I had learned that a large part of IBM's success was backwards compatibility.  As Nick mentions, IBM dominated the punched-card data processing arena, and their computer systems were designed to read the truckloads of punch cards that were already in use.  Whereas Univac (IIRC) shipped with magnetic tape, which would have required a costly conversion for those with a considerable IBM punch-card investment.

Art Frank
Manager of Information Systems
OHS Foundation
[log in to unmask] 
(503) 220-8320

>>> Nick Demos <[log in to unmask]> 06/15/01 09:32AM >>>
> >BLUE BELL, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Fifty years ago -- on June 14, 1951 --
the
> >U.S. Census Bureau officially put into service what it calls the world's
> >first commercial computer, known as UNIVAC I.
>
>
> UNIVAC's failure was they never took advantage of the leadership they had
in
> the commercial mainframe market and let IBM pass them in public perception
> and reality as "the" computer company within a decade. While Big Blue
> innovated, UNIVAC was still using funny 90-column cards with round holes
as
> its main storage medium when I first worked on their machines in 1970.
>
I respectfully disagree.  The main reason that IBM became dominant is that
it
was ALREADY dominant in date processing with its electro-mechanical punched
card equipment.  IBM historically understood the commercial data processing
requirements better than anyone else and had a lot of marketing muscle.

Of course introducing the first popular integrated circuit computers (non
vacuum
tube also helped.

Regards,

Nick D,

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *