The IBM PCjr (pronounced "PC junior") was a
home computer produced and marketed by
IBM from March 1984 to May 1985, intended as a lower-cost variant of the IBM PC with hardware capabilities better suited for video games, in order to compete more directly with other home computers such as the
Apple II
The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-m ...
and
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
.
It retained the IBM PC's
8088
The Intel 8088 ("''eighty-eighty-eight''", also called iAPX 88) microprocessor is a variant of the Intel 8086. Introduced on June 1, 1979, the 8088 has an eight-bit external data bus instead of the 16-bit bus of the 8086. The 16-bit registers and ...
CPU and
BIOS
In computing, BIOS (, ; Basic Input/Output System, also known as the System BIOS, ROM BIOS, BIOS ROM or PC BIOS) is firmware used to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs and to perform hardware initialization during the ...
interface, but provided enhanced graphics and sound,
ROM cartridge
A ROM cartridge, usually referred to in context simply as a cartridge, cart, or card, is a replaceable part designed to be connected to a consumer electronics device such as a home computer, video game console or, to a lesser extent, electroni ...
slots, built-in joystick ports, and an infrared wireless keyboard. The PCjr supported expansion via "sidecar" modules, which could be attached to the side of the unit.
Despite widespread anticipation, the PCjr was ultimately unsuccessful in the market. It was only partially
IBM compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM Personal Computer, IBM PC, IBM Personal Computer XT, XT, and IBM Personal Computer/AT, AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such ...
, limiting support for IBM's software library, its
chiclet keyboard
A chiclet keyboard or island-style keyboard is a computer keyboard with keys that form an array of small, flat rectangular or lozenge-shaped rubber or plastic keys that look like erasers or "Chiclets", a brand of chewing gum manufactured in the s ...
was widely criticized for its poor quality, expandability was limited, and it was initially offered with a maximum of of RAM, insufficient for many PC programs.
Models
The PCjr came in two models:
* 4860-004 - 64
KB of memory, priced at US$669 ()
* 4860-067 - 128 KB of memory and a 360 KB, 5.25-inch floppy disk drive, priced at US$1,269 ()
The PCjr was manufactured for IBM in
Lewisburg, Tennessee
Lewisburg is a city in, and the county seat of Marshall County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 12,288 in 2020. Lewisburg is located in Middle Tennessee, fifty miles south of Nashville and fifty-two miles north of Huntsville, Alabam ...
by
Teledyne
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is an American industrial conglomerate. It was founded in 1960, as Teledyne, Inc., by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky.
From August 1996 to November 1999, Teledyne existed as part of the conglomerate All ...
.
A related machine, the
IBM JX
The IBM JX (or JXPC) was a personal computer released in 1984 into the Japanese, Australian and New Zealand markets. Designed in Japan, it was based on the technology of the IBM PCjr and was designated the IBM 5511. It was targeted in the Australa ...
, was sold in the Japan, Australia and New Zealand markets.
Hardware
The PCjr chassis is made entirely of plastic, unlike the all-steel chassis of the IBM PC. A 5.25" front bay allows the installation of a 180/360K floppy disk drive. The internal floppy drive was a half-height
Qume 5.25" unit; IBM also used these drives in the PC Portable, but the PCjr units were specially equipped with a small fan to prevent overheating since the computer did not have a case fan.
Cartridges
The front of the PCjr exposes a pair of cartridge slots in which the user can insert software on ROM cartridges, as was common with other home computers. When a ROM cartridge is inserted, the machine automatically restarts and boots off of the ROM, without requiring the user to manually reboot.
Cartridges can also replace the system BIOS and other firmware.
A number of patches from various vendors are included on a single "combo-cartridge", licensed and sold by PC Enterprises, to support add-on hardware, bypass certain limitations of design, and keep up with changing OS requirements.
Processor
Like the IBM PC, the PCjr uses an
Intel 8088
The Intel 8088 ("''eighty-eighty-eight''", also called iAPX 88) microprocessor is a variant of the Intel 8086. Introduced on June 1, 1979, the 8088 has an eight-bit external data bus instead of the 16-bit bus of the 8086. The 16-bit registers an ...
clocked at 4.77 MHz.
Despite using the same CPU and clockspeed, performance is often inferior to the PC, because access to system RAM is delayed by
wait state
A wait state is a delay experienced by a computer processor when accessing external memory or another device that is slow to respond.
