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Wikipedia

IBM PCjr

May 21, 2023

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 and Commodore 64.

IBM PCjr
IBM PCjr with original "chiclet" keyboard, PCjr color display, and 64 KB memory expansion card
ManufacturerTeledyne, Lewisburg, Tennessee
TypePersonal computer
Release dateMarch 1984; 39 years ago (1984-03)
Introductory price
  • US$1,269 (equivalent to $3,310 in 2021) with 128 KB memory and without monitor.
  • £800 (equivalent to £2,740 in 2021) w/o disk drive.
  • CA$1,900
DiscontinuedMarch 1985
Units shipped500,000
Operating systemIBM PC DOS 2.10
CPUIntel 8088 @ 4.77 MHz
Memory64 KB base
Removable storageCartridges, floppy discs
Display12" TTL RGBI monitor, composite video out (TV); 160 × 200 and 320 × 200 at 16 colors, 640 × 200 at 4 colors
GraphicsMotorola 6845 CRTC, IBM custom Video Gate Array
SoundTexas Instruments SN76489, PC speaker
PredecessorIBM Personal Computer
SuccessorIBM PS/1

It retained the IBM PC's 8088 CPU and BIOS interface, but provided enhanced graphics and sound, ROM cartridge 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, limiting support for IBM's software library, its chiclet keyboard was widely criticized for its poor quality, expandability was limited, and it was initially offered with a maximum of 128 KB of RAM, insufficient for many PC programs.

Models

The PCjr came in two models:

  • 4860-004 - 64 KB of memory, priced at US$669 (equivalent to $1,820 in 2021)
  • 4860-067 - 128 KB of memory and a 360 KB, 5.25-inch floppy disk drive, priced at US$1,269 (equivalent to $3,450 in 2021)

The PCjr was manufactured for IBM in Lewisburg, Tennessee by Teledyne.

A related machine, the IBM JX, 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.

 
IBM PCjr BASIC cartridge

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.[1] 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 clocked at 4.77 MHz.

Despite using the same CPU and clock speed, performance is often inferior to the PC, because access to system RAM is delayed by wait states 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.[2]

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

See also: Tandy Graphics Adapter
 
Simulation of PCjr graphics (top) compared to CGA PC graphics of the time (bottom).

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 and color CGA boards. PCjr graphics were similar to CGA, with several new video modes:

  • 160 × 200 at 16 colors
  • 320 × 200 at 16 colors
  • 640 × 200 at 04 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: 40 x 25 text mode uses 1 KB, for instance, while 320 x 200 x 16 and 640 x 200x4 use 32 KB. These latter two modes, as well as 80 x 25 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 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 out for use with a TV or composite monitor.

A Motorola 6845 CRTC like the one used in the MDA and CGA adapters, and a custom IBM chip called the Video Gate Array (VGA) comprise the PCjr video hardware.[3][4] 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, 160 x 200 x 16 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 320 x 200 x 16 and 640 x 200 x 4 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 PCjr internals

The PCjr's sound is provided by a Texas Instruments SN76496 which can produce three square waves of varying amplitude and frequency along with a noise channel powered by a shift register.[5] It is similar to the programmable sound generator chips used in game consoles such as the Sega Master System. 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, 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

 
The wireless PCjr keyboard

The original keyboard included with the PCjr was a wireless design using infrared line-of-sight communication, which IBM initially marketed as the "Freeboard."[6] This is a chiclet keyboard with small, flat, calculator style plastic keycaps. The keycaps are blank, with the labels printed between keys so that overlays can be used.[7] 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.[7][8]

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,[9] and multiple keyboards cannot be used in the same room without problems.[10]

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.[11]

The PCjr also has a light pen 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 optical mouse of the same design as those for Sun workstations.

Expansion

 
A PCjr featuring most upgrades available from PC Enterprises, including combo cartridge, dual floppies, twin ST-225 HDDs (bootable via Future Domain firmware hidden under cover on right). Replacement keyboard sits on top of the Taxan RGB monitor. System is showing "Battlechess".

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.[12]

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 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.[4][5] The system will boot into Cartridge BASIC if no cartridge or boot disk is present.[13]

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.[14][1]

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[15][16][17][18] with 26% of all microcomputers sold in 1983, second only to the much less expensive Commodore 64.[19]

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 64 kB of memory that would be IBM PC compatible, benefit from IBM's service network and, at US$600 to US$1,000, be less expensive than the Apple IIe. IBM repeatedly denied these rumors,[20][18][21][22] 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".[15][23][24]

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 estimated that IBM would spend $75 million on marketing, including an alleged license of Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters. Smalltalk magazine in August published a detailed article on the computer, stating that it would cost $600 plus $400 for a disk drive, use a color TV as a display, and have a standard typewriter keyboard.[25]

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.[26][7]

Experts predicted, according to The Washington Post, that the PCjr would "quickly become the standard by which all other home computers are measured"[27] and estimated sales of one million or more in 1984,[8] expecting the PCjr to change the home-computer market in a similar way to how the IBM PC had changed the business-microcomputer market.[26][28][7] 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.[29][17][27] Texas Instruments left the market four days before IBM's announcement, after losing US$223 million in nine months against Commodore[16][18][30] by selling its 99/4A for as low as $99.[31]

