Transcript Module 1, Section 2

Section 3 The start of the PC industry
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Section 2 described the computer hardware
development until we reach the microprocessor.
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Section 3 will emphasize on the software
aspect.
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Initially, most software development were
directed towards mainframes
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The biggest software producer company now is
Microsoft which was founded by Bill Gates and
Paul Allen.
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The big chance was when they transported
BASIC from mainframe to PC.
Section 3 The start of the PC industry
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he start of the PC industry - introduction
Company: Microsoft, IBM, Apple
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Personalities: Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve
Wozniak, Steve Jobs
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Technology: Windows, IBM PC, Apple II.
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Read on Accidental Empires, Chapter 4,
'Amateur hour.'
Microsoft sets the trend

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:
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Taking an existing product and updating it to make their
own.
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Taking products from mainframe to PC industry which
lead to increase production for PCs and decrease it for
mainframes.
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Microsoft successfully set the industry standard for a lot
of application.
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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.
 A number of small companies start up that either
manufacture these machines, or provide software for
them.
 In these early days, a small company could find itself
well placed to expand with the industry.
 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.
 These factors are often represented by two different
people in a company.
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Microsoft sets the trend
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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
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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 Microsoft software.'
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
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
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Gary Kildall's developed CP/M operating system which
was the first operating system for the PC.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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This meant that CP/M was portable, in that it could
be run on different types of computer by altering the BIOS alone.
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BIOS and the operating system
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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.
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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
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Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Their success is based
on both technological achievement and forceful management as well.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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:
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Very informal culture: Employees wear what they like, work
when they like, play rock music in the labs, and so forth
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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.
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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
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The first PC produced in a big scale was
the Apple II plus computer.
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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.
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Apple Company defined how a PC should
look like and helped define the PC
industry as a whole.