Computer microprocessors generally run much faster than the computer's other subsystems, which hold the data the ...
s added by the Video Gate Array to synchronize shared access to RAM between the CPU and the video hardware. IBM claimed that an average of two wait states are added, but the designers of the Tandy 1000, a clone of the PCjr, claimed that six was a more accurate figure.
This delay only applies to software resident in the first 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM inside the system unit itself, and not to programs or data located in ROM - including software on ROM cartridges plugged into the front of the PCjr - or in additional RAM in a sidecar attachment. Under these circumstances the PCjr should run at full speed. The most common instances in which this maximum speed would be achieved are when running games or productivity applications from ROM cartridges. In fact, because the PCjr video subsystem continuously refreshes the system internal DRAM transparently, without disturbing the CPU, programs running from ROM on the PCjr may actually run slightly faster on the PCjr than on an IBM PC or XT.
Video
![TGA-EGA-CGA graphics comparison](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/TGA-EGA-CGA_graphics_comparison.png)
Unlike the IBM PC, which required a separate video card, the PCjr display hardware was built in to the system board. At the time, the only cards available from IBM for the PC were the monochrome
MDA
MDA, mda, or ''variation'', may refer to:
Places
* Moldova, a country in Europe with the ISO 3166-1 country code MDA Politics
* Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (2018), ruling coalition government in the Indian State of Meghalaya led by National Pe ...
and color
CGA boards. PCjr graphics were similar to CGA, with several new video modes:
* 160x200 at 16 colors
* 320x200 at 16 colors
* 640x200 at 4 colors
The primary improvement over CGA is the greater color depth. CGA could only display 4 colors in its medium-resolution mode, and 2 colors in high-resolution. The PCjr increases these to 16 and 4 colors.
Video modes on the PCjr use varying amounts of system memory: 40x25 text mode uses 1 KB, for instance, while 320x200x16 and 640x200x4 use 32 KB. These latter two modes, as well as 80x25 text mode, are referred to in documentation as "high bandwidth modes" and are unsupported on base models with only 64 KB of memory.
Multiple text or graphics pages can be used for
page-flipping as long as there is enough memory, a feature missing from the CGA. The CGA also did not provide a VBLANK interrupt, making it hard to detect when the screen was beginning to be drawn, but the PCjr provides this on IRQ 5, an important feature for smooth page-flipping.
The video system also has a "blink" feature which toggles the palette between the first and second groups of eight palette registers at the same rate used for the PCs blinking text attribute, and a palette bit-masking feature that can be used to switch between palette subsets without reprogramming palette registers.
Unlike CGA, PCjr has palette registers which allow the colors in all modes to be chosen from the full 16-color RGBI palette. When the BIOS is used to set a video mode, it sets up the palette table to emulate the CGA color palette for that mode. Programs specifically written to use PCjr graphics can subsequently reprogram the palette table to use any colors desired. Palette changes must be made during horizontal or
vertical blanking
In a raster scan display, the vertical blanking interval (VBI), also known as the vertical interval or VBLANK, is the time between the end of the final visible line of a frame or field and the beginning of the first visible line of the next fra ...
periods of a video frame in order to avoid corrupting the display.
The monitor included with the PCjr is a 12" TTL RGBI display like those supported by the CGA, but including an internal amplified speaker. Also like CGA, the PCjr supported
composite video
Composite video is an analog video signal format that carries standard-definition video (typically at 525 lines or 625 lines) as a single channel. Video information is encoded on one channel, unlike the higher-quality S-Video (two channels) a ...
out for use with a TV or composite monitor.
A
Motorola 6845
The Motorola 6845, or MC6845, is a display controller that was widely used in 8-bit computers during the 1980s. Originally intended for designs based on the Motorola 6800 CPU and given a related part number, it was more widely used alongside v ...
CRTC like the one used in the MDA and CGA adapters, and a custom IBM chip called the
Video Gate Array
Tandy Graphics Adapter (TGA, also Tandy graphics) is a computer display standard for the Tandy 1000 series of IBM PC compatibles, which has compatibility with the video subsystem of the IBM PCjr but became a standard in its own right.
PCjr grap ...
(VGA) comprise the PCjr video hardware.