Developers began creating PCjr software in 1982.[32] Sierra On-Line, SPC, and The Learning Company were among those that produced games, productivity, and educational software as launch titles,[8][33] using detailed IBM production outlines[34] [35] under a policy of strictly enforced security.[34]

The PCjr's graphics and sound features were superior to the PC's,[5][36][8] and PC Magazine speculated that "the PCjr might be the best game machine ever designed".[33] Prominent among launch titles was Sierra's graphical adventure King's Quest I, much of whose $850,000 budget was paid by IBM.[32]

Release and reception

 
The PCjr's chiclet keyboard was unpopular.[37]

The PCjr was released in March 1984, missing the 1983 Christmas sales season due to production delays.[17][38][39][22]

Even prior to release, anticipation of the machine was mixed. Ziff Davis, publisher of the successful PC Magazine, printed the first issue of PCjr Magazine before the first units shipped, and competing computer magazines included Peanut, PCjr World,[40] jr, and Compute! for the PC and PCjr.[41] However, as new information became available about the machine, retailers became deeply concerned about its marketability.[42]

When the PCjr became widely available in March 1984[43] sales were below expectations. Consumer interest was reportedly high until demonstration machines were available, at which point interest dropped steeply.[38] Dealers reported that consumers disliked the price, keyboard, and limited memory,[44] and retailers that sold primarily to business customers did not know how to market it.[45]

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.[46][47][48] IBM admitted that demand for the PCjr was not growing as rapidly as expected.[44] By May 1984 it had only sold 10,000 units, while other companies were reported to be slow in developing software for the system.[49]

In response to the surprising lack of interest, IBM began early discounts of up to US$370[50] in June, lowering the two models' prices to $599 and $999,[51] but many of its dealers could not sell their initial shipments of 25 computers each.[38][51] IBM allowed them to postpone paying for inventory for 180 days,[52] but inventory continued to pile up.[39] By August the PCjr was being described as a flop.[53][28]

Issues

One of the most significant complaints about the PCjr was its chiclet keyboard,[8][35] which was described as unsuitable for serious typing[8] and "nearly useless."[54] The lack of direct function keys was a pain point for word processing.[55]

Cost

The PCjr's cost was its biggest disadvantage, even more so than the keyboard.[39] The price point was perceived as too high for a home computer, but not powerful enough for a business machine.[38] IBM's lack of clear messaging on their target market (home, schools, or executives working at home) made it difficult for software developers, consumers,[56][57] and dealers[45] to prepare for the product. The price point was perceived as targeting a market that did not exist.[48] 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 $500, but did not want to spend more than $1,000.[57] The PCjr offered no compelling reason to spend that much.[58] The PCjr cost more than twice as much as the C64 and the Atari 8-bit family, while inferior to both for videogames.[8][59] Spinnaker, a game developer, stated that they discontinued development for the PCjr when they learned of the actual price.[57]

Consumers were reportedly much more excited about the also-new Macintosh 128K, which was more sophisticated but only cost US$300 more, with accessories and software.[39][38] The Macintosh reportedly outsold the IBM product during their first two months on the market.[46] The PCjr's price was close to that of the Coleco Adam, but the Adam also included a tape drive, a printer, and software.[18] A realistic cost including peripherals was $2,000[60][13] and other configurations cost $3,000 or more.[26][61][13]

The IIe was the PCjr's most direct competition.[46][47][62] Although the PC outsold it[21] Apple sold almost 110,000 units in December 1983, in part to customers who had waited until details of the PCjr became available.[63] 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.[21]

The US$669 PCjr model compared favorably to a $1,400 IIe also with 64 kB and no floppy drive,[8][56] but Apple lowered their computer's price[39] as part of a "Starter System" package, with monitor and floppy drive, to a price as low as $1,300,[21] plus a 30% discount for the important education market.[64] In April 1984 Apple introduced the Apple IIc, a portable version with a more compact form factor, 128 kB 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.[65][48][66][67][68]

Compatibility

By early 1984, PC compatibility was vital for any new, non-Apple computer's success.[69] 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.[70] An important market was executives who took data home to work on applications such as Lotus 1-2-3 and Peanut had been rumored to be fully PC compatible,[24] so many customers visited stores believing that the PCjr could run most PC software.[38][39][48][17][71]

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."[72] Nonetheless, potential customers perceived it as a variant of the PC, not a unique platform.[73] 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.[74]

Thousands of PC applications did require more than 128K of memory[75] and two disk drives,[60][13] making the PCjr incompatible with about 60% of software by some measures, including the popular word-processing program WordStar and Lotus 1-2-3,[39][28] common applications used to test PC compatibility.[76][36][77] IBM's own DisplayWrite was released as a unique PCjr version.[55] These compatibility limitations made the computer unsuitable for taking work home,[13] although a PCjr variant of 1-2-3 was eventually released.[77]

Ultimately, the PCjr was perceived as not having a killer app to make up for these limitations.[13] Software incompatibility made it inadequate as a business machine,[68] but poor performance with arcade-style games made it inadequate as a games machine.[59]

Limited hardware expansion

Computer dealers quickly identified the PCjr's limited hardware expansion capability as another major disadvantage.[47][39] ROM cartridges had small storage capacity,[31] 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.[77] 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,[27][26] or memory beyond 128 KB.[78][11]

