Log in

View Full Version : Adam Osborne, Dead at 64


Janak Parekh
03-25-2003, 11:00 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=581&e=2&cid=581&u=/nm/20030324/tc_nm/tech_osborne_dc' target='_blank'>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...tech_osborne_dc</a><br /><br /></div>Adam Osborne, perhaps <i>the</i> inventor of the portable computer, died yesterday at the age of 64. To some extent, we all owe our handheld devices to him, as they descended from the famous <a href="http://rune.tapper.com/museum/osborne1.htm">Osborne 1</a>. The unit was about 30 pounds in weight, had a 3.5" by 2.6" B&amp;W screen, and had a 4MHz CPU running CP/M (along with two 160K floppy drives and 64K of RAM). It was released in 1981, and cost $1,795 (including WordStar, SuperCalc and MS BASIC). The battery pack was an add-on option.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/20030324-osborne.jpg" /><br /><br />If that doesn't demonstrate how far portable technology has come (hint: look in your pocket now), nothing will. :)<br /><br />It also bears mentioning that Adam Osborne is perhaps singlehandedly the reason companies are extremely secretive about their future plans (including Microsoft when it comes to their next Pocket PC operating system). The Osborne 1 was a massive hit in 1981 and 1982, but sales tanked in 1983 when Osborne boasted that the successor (codenamed the <a href="http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/vixen/">Vixen</a>) would be hugely superior. The company never recovered from the inventory glut and went out of business in September, 1983.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Adam. :cry:

dMores
03-25-2003, 12:19 PM
http://rune.tapper.com/museum/osborne1.htm:
In 1983 Osborne announced a new computer long before they could deliver. People stopped buying the Osborne 1 and the company went bankrupt. This behavior is now known as to "Osburn" a product!

Hehe :) "Osburn" :) I like that.

snowlion
03-25-2003, 01:58 PM
aahh...that picture brings back some memories....

i guess one always looks back with rose-tinted lenses...but seeing the picture the unit is much bigger and the screen is much smaller than what i remember...

wanted to buy it but couldn't afford it....settled on a sinclair something.

Gary Garland, Esq.
03-25-2003, 02:15 PM
aahh...that picture brings back some memories....

i guess one always looks back with rose-tinted lenses...but seeing the picture the unit is much bigger and the screen is much smaller than what i remember...

wanted to buy it but couldn't afford it....settled on a sinclair something.
probably a timex sinclair 1000 - i remember those. i also remember drooling over the osborne 1 in magazines - back then, i was happily learning assembler on the TRS-80 (yes, Trash 80) with that relatively powerful Zilog Z80 processor - which was essentially the precursor to the Intel 8088, i believe which then went to the 286 series ad infinitum. If you ever watch any of those tech shows (ok, when the missus isn't home), you might see one of the many history shows about microsoft - and how they coded BASIC for a tape based system, essentially doing it with punchards and without a computer - funny stuff!
As for the Osburn, I'd never heard that term before, but I HAVE been sworn to secrecy by vendors/manufacturers when they tell me about a new product coming out - they don't want to hurt sales of the present version - guess that may have been Osborne's biggest legacy :(
Off topic, but anyone remember those Scott Adams Adventures?

tregnier
03-25-2003, 02:25 PM
My first computer was an Osbourne. I remember it as having 2-160k disk drives, not 360k. Also included in the base software was dBase II. I can remember nothing so intimidating as opening dBase and seeing nothing but a white dot on the screen.

I knew nothing about computers or software when I bought the machine. I joined a user group to learn, but there was still a lot of teeth gnashing and hair pulling at 2AM in my household. I still regard this "running at the brick wall" as probably my most important learning experience on computers and one that has stood me well in other areas in my life.

I was online with the Source, a text-based service that was a precursor to what we have today with AOL. I communicated using a Hayes 300 baud modem. (Note that is 300 baud, not 3K or 30k).

I didn't know how to type, so I bought a book, "Typing Made Simple" for $2.95, practiced a half hour a day and learned to touch-type. I skipped the lessons on doing numbers and have regretted it to this day. Maybe I'll go back to it.

I also bought a second Osbourne for my company, being the first computer user in the second-largest advertising agency in Minneapolis. I spread the knowledge (I wonder if they still use WordStar?)

Adam Osbourne was a true forerunner that inspired both Compaq and IBM to develop the "transportables" (I call them the sewing machines) of the industry that has allowed us the onerous ability to take our work home with us.

Now I have more computing power in my watch and download at 4000 times the speed.

God bless the people who stepped out of the box for us.

Ken Mattern
03-25-2003, 03:10 PM
How I fondly remember the Osbourne I. I didn't own one, but the church did. I learned to code with a punched tape teletype that ran at 110 baud. FORTRAN was the greatest.

