“…… This personal computer, named PC, uses a quasi-16-bit processor, the structure of the machine is reasonable, the running speed is also acceptable, and the configured application software basically meets the needs, and is basically suitable for commercial office use. If this is a microcomputer product developed by other companies, I would think it is not bad.

But this is the product of IBM, the most powerful computer company on the planet, and I can only describe it as disappointment. I had great expectations for it, because IBM has the best development talent in the industry and a complete computer industry system.

But what kind of product are we seeing? The processor is Intel, and the operating system is from Microsoft, which sells the Basic language. You can hardly see much of IBM's own technology on this PC, can this be considered a real IBM product, I strongly doubt it......"

The next day, in the New York Times, a computer expert sharply criticized IBM's PCs. And this represents the majority of the industry's opinion, IBM has failed to show its dominance, it has already failed in the mainframe and word processors, and the PC has not shown enough performance to take the entire microcomputer market by storm.

At least Akon is not inferior to it at all in terms of technology. Computer experts have rated PCs and ABC-2 as roughly evenly matched in terms of performance. The PC uses one 16/8-bit CPU, while the ABC-2 computer uses two 8-bit CPUs.

But ABC-2 has been on the market for a year and has been fully tested by the market. It has shown very excellent performance in the field of enterprise business, especially the several office software provided by Dongfang Software on the computer, which has won numerous praises.

The ABC-3 computer launched by Aikang is compatible with the ABC-2 computer operating system and office software. It has achieved a further leap in computer performance, and although the price is not low, it is still generally favored.

It is precisely because of this that many people in the industry are very puzzled by the sudden announcement of the release of the technical data of the ABC-3 computer by Aikang. Because in everyone's opinion, IBM's PC should be more targeted at ABC-2 than ABC-3. Aikang's response. It seems that some of the reactions have been overreacted.

But a subsequent statement from Aikang said that the disclosure of the technical standards for the ABC-3 computer was a mature decision that had been discussed within the company for a long time. It's not a warehousing decision specific to IBM.

At the same time as disclosing the ABC-3 computer technical data, Aikang also announced cooperation agreements with dozens of accessories manufacturers that support the ABC-3 computer technical specifications.

Aikang wants to reach a partnership agreement with so many companies, at least a few months ago, so it doesn't seem like they're targeting IBM.

Such an analysis. There seems to be a bigger ambition hidden behind Aikang's decision. The microcomputers produced in the mid-to-early seventies, represented by the Cowherd Star computer, are classified as the first generation of personal computers. Their performance is generally backward and can only be regarded as a toy for computer enthusiasts. Starting with Apple's release of Apple II in 1977, personal computers entered the second generation. The second-generation microcomputer has been greatly improved in performance, and is no longer a toy for amateur enthusiasts, but has certain applications in the home, education and business fields, and has begun to officially form a commercial industry.

The ABC-3 computer just released by Aikang is known in the industry as a representative of the third generation of personal computers. Its performance is more superior, and the goal is to have a greater breakthrough in the field of enterprise office. Aikang directly publishes the technical data of the ABC-3 computer. Apparently trying to attract peripheral hardware and software developers to its camp.

As a result, before other microcomputer companies could react, ABC-3 became the technical standard for the next generation of personal computers. As a result, the entire microcomputer industry may face a major reshuffle. Under this analysis, the stock of Akon on the London Stock Exchange began to rise sharply, and countless people even hoped that it would dominate the microcomputer market in the next few years.

Li Xuan was originally worried about whether Aikang's stock price would fluctuate due to the disclosure of ABC-3 computer's technology. But he never expected that after a group of "brick families" who peeled off the cocoon, this would become a huge piece of good news.

The ABC-3 computer uses a 32/16-bit ERM-1 processor, forcing other microcomputer companies to follow suit, and there are very few 32-bit processors available for PCs on the market. Motorola's MC68000 is a very good 32 microprocessor, but it's priced too high, compared to three-fifths the price of the ERM-1.

Moreover, the intellectual property rights of the ERM-1 processor belong to the Dongfang Technology Holding Company behind the Dongfang Shi yàn room, and have no relationship with the listed company Aikang. It is impossible for Dongfang Technology Company not to sell ERM-1 processors to the outside world for the benefit of Aikang. On the contrary, many companies, including Tangdi and Kemoduo, contacted Dongfang Technology as soon as the ABC-3 computer came out.

Naturally, Dongfang Technology Company did not refuse to come, and provided the complete technical information of the ERM-1 processor to these microcomputer manufacturers, so that they could immediately carry out their own 32-bit personal computer research. Of course, the same thing happened with Oriental Software.

