I'll make this short and sweet. Links are provided below for more details.
Andrew Kay, founder of Kay Computers and creator of the seminal KayPro II, died in August. If you're too young to remember the KayPro II, here's a photo:
There was no KayPro I. Kay named his first computer KayPro II to take advantage of the commercial success of the Apple II.
At the time, Osbourne Computer Corp. dominated the market. Its dominance stemmed from its early launch of the Osbourne I (in 1981). According to wiki, the Osbourne I was the "first commercially successful portable microcomputer." (It was portable as long as you could lift and carry it - the machine weighed 24 lbs.)
Osbourne Corp. eventually faltered, however, unable to compete with the KayPro II. The latter machine offered a much bigger screen (9 inches compared to the Osbourne I's 5-inch screen). Despite being on top of the market in 1981, Osbourne Corp. filed for bankruptcy in 1983.
With Osbourne smoldering in ruins, Kay Computers quickly dominated the portable computer space. The company became the "world's largest portable computer maker."
But the company failed to anticipate the popularity of MS-DOS. It wasn't until 1985 that it launched an MS-DOS-compatible machine. It was too late. The market soured on Kay Computers, and in 1990, the company filed for bankruptcy.
The lesson: market dominance and legions of fans won't save you if you react too slowly to market demand. Kay Computers went from being the world's largest PC maker to the trash heap in the space of a few years.
Kay was 95 when he died.
Andrew Kay, founder of Kay Computers and creator of the seminal KayPro II, died in August. If you're too young to remember the KayPro II, here's a photo:
There was no KayPro I. Kay named his first computer KayPro II to take advantage of the commercial success of the Apple II.
At the time, Osbourne Computer Corp. dominated the market. Its dominance stemmed from its early launch of the Osbourne I (in 1981). According to wiki, the Osbourne I was the "first commercially successful portable microcomputer." (It was portable as long as you could lift and carry it - the machine weighed 24 lbs.)
Osbourne Corp. eventually faltered, however, unable to compete with the KayPro II. The latter machine offered a much bigger screen (9 inches compared to the Osbourne I's 5-inch screen). Despite being on top of the market in 1981, Osbourne Corp. filed for bankruptcy in 1983.
With Osbourne smoldering in ruins, Kay Computers quickly dominated the portable computer space. The company became the "world's largest portable computer maker."
But the company failed to anticipate the popularity of MS-DOS. It wasn't until 1985 that it launched an MS-DOS-compatible machine. It was too late. The market soured on Kay Computers, and in 1990, the company filed for bankruptcy.
The lesson: market dominance and legions of fans won't save you if you react too slowly to market demand. Kay Computers went from being the world's largest PC maker to the trash heap in the space of a few years.
Kay was 95 when he died.
