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The first "normal" IBM-compatible computer?

Andrew T.

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Something I've been curious about: What was the first "normal" IBM-compatible computer system? Of course "normal" is arbitrary and can mean a lot of things, but these are the pointers I'm bearing towards:

* It was 100% IBM-compatible. (That eliminates many of the early 808x/8018x DOS systems.)
* It used a legal BIOS. (That eliminates the Columbia and Eagle computers.)
* It was a desktop computer, not a portable. (That eliminates the first Compaq.)
* Its motherboard, case, and power supply used the same form factors as a genuine PC, XT, or AT system. (That may eliminate the first Compaq Deskpro and Leading Edge Model M, since they had front-mounted keyboard plugs.)

What was the first non-IBM system that satisfied all of these?
 
No name taiwanese clone. What else?

PC Limited/Dell did all that, but remember he started assembling Taiwanese components in his dorm room. Not the first.

You'd have to scan very early copies of PC Magazine, Computer Shopper, infoworld (there was another tabloid also), and Byte to get your answer. Let us know.
 
Most of the early PC compatibles tried to improve upon IBM's design, not just copy it. The Tandy 1200HD, introduced in 1985, was probably the first mass-produced IBM clone that tried to be as close to the original as possible. The generic Taiwanese clones didn't arrive until around 1987, IIRC.

1985_Tandy1200HD.jpg
 
Thanks for the replies. The Tandy 1200HD looks quite interesting! That said, the power supply was slightly different from IBM's, and the form factor allowed for only seven expansion cards instead of eight. Perhaps a 1200HD motherboard would fit in an XT case, but not the other way around?
 
$4395 for an XT huh? Jeebus! I am trying to remember when computers became dirt cheap and I think it was around the turn of the millennium. I know I paid over $2K for my non-brand generic 486-33 with 4MB of RAM in 1992! But when I built my next system (around when the Pentium 233MMX chips was released) it had already gotten significantly cheaper....
 
I think that in late 80s the classic price points became clear. An XT clone would start at slightly under $500, a good quality AT clone would be about $1000, and then there would be more expensive systems up to whatever excesses the market might be able to bear. You still have PCs marketed at much the same tiers. Sure, there have been much cheaper systems but they have been not very successful; witness the approximately $100 offerings for Timex-Sinclair or Netbooks or the recent run of Android Tablets sold at drugstores.
 
Remember that early on, businesses were buying these to automate computational or information related tasks that previously people did manually. Even at those prices, they would often more than pay for themselves in saved time and money.

I don't know about Radio Shack machines (I think they just overpriced stuff :p ), but with some like IBM you were sometimes buying more than just a white box full of chips. You actually got service and support with it. If you had a problem you could call an actual human and get a response besides "we are not being supporting that".
 
the olden days when the 2k rule was in force...
today a very functional system can be had for under 5 bills, and we're not even taking inflation into account.
my first 386-40 with mono (hercules compatible) video and 4MB/100MB HD ran me 1200 bucks.
 
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In the early 1980's I worked for a Company in Brooklyn that sold IBM XT Clones by a company called American PC as well as no-name Taiwanese clones. We used various compatible BIOes from Taiwan, but these boards would accept a full set of IBM BIOS ROMs for 100% compatibility. Other than the label on the front of the case which was wider and a kind of grey/green and said "American PC" in silver lettering, the case was identical to a PC case.

I had one of the generic clones in a case that had the flip-top hood. I'm sorry I ever traded it away. It had a Turbo-XT motherboard, 8mhz, V-20, 640k on board, a 2400 baud modem, 2 13mb Hard Drives, 2 360k Floppy Drives, CGA Adapter, and multi I/O card with a clock. I still have the keyboard from that system.
 
I suspect that the clone invasion was probably closer to 1984-85 than 87. By 87, I already had about4-5 of those things. Checking some chip dates on motherboards might yield some data.
 
The Leading Edge Model M came out in 1983. Looking at period magazines, it was the first Japanese built PC clone on the market. The clone market was on fire by 1984 based on what my old boss told me over the years. Imagine a warehouse filled with Leading Edge Model Ds and still not having enough stock to meet demand!
 
I am sure the "Attack of the Clones" started in mid 1980s but I am talking about when computers became cheap disposable items! My original XT was in service at our house until 1992 when I got the 486 and the 486 was in service until 1998 mostly because we needed a second computer not because we needed an upgrade. Now a days life span of a high end system seems to be under 2 years. A cheap $500 system is practically considered disposable!
 
A "high end system" is actually lasting much longer these days, try 5-6 years!

No it is not. At least not in the home market. If you bought a high end system to play the latest games and run the latest SW you will be out paced in 2 max 3 years. Take a look at CPU and GPUs today vs. three years ago. Now I am not saying the system is unusable but it will be several generations old. Where as in the 486 days in 4 years time you were only two minor generations behind (i.e. just the speed bumps) not new architecture and/or features.
 
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