It can be said that Aikang discloses the technical information of the ABC-3 computer, and these two companies are the biggest beneficiaries. It's like in another trajectory, after IBM released the technical information of the PC, it did not make itself the king of the personal computer, but single-handedly won the Wintel Alliance.

In order to support low-cost systems and applications with less memory, the Oriental Real Office is also developing an 8-bit external bus version of the ERM processor, which will be officially available to the market by the end of the year. It was specially tailored by Li Xuan for low-end 32-bit personal computers.

So, it is true that the PC industry will soon usher in a new scuffle and reshuffle. With the maturation of ABC-3 computers in the personal computer industry, it is very likely that it will jump directly from 8 to 32 bits in a short period of time. IBM's PCs were not long on the market. will face the problem of backward performance.

The success or failure of the personal computer business is really insignificant to IBM. IBM's bloated bureaucracy is doomed to be slow to respond until it reinvents itself.

The disadvantage of this is that the technical threshold is high. It's not obvious in a mainframe market where almost no one competes, but in a highly competitive crisis market, slow response means falling behind and failing. The reason why Li Xuan attaches so much importance to the PC is that he is more afraid of the two younger brothers who have been cultivated by him - Microsoft and Intel.

The sales of ABC-3 computers have finally begun to rise! IBM has personally endorsed it with a PC to prove that Aikang is already one of the best technology research and development companies in the microcomputer industry, and ABC-3 deserves to be the best personal computer at present. Li Xuan really wanted to present IBM with a trophy for the best stepping stone, and thank it for its self-sacrifice to highlight the ABC-3 computer!

Actually, objectively speaking. The PC launched by IBM is still a very good computer. His flagship model uses an 8088 processor with 64K RAM and a 5.25-inch floppy disk. The monitor features a monochrome display and costs $1999. Such a product is still very competitive, and IBM has given up its traditional independent sales strategy for the first time, and instead learned from other computer companies to let computer dealers and chain stores take charge of the distribution of PCs.

Every week, the computer park company will count the sales of various products. In all computer park locations across the United States. The total sales of PCs reached 287 units in the week. Sales of the ABC-1 in the same period were 1,425 units. The ABC-2 sold 1,066 units and the ABC-3 sold 373 units.

After more than a year of rapid expansion, the company has branches all over the United States. It accounts for about 15% of all PC sales in the United States. In other words, the monthly sales of PCs can reach more than 7,500 units, which is definitely not bad for a new computer that has just been launched.

According to the analysis of the number of sales in the computer park, although the sales of ABC-2, which is listed as the number one competitor of PCs, have declined slightly, the impact is not large. On the contrary, the sales of Apple's Apple II and Tangdi's TRS-80 computers have been greatly affected.

This is also the same as most of the PCs sold in the computer park, which only have 16K memory. The situation coincides with the low-end PC, which costs $1565. The ABC-2 computer costs as much as $2,499 even after the price reduction, and the two don't really compete. On the contrary, PCs have captured a lot of the low-end home market. Even sales with ABC-1 have declined slightly.

The sales of the ABC-3 were very pleasantly surprised, and the monthly sales in the US market are estimated to soon exceed 10,000 units. And his price is actually not cheap, even the lowest configuration price is 2999 US dollars. It can only be said that compared to those small computer systems that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, this price is cheap enough.

If he didn't know that IBM would also disclose the technical information of the PC to promote sales in the future, Li Xuan was really reluctant to let Aikang disclose the technical information of the ABC-3 computer now. After all, once the compatible machine is launched, the homogeneous competition will soon evolve into a price war, and the result will be that the profits of all companies will decline, so that consumers can get benefits.

Recently, ABC-3 computers and PCs have been frequently compared together, appearing in major newspapers and even TV station current affairs commentary programs, which indirectly made ABC-3 computers well-known in the United States, but saved a lot of publicity costs for Aikang.

While the ABC-3 vs. PC battle has been a hot topic in recent tech news, there is another new computer that has also attracted a lot of attention in the industry. It's a laptop that weighs about 22 pounds (10 kg), uses a Z80 processor as a CPU, has 64K of RAM, and has a small 5-inch monochrome display.

The ancestor of this laptop is called the Osborne-1 computer, and its inventor is the famous Mr. Osborne. Osborne was a well-known computer columnist in the United States in the 70s, who wrote some of Levin's sharp reviews of chip technology, exposing the scandals of many computer companies deliberately producing flashy products in order to make huge profits.

When Osborne commented on the technical advantages and disadvantages of various types of microcomputers, he had to spend a lot of time studying the structure and technical indicators of computers. He found the shortcomings and deficiencies of many microcomputer products, and learned from many readers' letters what kind of computers users really need. So, he simply came up with the idea of developing a simple, practical, and inexpensive computer himself, and this led to the Osborne-1 computer. (To be continued......)