[VGA should not be confused with the later ]Video Graphics Array
Video Graphics Array (VGA) is a video display controller and accompanying de facto graphics standard, first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, which became ubiquitous in the PC industry within three years. The term can now ...
standard that IBM released with the PS/2
The Personal System/2 or PS/2 is IBM's second generation of personal computers. Released in 1987, it officially replaced the IBM PC, XT, AT, and PC Convertible in IBM's lineup. Many of the PS/2's innovations, such as the 16550 UART (serial po ...
line in 1987. The 6845 is responsible for the basic raster timing and video data address sequencing, and the Video Gate Array contains all the additional timing logic, video data demultiplexing logic, color processing logic, and programmable palette table logic, as well as the logic for multiplexing RAM access between the 8088 CPU and the video generation circuitry.
The 6845 CRTC and the VGA together are responsible for refreshing the internal DRAM of the PCjr, which complicates the process of switching video modes on the PCjr. Resetting the VGA, which must be done during certain video mode switches, must be done by code not running from system RAM, and if the CRTC or the VGA is disabled for too long, the contents of the internal RAM can be lost. Additional external DRAM (in sidecar expansion modules) is refreshed independently.
Of the three new modes, 160x200x16 mode has the same layout as CGA graphics modes; the odd and even scanlines are stored in the first and second half of the video buffer, each half being 8k in size, and every four bits represents one pixel. The 320x200x16 and 640x200x4 modes have four blocks of scanlines; every four or two bits respectively represents a pixel.
Since the PCjr uses the main system RAM for the video buffer, less memory is available for software than on a standard PC, which has its video memory in the A000h-BFFFh segments, above conventional memory.
Sound
![IBM PCB Jr Internal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/IBM_PCB_Jr_Internal.jpg)
The PCjr's sound is provided by a
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is an American technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that designs and manufactures semiconductors and various integrated circuits, which it sells to electronics designers and manufacturers globall ...
SN76496 which can produce three square waves of varying amplitude and frequency along with a noise channel powered by a
shift register
A shift register is a type of digital circuit using a cascade of flip-flops where the output of one flip-flop is connected to the input of the next. They share a single clock signal, which causes the data stored in the system to shift from one loc ...
.
It is similar to the
programmable sound generator chips used in game consoles such as the
Sega Master System
The is an 8-bit
third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...
. The PCjr design also allows for an analog sound source in an expansion-bus "sidecar" module, and a software-controlled internal analog switch can select the source for the sound output from among the
PC speaker
A PC speaker is a loudspeaker built into some IBM PC compatible computers. The first IBM Personal Computer, model 5150, employed a standard 2.25 inch magnetic driven (dynamic) speaker. More recent computers use a tiny moving-iron or pie ...
, the SN76489, the cassette port, or the expansion-bus sound source. Only one sound source can be selected at a time; the sources cannot be mixed.
Keyboard / Lightpen
![Living Computer Museum IMG 0034 (9639456054) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Living_Computer_Museum_IMG_0034_%289639456054%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The original keyboard included with the PCjr was a wireless design using infrared line-of-sight communication, which IBM initially marketed as the "Freeboard." This is a
chiclet keyboard
A chiclet keyboard or island-style keyboard is a computer keyboard with keys that form an array of small, flat rectangular or lozenge-shaped rubber or plastic keys that look like erasers or "Chiclets", a brand of chewing gum manufactured in the s ...
with small, flat, calculator style plastic keycaps. The keycaps are blank, with the labels printed between keys so that
overlays can be used. The PCjr keyboard has 62 keys rather than the 83 of the PC keyboard, and the remaining keys must be entered by holding a shift key.
For infrared wireless operation, the keyboard is powered by four AA cells. Certain types of room lighting can cause interference with the infrared keyboard sensor,
and multiple keyboards cannot be used in the same room without problems.
IBM sold a cable which could be plugged in between the keyboard and computer if the user wanted a more reliable connection, which also eliminated the need for batteries, since the keyboard IR receiver is automatically disabled when the cord is attached to the computer.
The chiclet design was not well received, and in 1984 IBM began shipping a new design, still wireless, but using more conventionally shaped keycaps.
The PCjr also has a
light pen
A light pen is a computer input device in the form of a light-sensitive wand used in conjunction with a computer's cathode-ray tube (CRT) display.
It allows the user to point to displayed objects or draw on the screen in a similar way to a tou ...
port. Besides being used for a light pen (a rarely purchased option), this port can be used in combination with the serial port to supply voltage to a
Mouse Systems
Mouse Systems Corporation (MSC), formerly Rodent Associates, was founded in 1982 by Steve Kirsch. The company was responsible for bringing the mouse to the IBM PC for the first time.