Then one day I was able to afford the Micro Ace kit (the precursor to the Sinclair) and maxed it out in three months. From there I moved to Ohio Scientific, Tandy (I still have my Tandy 100 "laptop" computer - and it still works!

Those were the good old days of computing, when 8k was a lot of memory, when I coded with single character variables and no spaces. A simple program used to look like this:

10fori=1to100:?i:nexti

Not any more!

sigh...

Thanks Adam. Rest in peace.

Ken

dlipetz
03-25-2003, 03:21 PM
Back in 1984, after Osborne (the company) went bust, Adam Osborne started a new software venture called Paperback Software. Remember, at that time, software was packaged in expensive slip cases and binders and came with voluminous amounts of documentation. It was not uncommon for software to weigh over 5lbs in typical retail packaging. Added expense and serious intimidation to the buyer.

Adam's idea with Paperback Software was to simplify both the software and the packaging. All Paperback Software titles came on a single 5 1/4" diskette contained within a slim paperback style book of documentation. Sort of resembled a childrens book in size and thickness. The diskette was sealed in a cardboard-like envelope bound into the book.

Paperback Software's first title was a word processor aptly titled "Paperback Writer". At a Softsel "SoftTeach" event (Softsel was the dominant wholesale distributor of all things computer back in the day) geared at reseller education, Adam Osborne had a class to present his new software products to the computer resellers. I attended his class and each person received a copy of Paperback Writer. After the class, I asked Mr. Osborne to sign the book-style package, and he inscribed:

"To David, Good luck in a tough industry. Adam Osborne "

Still have that software package, and I'm still in the industry.

Adam was a forward thinker and will be missed.

Janak Parekh
03-25-2003, 04:28 PM
My first computer was an Osbourne. I remember it as having 2-160k disk drives, not 360k.
Yeah, I think you're right. I'll correct that.

At a Softsel "SoftTeach" event (Softsel was the dominant wholesale distributor of all things computer back in the day)
Hah! Someone else remembers SofTeach! I didn't attend back in the Paperback Software days, but started shortly thereafter. There's another thing that vanished into thin air, sadly. :cry:

--janak

EyePAQ
03-25-2003, 04:30 PM
Ahhh.. the good old days!

I used to work for Scott Adams (http://www.msadams.com/new/index.htm) (not the cartoon guy...) when he had Adventure International in the Orlando area. I got to cut my teeth on all the machines of that era. TRS-80 Model I, Commodore PET, Osbourne, Sinclair, Apple I, etc. Man I miss those days...

Ekkie Tepsupornchai
03-25-2003, 04:50 PM
It was released in 1981, and cost $1,795 (including WordStar, SuperCalc and MS BASIC).
&lt;...>
The Osborne 1 was a massive hit in 1981 and 1982, but sales tanked in 1983 when Osborne boasted that the successor (codenamed the Vixen (http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/vixen/)) would be hugely superior. The company never recovered from the inventory glut and went out of business in September, 1983.
Amazing... 8O

I figure myself as kind of an "old-timer" when it comes to computers (relative to my peers)... but I didn't even touch my first one until 1984 (Apple II).

Now, I don't want to hear anyone lecture me about "Vacuum Tubes"!!

malcolmsharp
03-25-2003, 05:06 PM
Sigh... I remember when one of my teachers got one. I learned to use wordstar, then showed her how to use it. I even wrote a simple MS Basic program to turn the thing into a simple typewriter for when she just wanted to make a quick note.

JornadaJ
03-25-2003, 05:32 PM
Wow...I had something very similar on my property book. I was signed for it. Almost identical, except the case was green, of course...

I tried turning it in twice, but I was denied. The PBO claimed that it was still 'mission essential' and couldn't be turned in.

Anyway...

I still remember my own first computer. A fairly new TI-99/4A. I wrote my first programs in TI Basic. One was just a digital picture while I was getting the hang of it. Talk about MEGAPixels! :wink: One dot was almost a 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch. The thing was hooked up to my parent's old cabinet TV and used a cassette tape for data back-up.

Ahhhh...

hdsalinas
03-25-2003, 05:49 PM
I got my first PC back in 1995. It was a Packard Bell with a Pentium 75Mhz, 8mb Ram, 4x CD ROM and 560MB HD. (win95). So Iguess I came late to the PC age, but I still cant beleived that I used to play games and do graphic design work on it.

That PC is still working fine after all these years. (upgraded HD to 2GB and ram to 16MB)


My PPC is faster and has more memory! :lol:

Hector David Salinas

jimski
03-25-2003, 06:45 PM
Definitely sad news for the computer industry. I still have my two Osbornes in the attic along with the 12" diagonal Zenith monitors that I used to tote along.

After the first month of using my Osbourn, I became so dependent on it that I bought a second unit to travel with so I wouldn't bump or jar the drives on the first unit.