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.[26][28][13] 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.[78][13][61]

Response to poor sales

By mid-1984, the PCjr had experienced months of bad publicity, and dealers were panicking.[28] 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.[51] Apple sold almost as many IIc computers on its first day as PCjr since introduction.[13]

IBM downplayed complaints about the keyboard,[35][13] but in July announced that it would replace the chiclet keyboards, for free, with a new model with conventional typewriter-style keys.[13] This was perceived as unusually generous even for IBM, especially within the computer industry.[11][28][59] By replacing the keyboards IBM was acknowledging the original models were a mistake.[11][9]

In August 1984, IBM began a massive advertising campaign which ran through the end of the year.[51] 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.[11] As part of $32.5 million in advertising for the computer during 1984,[79] 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 promotions, a sweepstakes with Procter & Gamble, and direct mail to more than 10 million people marketed the redesigned computer,[80][81] while deemphasizing the PCjr's role as a home computer and emphasizing PC compatibility.[11][13] 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".[82] A $500 rebate to dealers let them include a free color monitor with the discounted PCjr.[83][50]

Despite widespread skepticism,[84] what became known as the "Save-the-Junior campaign"[81] succeeded in the short term. Sales rose every month from June (1.9 units sold per store) to September (4.2)[51] and many dealers reported selling more in the weeks following the changes than in the previous seven months.[28][85][81] The more expensive model now cost the $800 to 900 that had originally been expected prior to release.[57] With the new hardware options and lower prices consumers could buy a PCjr for $1,000 less than a comparable PC.[75][11]

The PCjr reportedly became the best-selling computer,[86] outselling the Apple IIe and IIc by four to one in some stores[83][87] and even the C64.[28] As sales reached an estimated 50 per store in December[88] dealers increased inventories,[57] and Tecmar resumed production of PCjr peripherals after retailers suddenly began ordering its products again.[81]

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[86][88][22] and inventories began to stack up again.[57] By this time, three PCjr-specific magazines had ended their publications[41] with significant losses.[89] IBM was unable to meet the demand for its new PC AT business microcomputer, but the home-computer market was in decline[73][22] and the company was likely unable to make a sufficient profit when selling the PCjr at a discount.[52][88][57][22]

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[88][22] by IBM's CEO John Akers[70] astounded software developers, some of which only made PCjr products.[86] Rumored to have 100,000 to 400,000 unsold PCjrs[86][90][91] despite not having ordered new microprocessors from Intel since summer 1984,[92] the company offered large discounts to its employees[93] 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.[91]

Legacy

The press widely covered the failure of the PCjr.[70] Although the machine's failure had little effect on IBM's revenue ($46 billion in 1984) discontinuing such a prominent product embarrassed IBM.[57] The failure was so great that it was compared to the Edsel and New Coke,[94] and IBM reportedly created a Chiclet rule, requiring human factors testing for future products.[95]

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 said their mistake had been to expect that first-time computer users would buy a PCjr.[70] It was perceived by developers that IBM had entered the market without doing any research.[57]

Tandy Corporation released a clone, the Tandy 1000, in November 1984,[96] describing it as "what the PCjr should have been".[97] After the PCjr's discontinuation, Tandy quickly removed any mention of it in advertising, while emphasizing the 1000's PC compatibility. The machine and its many successors sold well, unlike the PCjr, partly because the Tandy 1000 was sold in ubiquitous Radio Shack 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.[98]

Ultimately, the PCjrs failure was attributed to its lack of PC compatibility.[99] 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.[100]

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.[101]

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.[102]

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.[94]

References

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  2. ^ Vose, G. Michael (December 1984). "The Tandy 1000". BYTE. pp. 98–104.
  3. ^ VGA should not be confused with the later Video Graphics Array standard that IBM released with the PS/2 line in 1987.
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  12. ^ "IBM PCjr Options and Accessories". www.brutman.com. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
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External links

  • Christmas 1984: The Great Apple //c vs. PCjr Battle
Preceded by IBM Personal Computers Succeeded by