History
Mouse Systems' optical mouse, wired to a Sun workstat ...
optical mouse of the same design as those for
Sun workstations
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radia ...
.
Expansion
![PCjr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/PCjr.twinSCSI.jpg)
The back of the machine does not have any expansion slots. Instead, several permanently mounted, proprietary connectors provide attachment to many built-in hardware capabilities, which replaced many of the features that PC expansion cards provided, including:
* Graphics hardware
* Multichannel sound
* Joystick ports
* Lightpen interface
* Serial port
* Cassette interface
Internally the PCjr did have expansion slots to support specific upgrades: a RAM upgrade, a modem, and a floppy drive.
On the right side of the machine, the system bus was exposed for use with "sidecars," upgrade modules which attached to the side of the machine. Third-party manufacturers produced a number of expansion units for the PCjr.
Software
The primary OS for the PCjr was PC DOS, like the IBM PC, and it supported a large amount of PC software, with some incompatibilities.
PC DOS 2.10 is the minimum version of DOS required for the PCjr. IBM's OEM versions of MS-DOS supported the machine up to DOS 3.30, but memory expansion was required for DOS 3.20 and 3.30.
Like the original PC, the PCjr has BASIC in ROM, but includes
Cartridge BASIC
The IBM Personal Computer Basic, commonly shortened to IBM BASIC, is a programming language first released by IBM with the IBM Personal Computer, Model 5150 (IBM PC) in 1981. IBM released four different versions of the Microsoft BASIC interpre ...
instead of Cassette BASIC. In addition to cartridge support, it extended the standard IBM BASIC with commands to support the new video and audio functionality.
The system will boot into Cartridge BASIC if no cartridge or boot disk is present.
Compatibility
The register mapping of the PCjr's video hardware is different from the IBM CGA card, so software that tries to modify or read registers directly will not work. The PCjr has a "gate" register to which software writes the number of the video register to be accessed, followed by the value to be written into it. Alteration of other CRTC registers cannot be assumed to produce the same results from the PCjr video system as from the CGA.
Programs for the CGA that manipulate the CRTC start address, and that rely on address wrap-around above address 0xBC000, may not work correctly on the PCjr because it always has a 32 KB contiguous block of RAM in the video area from address 0xB8000 through 0xBFFFF. The PCjr's video memory cannot be moved above 128k if expansion memory is added, so some PC software that ran off of self-booting disks would not work on a PCjr if the software required more than 128k of RAM.
The floppy controller on the PCjr also had its I/O registers mapped into different ports than on the PC, and since the PCjr did not have DMA, the BIOS routines for handling floppy access were different and more complex than those on the PC. Software that tried to perform direct, low-level disk access (mainly utilities, but also the occasional game such as ''Dunzhin: Warrior of Ras'') would not work unless it was rewritten for the PCjr.
History
IBM's first home computer was the PC, released in 1981. Within two years the PC had created a large new ecosystem of hardware and software, nearly leading the home computer market
with 26% of all microcomputers sold in 1983, second only to the much less expensive
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
.
For a year before the PCjr's announcement, the computer industry discussed rumors of a new IBM product, code named "Peanut", that would repeat the PC's success. The rumors described Peanut as a home computer with of memory that would be
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...
, benefit from IBM's service network and, at to , be less expensive than the
Apple IIe
The Apple IIe (styled as Apple //e) is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The ''e'' in the name stands for ''enhanced'', referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in ...
. IBM repeatedly denied these rumors,
but customers visited stores attempting to buy the product and rivals' revenue, product plans, and share prices reacted to the officially nonexistent computer in what the press called "Peanut Panic" or "The Great Peanut Roast".
By September 1983, books and magazine articles on Peanut were ready for publishing, with only a few changes needed once the still officially nonexistent computer appeared. Software companies prepared to market products as "Peanut compatible" with the computer of which, rumors said, IBM would produce 500,000 units in the first year. ''
Adweek
''Adweek'' is a weekly American advertising trade publication that was first published in 1979. ''Adweek'' covers creativity, client–agency relationships, global advertising, accounts in review, and new campaigns. During this time, it has cover ...
'' estimated that IBM would spend on marketing, including an alleged license of
Charles Schulz
Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz (; November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', featuring what are probably his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. He is wid ...
's
Peanuts
''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...
characters. ''Smalltalk'' magazine in August published a detailed article on the computer, stating that it would cost plus for a disk drive, use a color TV as a display, and have a standard typewriter keyboard.
