After listening to Pat talking about The Computer Chronicles being on Archive.org I downloaded and watched the 1984 episode with Woz.
http://www.archive.org/details/Computer1984_5
More interesting was a part later at 10:46
Gary Kildall: "I think another important point is that large companies and titans really only get into an area of software or hardware when it's been proven to be successful. IBM is a good example of that, and the small garage shop operations have opportunities where the large companies are just not willing to put the effort. So, those are the spin-off areas that I think will be..."
Adam Osborne (of Osborne Computers): "There's also price consideration as well. When people are talking about investing thousands of dollars they tend to be very careful about where they're buying because it's an investment. When they're buying a $50 product, or up to maybe a couple of hundred dollars, they say, "what the heck, if it doesn't work I've learned something." That's why a lot of these very inexpensive computers sold as well as they did, later just to collect dust. THERE NEVER WILL BE AN IBM IN SOFTWARE, for example, because eventually you will be dealing with $50 products, and because of the vicariousness of human nature, everyone is going to want to buy that little something different. So, it's only a $50 investment, who cares?"
--Wow! That's embarrassing to have that prediction caught on tape.
The Computer Chronicles episode with Wozniak
Moderators: snarkout, Patrick, dann