May 21, 2023
pcjr, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, april, 2023, learn, w. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources IBM PCjr news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 and Commodore 64 IBM PCjrIBM PCjr with original chiclet keyboard PCjr color display and 64 KB memory expansion cardManufacturerTeledyne Lewisburg TennesseeTypePersonal computerRelease dateMarch 1984 39 years ago 1984 03 Introductory priceUS 1 269 equivalent to 3 310 in 2021 with 128 KB memory and without monitor 800 equivalent to 2 740 in 2021 w o disk drive CA 1 900DiscontinuedMarch 1985Units shipped500 000Operating systemIBM PC DOS 2 10CPUIntel 8088 4 77 MHzMemory64 KB baseRemovable storageCartridges floppy discsDisplay12 TTL RGBI monitor composite video out TV 160 200 and 320 200 at 16 colors 640 200 at 4 colorsGraphicsMotorola 6845 CRTC IBM custom Video Gate ArraySoundTexas Instruments SN76489 PC speakerPredecessorIBM Personal ComputerSuccessorIBM PS 1It retained the IBM PC s 8088 CPU and BIOS interface but provided enhanced graphics and sound ROM cartridge 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 limiting support for IBM s software library its chiclet keyboard was widely criticized for its poor quality expandability was limited and it was initially offered with a maximum of 128 KB of RAM insufficient for many PC programs Contents 1 Models 2 Hardware 2 1 Cartridges 2 2 Processor 2 3 Video 2 4 Sound 2 5 Keyboard Lightpen 2 6 Expansion 3 Software 3 1 Compatibility 4 History 4 1 Announcement 4 2 Release and reception 4 3 Issues 4 3 1 Cost 4 3 2 Compatibility 4 3 3 Limited hardware expansion 4 4 Response to poor sales 4 5 Discontinuation 5 Legacy 6 References 7 External linksModels EditThe PCjr came in two models 4860 004 64 KB of memory priced at US 669 equivalent to 1 820 in 2021 4860 067 128 KB of memory and a 360 KB 5 25 inch floppy disk drive priced at US 1 269 equivalent to 3 450 in 2021 The PCjr was manufactured for IBM in Lewisburg Tennessee by Teledyne A related machine the IBM JX was sold in the Japan Australia and New Zealand markets Hardware EditThe 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 IBM PCjr BASIC cartridge Cartridges Edit 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 1 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 Edit Like the IBM PC the PCjr uses an Intel 8088 clocked at 4 77 MHz Despite using the same CPU and clock speed performance is often inferior to the PC because access to system RAM is delayed by wait states 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 2 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 Edit See also Tandy Graphics Adapter Simulation of PCjr graphics top compared to CGA PC graphics of the time bottom 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 and color CGA boards PCjr graphics were similar to CGA with several new video modes 160 200 at 16 colors 320 200 at 16 colors 640 200 at 0 4 colorsThe 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 40 x 25 text mode uses 1 KB for instance while 320 x 200 x 16 and 640 x 200x4 use 32 KB These latter two modes as well as 80 x 25 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 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 out for use with a TV or composite monitor A Motorola 6845 CRTC like the one used in the MDA and CGA adapters and a custom IBM chip called the Video Gate Array VGA comprise the PCjr video hardware 3 4 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 160 x 200 x 16 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 320 x 200 x 16 and 640 x 200 x 4 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 Edit IBM PCjr internalsThe PCjr s sound is provided by a Texas Instruments SN76496 which can produce three square waves of varying amplitude and frequency along with a noise channel powered by a shift register 5 It is similar to the programmable sound generator chips used in game consoles such as the Sega Master System 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 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 Edit The wireless PCjr keyboard The original keyboard included with the PCjr was a wireless design using infrared line of sight communication which IBM initially marketed as the Freeboard 6 This is a chiclet keyboard with small flat calculator style plastic keycaps The keycaps are blank with the labels printed between keys so that overlays can be used 7 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 7 8 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 9 and multiple keyboards cannot be used in the same room without problems 10 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 11 The PCjr also has a light pen 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 optical mouse of the same design as those for Sun workstations Expansion Edit A PCjr featuring most upgrades available from PC Enterprises including combo cartridge dual floppies twin ST 225 HDDs bootable via Future Domain firmware hidden under cover on right Replacement keyboard sits on top of the Taxan RGB monitor System is showing Battlechess 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 interfaceInternally 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 12 Software EditThe 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 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 4 5 The system will boot into Cartridge BASIC if no cartridge or boot disk is present 13 Compatibility Edit 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 14 1 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 EditIBM 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 15 16 17 18 with 26 of all microcomputers sold in 1983 second only to the much less expensive Commodore 64 19 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 64 kB of memory that would be IBM PC compatible benefit from IBM s service network and at US 600 to US 1 000 be less expensive than the Apple IIe IBM repeatedly denied these rumors 20 