I still remember spending 15 hours trying to get the Osborne to talk to a Radio Shack (actually a Ricoh) Daisy Wheel printer that weighed about 70 pounds and cost $1995.00 (I eventually got the two to talk to each other).

Using the Osborne also introduced me to C Basic. After several attempts to create a simple mailing list, I went down to Radio Shack and bought a program for $12.95. That was the last time I picked up a code book and have never regretted it. It's a lot easier to criticise programmers :twisted: than it is to be one.

WordStar and SuperCalc were enough to meet my basic needs back in 1982, but Personal Pearl, a database application that came included with the Osborne (talk about bundled software) was my favorite. I was managing statistics for a 1,500 player amateur hockey league long before anyone knew what a computer was.

All this nostalgia is reminding me bring an Osborne to the office for show-an-tell to show all the newbies (anyone under 40 year old) where things got started.

Rest In Peace Mr. Osborne. Certainly a long strange trip it's been.

JackTheTripper
03-25-2003, 06:55 PM
8O My father in law used to work for Osborne. Can't remember which model he worked on but is always talking about it. I used a picture he provided me with for a web site I designed a while back.

http://www.giantcreative.com/site/contact.html

R.I.P.

DMGross
03-25-2003, 09:15 PM
Osborne as he watched the fight over 8088 vs. 8086 (IBM vs. Wang and HP's PCs) once remarked that IBM compatability was like being pregnant; you either were or you were not. At the time, there were many great single board computers from the likes of Ohio Scientific that let folks get into computers for minimal investment. Remember the RF modulators that let you use your TV set as a computer monitor. I remember programming in FORTH on a AIM-65 from Rockwell and writing assembly language programs on a single board 6502 Sym-1 with 8K of RAM.

HGLR
03-25-2003, 09:48 PM
10fori=1to100:?i:nexti

Although I've long since moved on from basic, I still think of the ":" character as "and" when I type it. Man, that led to some ugly code.


I debated long and hard over getting the original Compaq "luggable" (which was definitely inspired by the Osbourne design) or a Compaq Deskpro for my first computer. I remember seeing a demo of the Compaq where the guy dropped the whole unit from waist height -- klang! It was a solid machine. The luggable was really sexy (in an early-80's tech kind of way), but I decided the little monitor would ruin my eyes, and the steel chasis would ruin my back.

R.I.P., Adam.

DMGross
03-25-2003, 09:58 PM
8O

Talking about the luggable Compaq. I once took one plus a Kodak Diconix ink-jet printer all the way to Japan so my boss could do Vax-mail over a 9600 Hayes modem. We had expanded the machine with a 5 MB Hardcard so we had extra storage for programs.

PdaChained
03-26-2003, 08:19 AM
I owned an Osborne as a consultant\contractor and remember being so smug when the mainframe at my client crashed for some reason or other and I just smiled and popped my Osborne up on my desk and continued working (with that tiny little screen which was capable of showing 120 characters per line if I remember). One of the more interesting things I remember though is that Osborne put out a magazine which showed people using the computer. The last one I had and probably still have showed Afghanistani mujahadin fighters marveling over a reporter's Osborne and here we are today except you could put an IPAQ in the picture.

bbarker
03-26-2003, 09:09 AM
At a Softsel "SoftTeach" event (Softsel was the dominant wholesale distributor of all things computer back in the day)
Hah! Someone else remembers SofTeach! I didn't attend back in the Paperback Software days, but started shortly thereafter. There's another thing that vanished into thin air, sadly. :cry:

--janak
I loved Softeach. Great info but, even better, lots of free products. I didn't start going until 1991. Is Softsel still around?

I admired the Osborne 1 when it came out. But what I bought in 1981 was an Atari 800 with upgraded RAM (48K) and a floppy drive (90K) instead of the cassette data loader (essentially just a cassette recorder) that was common then. I paid something like $1,100 for the whole package with software.

Later I moved up to an IBM PCjr with two floppy drives and, what, 128K of RAM? I think that was standard, but I upgraded it to 256K, which was remarkable. It also had a program cartridge slot but I didn't own any cartridges. I bought the Atari because it had the same processor as the Apple II but much better graphics. My mistake. Apple took its computer seriously but Atari never exploited the 800's potential for more than games.

At work I had an IBM XT and later an AT. Eventually at home I went with a 12MHz AT "clone" when the AT ran at 6MHz and later, I think, 8MHz. The fastest computer available at the time ran at 16MHz. PC Magazine ran a cover story questioning whether it was safe for a computer to run at that speed. They wondered how many incompatibilities would arise and whether anyone needed that kind of speed. I think the typical hard at the time was around 512MB.

Oh, the memories.

Janak Parekh
03-26-2003, 04:59 PM
Is Softsel still around?
They're now called Merisel, as a result of the merger years ago with MicroAmerica.