Announcement
IBM announced the PCjr on November 1, 1983, at its
New York City headquarters with an enormous amount of advance publicity, including live news coverage of the event.
Experts predicted, according to ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', that the PCjr would "quickly become the standard by which all other home computers are measured"
and estimated sales of one million or more in 1984,
expecting the PCjr to change the home-computer market in a similar way to how the IBM PC had changed the business-microcomputer market.
They predicted that the PCjr would extend IBM's dominance, with customers able to use the company's computers in the home and in the office.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is an American technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that designs and manufactures semiconductors and various integrated circuits, which it sells to electronics designers and manufacturers globall ...
left the market four days before IBM's announcement, after losing in nine months against Commodore
by selling its
99/4A for as low as .
Developers began creating PCjr software in 1982.
Sierra On-Line
Sierra Entertainment, Inc. (formerly On-Line Systems and Sierra On-Line, Inc.) was an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1979 by Ken and Roberta Williams. The company is known for pioneering the graphic adventure game genre, ...
,
SPC, and
The Learning Company
The Learning Company (TLC) was an educational software company founded in 1980 in Palo Alto, California and headquartered in Fremont, California. The company produced a grade-based line of learning software, edutainment games, and productivity ...
were among those that produced games, productivity, and educational software as
launch titles
This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players.
0–9
A
...
, using detailed IBM production outlines
under a policy of strictly enforced security.
The PCjr's graphics and sound features were superior to the PC's, and ''PC Magazine'' speculated that "the PCjr might be the best game machine ever designed".
Prominent among launch titles was Sierra's
graphical adventure ''
King's Quest I
''King's Quest'' is an adventure game developed by Sierra On-Line and published originally for the IBM PCjr in 1984 and later for several other systems between 1984 and 1989. The game was originally titled ''King's Quest''; the subtitle ''Quest ...
'', much of whose budget was paid by IBM.
Release and reception
![PCjr chiclet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/PCjr_chiclet.gif)
The PCjr was released in March 1984, missing the 1983 Christmas sales season due to production delays.
Even prior to release, anticipation of the machine was mixed.
Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis, Inc. is an American digital media and internet company. First founded in 1927 by William Bernard Ziff Sr. and Bernard George Davis, the company primarily owns technology-oriented media websites, online shopping-related services, an ...
, publisher of the successful ''PC Magazine'', printed the first issue of ''PCjr Magazine'' before the first units shipped, and competing
computer magazine
Computer magazines are about computers and related subjects, such as computer network, networking and the Internet. Most computer magazines offer (or offered) advice, some offer Programming language, programming Tutorial, tutorials, reviews of the ...
s included ''Peanut'', ''PCjr World'',
''jr'', and ''Compute! for the PC and PCjr''.
However, as new information became available about the machine, retailers became deeply concerned about its marketability.
When the PCjr became widely available in March 1984
sales were below expectations. Consumer interest was reportedly high until demonstration machines were available, at which point interest dropped steeply. Dealers reported that consumers disliked the price, keyboard, and limited memory, and retailers that sold primarily to business customers did not know how to market it.
The press soon reported that the PCjr could embarrass IBM, with executives reportedly worrying about demand. Stores began discounts while vendors slowed plans to release products.
IBM admitted that demand for the PCjr was not growing as rapidly as expected.
By May 1984 it had only sold 10,000 units, while other companies were reported to be slow in developing softwares for the system.
In response to the surprising lack of interest, IBM began early discounts of up to
in June, lowering the two models' prices to and ,
but many of its dealers could not sell their initial shipments of 25 computers each. IBM allowed them to postpone paying for inventory for 180 days,
but inventory continued to pile up.
By August the PCjr was being described as a flop.
Issues
One of the most significant complaints about the PCjr was its chiclet keyboard, which was described as unsuitable for serious typing and "nearly useless."
The lack of direct function keys was a pain point for word processing.
Cost
The PCjr's cost was its biggest disadvantage, even more so than the keyboard.
The price point was perceived as too high for a home computer, but not powerful enough for a business machine. IBM's lack of clear messaging on their target market (home, schools, or executives working at home) made it difficult for software developers, consumers,
and dealers to prepare for the product. The price point was perceived as targeting a market that did not exist. IBM was surprised to learn that many of the initial customers for the PCjr were not home users as they assumed, but instead businesses who wanted a cheaper PC that took less space on a desk.