18 21 22 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 15 23 24 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 estimated that IBM would spend 75 million on marketing including an alleged license of Charles Schulz s Peanuts characters Smalltalk magazine in August published a detailed article on the computer stating that it would cost 600 plus 400 for a disk drive use a color TV as a display and have a standard typewriter keyboard 25 Announcement Edit 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 26 7 Experts predicted according to The Washington Post that the PCjr would quickly become the standard by which all other home computers are measured 27 and estimated sales of one million or more in 1984 8 expecting the PCjr to change the home computer market in a similar way to how the IBM PC had changed the business microcomputer market 26 28 7 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 29 17 27 Texas Instruments left the market four days before IBM s announcement after losing US 223 million in nine months against Commodore 16 18 30 by selling its 99 4A for as low as 99 31 Developers began creating PCjr software in 1982 32 Sierra On Line SPC and The Learning Company were among those that produced games productivity and educational software as launch titles 8 33 using detailed IBM production outlines 34 35 under a policy of strictly enforced security 34 The PCjr s graphics and sound features were superior to the PC s 5 36 8 and PC Magazine speculated that the PCjr might be the best game machine ever designed 33 Prominent among launch titles was Sierra s graphical adventure King s Quest I much of whose 850 000 budget was paid by IBM 32 Release and reception Edit The PCjr s chiclet keyboard was unpopular 37 The PCjr was released in March 1984 missing the 1983 Christmas sales season due to production delays 17 38 39 22 Even prior to release anticipation of the machine was mixed Ziff Davis publisher of the successful PC Magazine printed the first issue of PCjr Magazine before the first units shipped and competing computer magazines included Peanut PCjr World 40 jr and Compute for the PC and PCjr 41 However as new information became available about the machine retailers became deeply concerned about its marketability 42 When the PCjr became widely available in March 1984 43 sales were below expectations Consumer interest was reportedly high until demonstration machines were available at which point interest dropped steeply 38 Dealers reported that consumers disliked the price keyboard and limited memory 44 and retailers that sold primarily to business customers did not know how to market it 45 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 46 47 48 IBM admitted that demand for the PCjr was not growing as rapidly as expected 44 By May 1984 it had only sold 10 000 units while other companies were reported to be slow in developing software for the system 49 In response to the surprising lack of interest IBM began early discounts of up to US 370 50 in June lowering the two models prices to 599 and 999 51 but many of its dealers could not sell their initial shipments of 25 computers each 38 51 IBM allowed them to postpone paying for inventory for 180 days 52 but inventory continued to pile up 39 By August the PCjr was being described as a flop 53 28 Issues Edit One of the most significant complaints about the PCjr was its chiclet keyboard 8 35 which was described as unsuitable for serious typing 8 and nearly useless 54 The lack of direct function keys was a pain point for word processing 55 Cost Edit The PCjr s cost was its biggest disadvantage even more so than the keyboard 39 The price point was perceived as too high for a home computer but not powerful enough for a business machine 38 IBM s lack of clear messaging on their target market home schools or executives working at home made it difficult for software developers consumers 56 57 and dealers 45 to prepare for the product The price point was perceived as targeting a market that did not exist 48 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 500 but did not want to spend more than 1 000 57 The PCjr offered no compelling reason to spend that much 58 The PCjr cost more than twice as much as the C64 and the Atari 8 bit family while inferior to both for videogames 8 59 Spinnaker a game developer stated that they discontinued development for the PCjr when they learned of the actual price 57 Consumers were reportedly much more excited about the also new Macintosh 128K which was more sophisticated but only cost US 300 more with accessories and software 39 38 The Macintosh reportedly outsold the IBM product during their first two months on the market 46 The PCjr s price was close to that of the Coleco Adam but the Adam also included a tape drive a printer and software 18 A realistic cost including peripherals was 2 000 60 13 and other configurations cost 3 000 or more 26 61 13 The IIe was the PCjr s most direct competition 46 47 62 Although the PC outsold it 21 Apple sold almost 110 000 units in December 1983 in part to customers who had waited until details of the PCjr became available 63 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 21 The US 669 PCjr model compared favorably to a 1 400 IIe also with 64 kB and no floppy drive 8 56 but Apple lowered their computer s price 39 as part of a Starter System package with monitor and floppy drive to a price as low as 1 300 21 plus a 30 discount for the important education market 64 In April 1984 Apple introduced the Apple IIc a portable version with a more compact form factor 128 kB 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 65 48 66 67 68 Compatibility Edit By early 1984 PC compatibility was vital for any new non Apple computer s success 69 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 70 An important market was executives who took data home to work on applications such as Lotus 1 2 3 and Peanut had been rumored to be fully PC compatible 24 so many customers