Oh, the memories.
Yup. ;)

--janak

dlipetz
03-26-2003, 06:13 PM
They're now called Merisel, as a result of the merger years ago with MicroAmerica.
--janak

My recollection was SoftSel + MicroD = Merisel. Perhaps MicroD became MicroAmeria?

Hate to digress on a thread to commemorate Adam Osborne, but the trend has been started, so do you remember:

SoftSel Hot List
WordStar dot commands to format page (WordStar ruled for a LONG time and ran in 64K RAM)
Having to use escape sequences to change printer setting, especially in Lotus 1-2-3 (OS had no printrer controls, the apps did)
Daisy wheel printers
dBase II was originally called Vulcan prior to Ashton-Tate buying it
Lotus Symphony (and other "integrated" apps)
Digital Research GEM (competed with first MS Windows)
Pickles & Trout CP/M (pip B:=A:*.*)
SSSD 8" Floppy Diskettes
Iomega Bernoulli Box (10MB cartridges)
Persyst BOB & Paradise Graphics Adapter (doubled CGA resolution)
RLL, MFM & ESDI Hard Drive Controllers
PFS software series
256K main system boards and 64K DRAM chips
The AST 6 Pack! (I must've sold thousands of these)
Infocom text-based games (Zork)
DEC Rainbow
Columbia PC-compatibles (maybe the widest PC ever built)
The Victor 9000
Seagate 5MB Full Height 5.25" Hard Drive with 95ms access time (speedy)
The pain of connecting any serial printer to a PC

Sorry to digress, but the other posts brought all these memories back at once.

bbarker
03-26-2003, 10:43 PM
They're now called Merisel, as a result of the merger years ago with MicroAmerica.
--janak

My recollection was SoftSel + MicroD = Merisel. Perhaps MicroD became MicroAmeria?
Oh yes, now I remember Merisel. They continued Softeach until I moved too far away in 1995 to conveniently attend them. I don't know what happened after that.
Hate to digress on a thread to commemorate Adam Osborne, but the trend has been started, so do you remember:
I remember almost all of those. They REALLY bring back memories.

Having to use escape sequences to change printer setting, especially in Lotus 1-2-3 (OS had no printrer controls, the apps did)
Yep. And part of WordPerfect's fame was its extensive list of high-quality printer drivers. Even after they came out with a Windows version they preferred you use their drivers. That sort of philosophy, along with developing for OS/2 instead of Windows initially, doomed them.
Digital Research GEM (competed with first MS Windows)
And remember DESQView and TopView? Nongraphical windows shells. I ran under DESQView for a long time, even running Windows 3.0 apps in DESQView windows.
Pickles & Trout CP/M (pip B:=A:*.*)
That's one I don't remember.
Iomega Bernoulli Box (10MB cartridges)
They were hugh in physical size but very innovative.
Persyst BOB & Paradise Graphics Adapter (doubled CGA resolution)
And Hercules monochrome graphics adapters. They revolutionized the old green monochrome displays.
The Victor 9000
That was a very progressive computer at the time.

Janak Parekh
03-26-2003, 11:40 PM
My recollection was SoftSel + MicroD = Merisel. Perhaps MicroD became MicroAmeria?
I don't think so -- didn't Ingram form from MicroD and someone else? I might be wrong though.

Hate to digress on a thread to commemorate Adam Osborne, but the trend has been started, so do you remember:
I remember about 98% of these. Talk about sweet (err, actually, mediocre) memories. :)

--janak

bbarker
03-27-2003, 12:15 AM
I remember about 98% of these. Talk about sweet (err, actually, mediocre) memories. :)

--janak
And we're showing our age.

dlipetz
03-27-2003, 01:08 AM
I don't think so -- didn't Ingram form from MicroD and someone else? I might be wrong though.
--janak

Janak, you are indeed correct. It's my almost 40 year old brain that was mistaken.

About Merisel:
From http://www.merisel.com/aboutus.asp
Merisel was founded in 1980 as Softsel Computer Products, Inc., a software distribution company. By 1989, the company had grown to become a Fortune 500 distributor of hardware and software products with annual revenues approaching $630 million. In April 1990, to improve operational efficiency and take advantage of economies of scale, Softsel merged with Microamerica, Inc., a $526 million, worldwide distributor of microcomputer hardware products; the new company named itself Merisel.

And about Ingram Micro:
A Look Back – Ingram Micro in the U.S.
In 1989, two fast-growing computer distributors in the U.S., Ingram Computer and Micro D, merged together to create the microcomputer industry’s first $1 billion wholesale distribution company, Ingram Micro D.


But do you remember bubble memory cards?

bbarker
03-27-2003, 01:47 AM
This is fun.

Janak Parekh
03-27-2003, 02:57 AM
But do you remember bubble memory cards?
Nope - you got me there. :D

--janak