The Osborne Computer Corporation
3 days ago
- #Portable Computers
- #Osborne Effect
- #Tech History
- Adam Osborne was born in Bangkok in 1939 to a British father and Polish mother, spending his early years in an ashram in India.
- Osborne moved to England for education, later earning a PhD in the US and working at Shell Development Corporation before being fired due to disagreements with superiors.
- He started freelance technical writing, authored books on microcomputers, and founded Osborne & Associates, which he later sold to McGraw-Hill.
- Osborne Computer Corporation (OCC) was founded in 1981, producing the Osborne 1, the first commercially successful portable computer.
- The Osborne 1 featured a Z80 CPU, 64K RAM, dual floppy drives, and bundled software like WordStar and SuperCalc, priced at $1795.
- Despite initial success, OCC struggled with financial mismanagement, competition, and premature announcements of future products (the Osborne Effect).
- OCC filed for bankruptcy in 1983, with later attempts to revive the company through models like the Osborne Encore and Vixen proving unsuccessful.
- Osborne's legacy includes pioneering portable computers, bundled software, and flashy marketing, influencing the tech industry despite the company's downfall.