visited stores believing that the PCjr could run most PC software 38 39 48 17 71 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 72 Nonetheless potential customers perceived it as a variant of the PC not a unique platform 73 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 74 Thousands of PC applications did require more than 128K of memory 75 and two disk drives 60 13 making the PCjr incompatible with about 60 of software by some measures including the popular word processing program WordStar and Lotus 1 2 3 39 28 common applications used to test PC compatibility 76 36 77 IBM s own DisplayWrite was released as a unique PCjr version 55 These compatibility limitations made the computer unsuitable for taking work home 13 although a PCjr variant of 1 2 3 was eventually released 77 Ultimately the PCjr was perceived as not having a killer app to make up for these limitations 13 Software incompatibility made it inadequate as a business machine 68 but poor performance with arcade style games made it inadequate as a games machine 59 Limited hardware expansion Edit Computer dealers quickly identified the PCjr s limited hardware expansion capability as another major disadvantage 47 39 ROM cartridges had small storage capacity 31 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 77 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 27 26 or memory beyond 128 KB 78 11 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 26 28 13 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 78 13 61 Response to poor sales Edit By mid 1984 the PCjr had experienced months of bad publicity and dealers were panicking 28 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 51 Apple sold almost as many IIc computers on its first day as PCjr since introduction 13 IBM downplayed complaints about the keyboard 35 13 but in July announced that it would replace the chiclet keyboards for free with a new model with conventional typewriter style keys 13 This was perceived as unusually generous even for IBM especially within the computer industry 11 28 59 By replacing the keyboards IBM was acknowledging the original models were a mistake 11 9 In August 1984 IBM began a massive advertising campaign which ran through the end of the year 51 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 11 As part of 32 5 million in advertising for the computer during 1984 79 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 promotions a sweepstakes with Procter amp Gamble and direct mail to more than 10 million people marketed the redesigned computer 80 81 while deemphasizing the PCjr s role as a home computer and emphasizing PC compatibility 11 13 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 82 A 500 rebate to dealers let them include a free color monitor with the discounted PCjr 83 50 Despite widespread skepticism 84 what became known as the Save the Junior campaign 81 succeeded in the short term Sales rose every month from June 1 9 units sold per store to September 4 2 51 and many dealers reported selling more in the weeks following the changes than in the previous seven months 28 85 81 The more expensive model now cost the 800 to 900 that had originally been expected prior to release 57 With the new hardware options and lower prices consumers could buy a PCjr for 1 000 less than a comparable PC 75 11 The PCjr reportedly became the best selling computer 86 outselling the Apple IIe and IIc by four to one in some stores 83 87 and even the C64 28 As sales reached an estimated 50 per store in December 88 dealers increased inventories 57 and Tecmar resumed production of PCjr peripherals after retailers suddenly began ordering its products again 81 Discontinuation Edit 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 86 88 22 and inventories began to stack up again 57 By this time three PCjr specific magazines had ended their publications 41 with significant losses 89 IBM was unable to meet the demand for its new PC AT business microcomputer but the home computer market was in decline 73 22 and the company was likely unable to make a sufficient profit when selling the PCjr at a discount 52 88 57 22 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 88 22 by IBM s CEO John Akers 70 astounded software developers some of which only made PCjr products 86 Rumored to have 100 000 to 400 000 unsold PCjrs 86 90 91 despite not having ordered new microprocessors from Intel since summer 1984 92 the company offered large discounts to its employees 93 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 91 Legacy EditThe press widely covered the failure of the PCjr 70 Although the machine s failure had little effect on IBM s revenue 46 billion in 1984 discontinuing such a prominent product embarrassed IBM 57 The failure was so great that it was compared to the Edsel and New Coke 94 and IBM reportedly created a Chiclet rule requiring human factors testing for future products 95 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 said their mistake had been to expect that first time computer users would buy a PCjr 70 It was perceived by developers that IBM had entered the market without doing any research 57 Tandy Corporation released a clone the Tandy 1000 in November 1984 96 describing it as what the PCjr should have been 97 After the PCjr s discontinuation Tandy quickly removed any mention of it in advertising while emphasizing the 1000 s PC compatibility The machine and its many successors sold well unlike the PCjr partly because the Tandy 1000 was sold in ubiquitous Radio Shack 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 98 Ultimately the PCjrs failure was attributed to its lack of PC compatibility 99 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 100 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 101 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 102 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 94 References Edit a b Norton Peter March 20 1984 Unearthing The PCjr s Secrets PC Magazine p 111 