IBM failed to recognize that many consumers wanted a computer more sophisticated than those that cost less than , but did not want to spend more than . The PCjr offered no compelling reason to spend that much.
The PCjr cost more than twice as much as the C64 and the
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE, ...
, while inferior to both for videogames. Spinnaker, a game developer, stated that they discontinued development for the PCjr when they learned of the actual price.
Consumers were reportedly much more excited about the also-new
Macintosh 128K
The Apple Macintosh—later rebranded as the Macintosh 128K—is the original Apple Inc., Apple Macintosh personal computer. It played a pivotal role in establishing desktop publishing as a general office function. The motherboard, a CRT monit ...
, which was more sophisticated but only cost more, with accessories and software.
The Macintosh reportedly outsold the IBM product during their first two months on the market.
The PCjr's price was close to that of the Coleco Adam, but the Adam also included a
tape drive
A tape drive is a data storage device that reads and writes data on a magnetic tape. Magnetic tape data storage is typically used for offline, archival data storage. Tape media generally has a favorable unit cost and a long archival stability.
...
, a printer, and software. A realistic cost including peripherals was
and other configurations cost $3,000 or more.
The IIe was the PCjr's most direct competition.
Although the PC outsold it Apple sold almost 110,000 units in December 1983, in part to customers who had waited until details of the PCjr became available.
Apple estimated that 80% of its dealers sold IBM and Apple computers, and many visitors who were disappointed by the PCjr, or curious about the Macintosh, reportedly left with a IIe instead. The latter was so popular that a shortage occurred in early 1984.
The PCjr model compared favorably to a IIe also with and no floppy drive,
but Apple lowered their computer's price
as part of a "Starter System" package, with monitor and floppy drive, to a price as low as , plus a 30% discount for the important education market.
In April 1984 Apple introduced the
Apple IIc
The Apple IIc, the fourth model in the Apple II series of personal computers, is Apple Computer's first endeavor to produce a portable computer. The result was a notebook-sized version of the Apple II that could be transported from place to pl ...
, a portable version with a more compact form factor, of RAM, and a floppy drive. Although the PCjr's CPU was superior, the IIc—which Apple did not describe as a home computer, to avoid the "game machine" connotation—had an excellent keyboard and was compatible with the Apple II's enormous software library.
Compatibility
By early 1984, PC compatibility was vital for any new, non-Apple computer's success.
IBM had expected that most customers in the market would be new to computers, but 75% of the market were familiar with computers and wanted to run business software on the PCjr.
An important market was executives who took data home to work on applications such as
Lotus 1-2-3
Lotus 1-2-3 is a discontinued spreadsheet program from Lotus Software (later part of IBM). It was the first killer application of the IBM PC, was hugely popular in the 1980s, and significantly contributed to the success of IBM PC-compatibles i ...
and Peanut had been rumored to be fully PC compatible, so many customers visited stores believing that the PCjr could run most PC software.
IBM's intent was for the PCjr to be perceived as a unique platform, like most other home computers, and their documentation stated it was "a different computer than the PC", but with "a high level of programming compatibility."
Nonetheless, potential customers perceived it as a variant of the PC, not a unique platform.
While many PC applications would run, specific compatibility issues existed with software that used more than 128K of RAM or required more than one floppy disk drive.
Thousands of PC applications did require more than 128K of memory
and two disk drives, making the PCjr incompatible with about 60% of software by some measures, including the popular word-processing program
WordStar
WordStar is a word processor application for microcomputers. It was published by MicroPro International and originally written for the CP/M-80 operating system, and later written also for MS-DOS and other 16-bit PC OSes. Rob Barnaby was the sol ...
and Lotus 1-2-3,
common applications used to test PC compatibility.
IBM's own DisplayWrite was released as a unique PCjr version.
These compatibility limitations made the computer unsuitable for taking work home, although a PCjr variant of 1-2-3 was eventually released.
Ultimately, the PCjr was perceived as not having a
killer app
In marketing terminology, a killer application (commonly shortened to killer app) is any computer program or software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as computer hardware, a video game ...
to make up for these limitations. Software incompatibility made it inadequate as a business machine, but poor performance with arcade-style games made it inadequate as a games machine.
Limited hardware expansion
Computer dealers quickly identified the PCjr's limited hardware expansion capability as another major disadvantage.
