from three separate modules, which performed different functions. The module of most interest to us is the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), as it is important later in our story. The BIOS interacts with the various input and output (I/O) devices of the particular computer CP/M is running. For example, it is through the BIOS that the computer will read the characters typed on the keyboard, or send text to a printer. l It is these I/O devices which vary from one computer to another, and so by bundling the means of interacting with these devices into one module, Kildall could keep the rest of the operating system the same for each different computer that came to the market. l This meant that CP/M was portable, in that it could be run on different types of computer by altering the BIOS alone. l

BIOS and the operating system l This modular design has been influential in many of the operating systems which followed. Reusing code has become very important now that software is so complex, often running to millions of lines of code. l Being able to use the same module in different programs greatly eases the production of these programs; for example, a spell checker can be used in a word processor, an HTML editor, a presentation package, etc. DOS possesses modules which are similar in their functions to the modules comprising CP/M. It is these modules which are loaded in during the bootstrapping process.

3. 4 Apple defines the PC business Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at the start of Apple Computers l Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Their success is based on both technological achievement and forceful management as well. l Wozniak (known as Woz) typifies the type of hobbyist who was enthusiastic about the Altair, whilst Jobs represents the more business-minded individual who is passionate about the possibilities of technology. l Apple was started in Steve Job's parents' garage. The idea of starting a multibillion dollar company from a garage is one which captured many people's imagination. In many respects it represents the 'American Dream', and people speak nostalgically now of the days when empires were founded in a garage. Interestingly, the succesful database company Oracle was also founded in a garage by Larry Ellison, who has recently joined the Apple board. l After selling a few Apple I machines, Wozniak and Jobs decided to develop a computer which would feature colour graphics, come pre-assembled and have more power than most existing microcomputers. This was the Apple II, which went on to become one of the biggest-selling computers of all time.

3. 4 Apple defines the PC business l Wozniak produced the Apple II almost singlehandedly in the space of a few months, whilst Jobs harassed him to improve it, arranged manufacturing and marketing and established the company. l To manufacture the Apple II, Wozniak and Jobs needed some venture capital. They eventually spoke to Mike Markkula, who had recently retired from Intel. Markkula joined the company and injected $250, 000. The Apple II was released to an enthusiastic market in 1977.

The Apple II Plus computer l As well as defining the basic technology which would form the PC industry, Apple, along with other new companies like Microsoft, helped to define a way of working. Here are some of the defining characteristics of the new PC companies: l Very informal culture: Employees wear what they like, work when they like, play rock music in the labs, and so forth l Young, talented employees: The staff were not those who would traditionally be found in a large corporation. They were often hobbyists like Wozniak, or from very diverse backgrounds. l Intellectual creativity: Employees were encouraged to work on projects they found interesting, and to be creative, often to the detriment of the products in the market.

Conclusion on Apple Computers l The first PC produced in a big scale was the Apple II plus computer. l It was released in 1977 and became the one of the biggest selling PCs in history. The PCS we see now are not much different than Apple II. l Apple Company defined how a PC should look like and helped define the PC industry as a whole.