Retrieved October 24 2013 Vose G Michael December 1984 The Tandy 1000 BYTE pp 98 104 VGA should not be confused with the later Video Graphics Array standard that IBM released with the PS 2 line in 1987 a b Norton Peter January 24 1984 Screening the PCjr s Color Video And Memory Options PC Magazine p 128 Retrieved October 23 2013 a b c Norton Peter January 24 1984 Sound Abilities The PCjr PC Magazine p 137 Retrieved October 23 2013 Inc Ziff Davis April 17 1984 PC Mag Ziff Davis Inc a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a last has generic name help a b c d Halfhill Tom R January 1984 IBM s New PCjr Compute p 44 Retrieved October 30 2013 a b c d e f g h Pollack Andrew November 2 1983 The Debut of I B M S Junior The New York Times Retrieved February 25 2011 a b Nichols Shaun March 22 2014 IBM PCjr STRIPPED BARE We tear down the machine Big Blue would rather you forgot The Register Retrieved April 1 2014 Lazy Game Reviews January 17 2011 LGR Experiencing The IBM PCjr Chiclet Keyboard YouTube Archived from the original on December 12 2021 a b c d e f g Halfhill Tom R October 1984 IBM s New amp Improved PCjr Compute p 50 Retrieved February 24 2011 IBM PCjr Options and Accessories www brutman com Retrieved October 4 2020 a b c d e f g h i j k l Levy Steven January 1985 The Life and Times of PC junior Popular Computing p 92 Retrieved March 12 2020 Norton Peter June 26 1984 Adding to Junior s Memory PC Magazine p 98 Retrieved October 24 2013 a b Pollack Andrew March 27 1983 Big I B M Has Done It Again The New York Times p Section 3 Page 1 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved March 16 2020 a b Analysts say IBM s PCjr won t disrupt Christmas for competitors Santa Cruz Sentinel Associated Press November 2 1983 pp B 5 Retrieved October 6 2015 a b c d I B M S Speedy Redirection The New York Times November 2 1983 Retrieved February 25 2011 a b c d Moritz Michael John Greenwald Frederick Ungeheuer November 7 1983 D Day for the Home Computer Time Archived from the original on November 22 2008 Retrieved February 23 2011 Reimer Jeremy November 2 2009 Total Share Personal Computer Market Share 1975 2005 Jeremy Reimer s Blog Retrieved March 15 2011 Curran Lawrence J Shuford Richard S November 1983 IBM s Estridge BYTE pp 88 97 Retrieved March 19 2016 a b c d Mace Scott April 9 1984 Apple IIe Sales Surge as IIc is Readied InfoWorld pp 54 55 Retrieved February 4 2015 a b c d e f Castro Janice Bob Buderi Thomas McCarroll April 1 1985 Kicking Junior Out of the Family Time Archived from the original on June 25 2009 Retrieved February 23 2011 Pollack Andrew June 19 1983 The Coming Crisis in Home Computers The New York Times Retrieved January 19 2015 a b Greenwald John July 11 1983 The Colossus That Works TIME Archived from the original on May 14 2008 Retrieved May 18 2019 Sandberg Diment Erik September 27 1983 Personal Computers Is the I B M Peanut Really in the Wings The New York Times p C5 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved December 14 2017 a b c d e Ruby Daniel February 1984 IBM s PCjr was it worth the wait Popular Science pp 68 71 Retrieved February 24 2011 a b c IBM PCjr leads the way for industry The Pantagraph The Washington Post November 6 1983 pp E6 Retrieved October 6 2015 a b c d e f g h McCarroll Thomas Philip Elmer DeWitt December 24 1984 A Flop Becomes a Hit Time Archived from the original on May 14 2009 Retrieved February 23 2011 Burton Kathleen March 1983 Anatomy of a Colossus Part III PC p 467 Retrieved March 30 2014 Mace Scott November 21 1983 TI retires from home computer market InfoWorld pp 22 27 Retrieved February 25 2011 a b Cook Karen March 6 1984 Jr Sneaks PC into Home PC Magazine p 35 Retrieved October 24 2013 a b Maher Jimmy July 18 2013 The Unmaking and Remaking of Sierra On Line The Digital Antiquarian Retrieved February 5 2015 a b Wiswell Phil January 24 1984 Coming Soon Games For The PCjr PC pp 142 145 Retrieved January 26 2015 a b Rosenberg Ronald April 24 1984 The Secret World of IBM The Boston Globe a b c Sanger David E April 22 1984 The Heady World of I B M Suppliers The New York Times p Section 3 Page 1 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 2 2017 a b Shea Tom March 12 1984 PCjr users wait for packages InfoWorld pp 37 39 Retrieved February 24 2011 Sandler Corey February 21 1984 A Secret Inside The ROM PC Magazine p 323 Retrieved October 24 2013 a b c d e f Marcom John Jr February 22 1984 IBM s PCjr receives a cool reception Santa Cruz Sentinel Wall Street Journal pp B 5 Retrieved October 6 2015 a b c d e f g h McCarroll Thomas Michael Moritz Philip Elmer DeWitt April 2 1984 The Peanut Meets the Mac Time Archived from the original on June 9 2008 Retrieved February 23 2011 Boom in Computer Magazines The New York Times November 9 1983 Retrieved February 25 2011 a b Bartimo Jim December 10 1984 Magazines Woo Users InfoWorld pp 35 36 Retrieved March 14 2011 Dvorak John C November 28 1983 Inside Track InfoWorld p 188 Retrieved March 23 2016 Freiberger Paul January 9 16 1984 IBM indicates March as likely PCjr delivery date InfoWorld p 20 Retrieved February 4 2015 a b PCjr Sales Less Than Expected The New York Times April 20 1984 p D3 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved March 11 2020 a b McMullen Barbara E and John F February 21 1984 Apple Charts The Course For IBM PC Magazine p 122 Retrieved October 24 2013 a b c Richter Paul March 28 1984 Macintosh Takes Lead In Sales Race The Cincinnati Enquirer Los Angeles Times pp B 1 B 2 Retrieved May 5 2019 a b c Zientara Marguerite April 9 1984 PCjr sales below expectations dealers say InfoWorld IDG Retrieved April 3 2011 a b c d Sanger David E May 17 1984 I B M s Problems with Junior The New York Times Retrieved February 25 2011 IBM s Peanut getting lukewarm response MicroTimes Vol 1 no 1 BAM Publications Inc May 1984 p 5 a b Winter Christine March 24 1985 Behind the short unhappy life of IBM s Junior Chicago Tribune pp Section 7 Page 3 Retrieved April 29 2015 a b c d e Bulman Philip November 5 1984 Big time IBM skillfully revives lackluster sales of PCjr Fort Lauderdale News p 47 Retrieved May 5 2019 a b Pollack Andrew January 20 1985 The Daunting Power of I B M The New York Times p A1 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 3 2017 Mace Scott August 13 1984 PCjr Back to Basics InfoWorld p 38 Retrieved January 13 2015 Sandberg Diment Erik August 21 1984 Keyboard is a Stroke of Genius The New York Times Retrieved July 31 2014 a b Dickinson John September 18 1984 IBM s Displaywriter Begets a Family of PC Software PC p 238 Retrieved January 29 2015 a b Wierzbicki Barbara December 19 1983 Developers embrace PCjr despite drawbacks InfoWorld Retrieved February 25 2011 a b c d e f g h i The runner stumbles IBM pulls back from troubled PCjr Poughkeepsie Journal Associated Press March 21 1985 p 7 Retrieved May 5 2019 Rosenberg Ronald February 28 1984 Doubts Raised About PCjr The Boston Globe a b c Lima Tony December 3 1984 New PC Jr InfoWorld pp 60 61 Retrieved February 25 2011 a b Sandberg Diment Erik December 27 1983 Personal Computers The Little I B M Finally Arrives for a Test The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 2 2017 a b Manes Stephen May 28 1985 Junior and Edsel Two of A Kind Together At Last PC Magazine p 67 Retrieved October 28 2013 Ryan Bob July 1984 The newest member of the family goes head to head with the PCjr InCider pp 60 63 Pollack Andrew January 16 1984 Apple Expands Product Line The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 2 2017 Mace Scott Paul Freiberger November 21 1983 Industry reacts to PCjr InfoWorld pp 21 22 Retrieved February 25 2011 Winter Christine April 24 1984 Apple aiming to take bite out of IBM Chicago Tribune pp Section 3 Page 1 Retrieved April 29 2015 Miller George A July 1984 Apple announces the IIc Creative Computing p 116 Retrieved March 17 2011 The Apple IIc Apple II History June 23 2010 Retrieved February 25 2011 a b Hayes Thomas C April 24 1984 Apple is Banking on New Portable The IIc Computer The New York Times Retrieved January 5 2015 Clapp Doug February 27 1984 PC compatibility InfoWorld p 22 Retrieved January 18 2015 a b c d Sanger David E July 7 1985 The Changing Image of I B M The New York Times p Section 6 Page 13 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved March 11 2020 Gantz John November 28 1983 Heard on Tech Street InfoWorld p 186 Retrieved January 13 2015 IBM Personal Computer PCjr Hardware Reference Library Technical Reference IBM 1983 pp 4 1 to 4 11 a b Sanger David E January 18 1985 Computer Giant Finds Problems in Success The New York Times Retrieved February 25 2011 Norton Peter January 24 1984 Developing PCjr Software PC Magazine p 144 Retrieved October 23 2013 a b Diamond Stuart August 1 1984 I B M Raises Dividend Offers a Free Keyboard The New York Times Retrieved February 4 2015 Alsop Stewart January 31 1994 A public Windows pane to make compatibility clearer InfoWorld p 102 Retrieved February 28 2011 a b c Trivette Donald B April 1985 Lotus 1 2 3 For IBM PCjr Compute p 63 Retrieved October 6 2013 a b Hoffmann Thomas V March 1984 IBM PCjr Creative Computing p 74 Retrieved February 25 2011 Shiver Jube Jr September 26 1985 Advertising Age Report Spending by Top 100 U S Advertisers Up 16 in 84 Los Angeles Times p 2 Sandler Corey November 1984 IBM Colossus of Armonk Creative Computing p 298 Retrieved February 26 2013 a b c d Rosch Winn L November 13 1984 Jr s Growth Spurts Sales PC pp 33 35 Retrieved March 15 2020 Now picture this Black Enterprise advertisement December 1984 p 47 Retrieved February 25 2011 a b Fastie Will February 1985 An old friend takes a hard look at the IBM product line IBM Images Creative Computing p 150 Retrieved September 3 2018 Dudek Virginia October 2 1984 Is jr Likely to Succeed Friends Gloat Foes Groan PC Magazine p 35 Retrieved October 25 2013 Sanger David E November 15 1984 At Computer Show Many Retrenching The New York Times Retrieved October 24 2013 a b c d Kennedy Don May 14 1985 Junior Axed By IBM PC p 33 Machrone Bill April 2 1985 PCjr Renaissance PC Magazine p 81 Retrieved October 28 2013 a b c d Pollack Andrew March 20 1985 I B M Drops PCjr Production The New York Times Retrieved February 25 2011 Tuller David November 16 1986 ABC S AXE WIELDING PUBLISHER ROBERT G BURTON Championing Print in a TV World The New York Times Steele William July 9 1985 COMDEX Nothing New Under the Georgia Sun PC Magazine p 34 Retrieved October 28 2013 a b Mintzer Jane ed January 14 1986 News in Brief PC p 38 Retrieved January 21 2015 McCarthy Michael ed April 15 1985 Death of the PCjr Insiders Foresaw It InfoWorld p 13 Retrieved February 4 2015 I B M Offers a PCjr Deal The New York Times September 19 1985 Retrieved February 25 2011 a b Lynch Dennis October 26 1990 The Pros Cons Of Buying An IBM PS 1 Chicago Tribune Retrieved February 4 2015 Strehlo Kevin June 17 1985 The Chiclet Rule and the Green Dragon InfoWorld p 8 Retrieved May 31 2016 BRIEFS InfoWorld February 12 1985 p 23 Retrieved February 27 2011 Bartimo Jim March 11 1985 Tandy Revamps Product Line InfoWorld pp 28 29 Retrieved January 21 2015 Loguidice Bill Barton Matt 2014 Vintage Game Consoles An Inside Look at Apple Atari Commodore Nintendo and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time CRC Press pp 95 97 ISBN 978 1135006518 Machrone Bill November 26 1985 Compatibility Wars Here and Abroad PC Magazine p 59 Retrieved October 29 2013 Halfhill Tom R December 1986 The MS DOS Invasion IBM Compatibles Are Coming Home Compute p 32 Retrieved November 9 2013 Company History Page pccomponents com Retrieved October 16 2020 http oldcomputers net ibm pcjr html see the comments External links EditChristmas 1984 The Great Apple c vs PCjr BattlePreceded byIBM Personal Computer IBM Personal Computers Succeeded byIBM PS 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title IBM PCjr amp oldid 1152481253, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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