ROM cartridges had small storage capacity, requiring, for instance, two cartridges and a floppy disk for the PCjr version of Lotus 1-2-3, which also had difficulty fitting complex spreadsheets into 128K of RAM. IBM published technical details for the PCjr as it had done for the IBM PC to encourage third parties to develop accessories, but did not offer a second floppy drive, hard drive,
or memory beyond 128 KB.
While multiple sidecar expansion units could be attached, they took up a lot of space, and the computer required additional power supplies to support a second floppy drive or more than one sidecar. IBM advised against adding more than four sidecars.
The PCjr also lacks a DMA controller, so the 8088 CPU has to service floppy disk transfers directly, causing the system to momentarily freeze while accessing a disk. The PCjr also cannot use modems faster than 2400 baud.
Response to poor sales
By mid-1984, the PCjr had experienced months of bad publicity, and dealers were panicking. Sales were poor and falling each month before rising slightly with the June discounts, and each dealer sold an average of 15 units total in the first half of the year. Apple sold almost as many IIc computers on its first day as PCjr since introduction.
IBM downplayed complaints about the keyboard, but in July announced that it would replace the chiclet keyboards, for free, with a new model with conventional typewriter-style keys. This was perceived as unusually generous even for IBM, especially within the computer industry.
By replacing the keyboards IBM was acknowledging the original models were a mistake.
In August 1984, IBM began a massive advertising campaign which ran through the end of the year. They reduced the PCjr's list price, offering a US$999 package meant to be superior to the comparably priced Apple IIe and IIc, and they introduced new IBM-made memory expansion options to bring the machine to 512 KB.
As part of $32.5 million in advertising for the computer during 1984,
it began what the company described as the most extensive marketing campaign in IBM history, in which 98% of Americans would see at least 30 PCjr advertisements in the last four months of the year. Three simultaneous
bundled software
In marketing, product bundling is offering several products or services for sale as one combined product or service package. It is a common feature in many imperfectly competitive product and service markets. Industries engaged in the practice ...
promotions, a sweepstakes with
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...
, and direct mail to more than 10 million people marketed the redesigned computer,
while deemphasizing the PCjr's role as a home computer and emphasizing PC compatibility. Advertisements listed the new price, "new typewriter-style keyboard", standard 128 KB of memory and expansion options, the PCjr version of 1-2-3, and the ability to "run over a thousand of the most popular programs written for the IBM PC".
A $500 rebate to dealers let them include a free color monitor with the discounted PCjr.
Despite widespread skepticism,
what became known as the "Save-the-Junior campaign" succeeded in the short term. Sales rose every month from June (1.9 units sold per store) to September (4.2) and many dealers reported selling more in the weeks following the changes than in the previous seven months.
The more expensive model now cost the that had originally been expected prior to release. With the new hardware options and lower prices consumers could buy a PCjr for less than a comparable PC.
The PCjr reportedly became the best-selling computer,
outselling the Apple IIe and IIc by four to one in some stores
and even the C64. As sales reached an estimated 50 per store in December dealers increased inventories, and Tecmar resumed production of PCjr peripherals after retailers suddenly began ordering its products again.
Discontinuation
By January 1985, IBM had sold an estimated 240,000-275,000 PCjrs, 200,000 of which were sold in the fourth quarter of 1984. When the discounts ended, however, sales decreased abruptly
and inventories began to stack up again. By this time, three PCjr-specific magazines had ended their publications with significant losses.
IBM was unable to meet the demand for its new
PC AT
The IBM Personal Computer/AT (model 5170, abbreviated as IBM AT or PC/AT) was released in 1984 as the fourth model in the IBM Personal Computer line, following the IBM PC/XT and its IBM Portable PC variant. It was designed around the Intel 8028 ...
business microcomputer, but the home-computer market was in decline and the company was likely unable to make a sufficient profit when selling the PCjr at a discount.
IBM discontinued the PCjr on March 19, 1985, stating that "The home market didn't expand to the degree I.B.M. and many observers thought it would". The surprise decision
by IBM's CEO
John Akers
John Fellows Akers (December 28, 1934 – August 22, 2014) was an American businessman. He was president (1983-1989), chief executive officer (1985-1993) and chairman (1986-1993) of IBM.
Education
Akers attended Yale, and while there became a bro ...
astounded software developers, some of which only made PCjr products. Rumored to have 100,000 to 400,000 unsold PCjrs
despite not having ordered new microprocessors from Intel since summer 1984,
the company offered large discounts to its employees and consumers. Inventory remained through Christmas 1985, and IBM used discounts as well as radio and full-page print ads to try to sell off remaining stocks.
