IBM enters the fray, clone wars, when 640K is not enough
The personal computer market really started as something for hobbyists in the mid-1970s with the introduction of computers like the MITS Altair 8800. These early computers were in kit form and had to be assembled, putting them out of reach of mere mortals. That all changed in 1977 with the introduction of the Apple II, Commodore Pet, and TRS-80 Model I. All three of these computers were pre assembled and ready to use. This opened the door to a much wider audience and the popularity only grew from there. 1980 rolled around and there was a major player absent from this market, IBM. They had been keeping an eye on the personal computer industry and now wanted a piece of it. The biggest problem was that development cycles for any new IBM computer was on the order of 5 years. They designed almost everything in house from the ground up. They did not have that kind of time, so they did something totally out of character. They gave a group total control without having to get management approva...