Silicon Cowboys Page #2

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People must have

thought you were nuts.

Jim harris:
We went

to the credit unions

And took out loans.

Bill murto:
I knew that

I could last 6 months

After I sold my wife's car.

Rod canion:
I had three

small children, and a wife,

And mortgage.

Jim harris:
I'd actually,

recently married rhonda.

I was meeting a lot of

her extended family,

And it would be

like, what do you do?

Well, I've actually left my job,

and I want to start a company.

Oh, that's great.

What is that going to be?

Well, we hadn't decided yet.

And you quit your job?

Yes.

And you could tell they

were thinking, poor rhonda.

Bill aulet:
The

success of ibm had

Come about through

mainframe computers.

Ben rosen:
Ibm was

making big computers

To sell to big companies.

Howard anderson:
Computers

were treated as a priesthood,

And only the priests

could touch them,

And everyone else looked

through a glass wall.

Eventually, the

users wanted to get

Hold of that computing power.

Chris garcia:
Ibm wanted

to maintain control

Over the computing

industry as they

Had during the 60's and 70's.

Let's build something

for the masses

That they can buy and

become a commodity.

Roger mcnamee:
Everyone

else was struggling

To get a permanent foothold.

First pcs, apple ii,

commodore, radioshack--

It was still a tiny market.

The game changer was when ibm

entered the market in '81.

Announcer:
Ibm, international

business machines,

Has entered the small computer

market for the first time.

It's expected to

have a major impact

On what is now the

fastest growing sector

Of the computer business.

Chris cantwell:
Ibm

said, we're going

To go from selling

million dollar computers

To a few thousand people,

to $1000 computers

To a few million people.

Announcer:
Ibm's

personal computer

Is designed for office,

school, or home use.

It's aimed at exactly the same

market as its competitors.

It's expected to be

sold very aggressively.

Rod canion:
And the race was on.

This was going to cause

that market to explode.

Tom brokaw:
Sales of

personal computers

Are so hot this christmas,

santa claus may have to replace

His reindeer with microchips.

Announcer:
850,000 people

bought home computers

In the United States last year.

The industry expects, this

year, more than 3 million will.

Announcer:
We're no

longer on the verge

Of the personal

computer revolution,

We're right in the midst of

it with more and more people

Jumping aboard every day.

Jim harris:
Osborne was

being very successful

With an extraordinarily

ugly portable.

And rod had

purchased the ibm pc,

So he could write

business plans on it,

And it became obvious

to him that that pc,

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