Legacy
The press widely covered the failure of the PCjr. Although the machine's failure had little effect on IBM's revenue ($46 billion in 1984) discontinuing such a prominent product embarrassed IBM. The failure was so great that it was compared to the
Edsel
Edsel is a discontinued division and brand of automobiles that was marketed by the Ford Motor Company from the 1958 to the 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, son of company founder Henry Ford, Edsels were developed in an effort ...
and
New Coke
New Coke was the unofficial name of a reformulation of the soft drink Coca-Cola, introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in April 1985. It was renamed Coke II in 1990 and discontinued in July 2002.
By 1985, Coca-Cola had been losing market share to ...
,
and IBM reportedly created a Chiclet rule, requiring
human factors
Human factors and ergonomics (commonly referred to as human factors) is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Four primary goals of human factors learnin ...
testing for future products.
Some analysts speculated that IBM's bureaucratic culture, so different from that of the less-rigid Boca Raton division that created the PC, had resulted in the failure, while others thought that the absence of IBM's cautious and thorough bureaucrats had caused it.
Don Estridge
Philip Donald Estridge (June 23, 1937 – August 2, 1985), known as Don Estridge, was an American computer engineer who led development of the original IBM Personal Computer (PC), and thus is known as the "father of the IBM PC". His decisions dra ...
said their mistake had been to expect that first-time computer users would buy a PCjr. It was perceived by developers that IBM had entered the market without doing any research.
Tandy Corporation
Tandy Corporation was an American family-owned leather goods company based in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Tandy Leather was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store. By the end of the 1950s, under the tutelage of then-CEO Charles Tandy, ...
released a clone, the
Tandy 1000
The Tandy 1000 is the first in a line of IBM PC workalike home computer systems produced by the Tandy Corporation for sale in its Radio Shack and Radio Shack Computer Center chains of stores.
Overview
In December 1983, an executive with Tandy C ...
, in November 1984,
describing it as "what the PCjr should have been".
After the PCjr's discontinuation, Tandy quickly removed any mention of it in advertising, while emphasizing the PC compatibility. The machine and its many successors sold well, unlike the PCjr, partly because the Tandy 1000 was sold in ubiquitous
Radio Shack
RadioShack, formerly RadioShack Corporation, is an American retailer founded in 1921.
At its peak in 1999, RadioShack operated over 8,000 worldwide stores named RadioShack or Tandy Electronics in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Austra ...
stores and partly because it was less costly, easier to expand, and almost entirely compatible with the IBM PC. The PCjr's enhanced graphics and sound standards became known as "
Tandy-compatible", and many PC games advertised their Tandy support. One company developed a PCjr modification that made it compatible with Tandy software.
Ultimately, the PCjrs failure was attributed to its lack of PC compatibility.
As PC clones became widely available at prices as low as $600, less than the price of the Apple IIc, consumers began purchasing DOS computers for the home in large numbers, and these inexpensive clones succeeded with consumers where the PCjr had failed, by being as fast as, or faster than the IBM PC while still being highly compatible.
Several upgrades for the PCjr were designed by IBM/Teledyne but never reached store shelves before the PCjr was canceled. These included a wireless joystick and various memory and drive upgrades. PC Enterprises became the last of the major third-party vendors to supply full service, parts, and add-ons, extending the functional life of the PCjr to about 10 years, often buying out inventory and rights for PCjr support.
Other manufacturers provided support items for PCjr fans, such as hard drive attachments and specialized sidecars that the user could use to enhance the system. The PCjr was able to run other software designed for the PC, such as word processor, database and spreadsheet programs ran well on the PCjr with 128K of memory. When fully expanded to over 600K memory, the PCjr would run most IBM PC software.
[http://oldcomputers.net/ibm-pcjr.html see the comments.]
IBM returned to the home market in 1990 with the
PS/1. Unlike the PCjr, the PS/1 offered full PC compatibility, a low price, and a conventional keyboard.
References
External links
Christmas 1984: The Great Apple //c vs. PCjr Battle
{{Authority control
8086-based home computers
Home computers
PCjr
The IBM PCjr (pronounced "PC junior") was a home computer produced and marketed by IBM from March 1984 to May 1985, intended as a lower-cost variant of the IBM PC with hardware capabilities better suited for video games, in order to compete mor ...
Computer-related introductions in 1984