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Once Upon a Time in Computerland by Jon Littman
Traces the rise of ComputerLand and the microcomputer industry, and describes the events that led to a massive lawsuit and settlement
- GenresNonfictionHistory
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 6, 2016
If you’re – ahem – of a certain age, you remember a time when telephones were rotary dial and had cords, when you had to use carbon paper to make two copies of something, and when there were no such things as home computers and WE LIKED IT!
Then came video arcades, and we began reading articles about home brew computer clubs and the like. We would later hear about a young man who dropped out of Harvard and drove across country to write software for a company called MITS, whose “build it yourself” computer made the cover of Popular Electronics and sparked a whole generation of young people to get excited about computers.
In the middle of all this came a man named Bill Millard, a one-time IBM employee, who started a consulting company out of his home called IMS Associates. Recognizing the nascent home computer market, he turned his company into a computer manufacturer, making a competitor to the MITS Altair computer called the IMSAI, and they flew out the doors . . . for a while.
And here’s where Millard’s genius came to the forefront. Recognizing a new market when he saw one, he started a retail chain of stores called ComputerLand and began franchising them. Before you knew it, ComputerLands were everywhere, and Millard was a billionaire.
And that’s when things got interesting.
I found this book in the remainder bin a long time ago, and it is one of the most remarkable stories of genius and madness I’ve ever read. From the young IMSAI computer company enlisting friends and family to fill orders for their hot computer, to IBM executives showing up for a business meeting on Halloween and finding the CFO of ComputerLand dressed as a cowboy, complete with gun, and not shy about brandishing it as he and the IBM executives negotiated discounts; to Millard’s flirtation with the 70s, cult-like self-improvement program EST, forcing his employees to participate; to – mostly – court battles over a $250,000 loan that may (or may not) be convertible into hundreds of millions of dollars in ComputerLand stock, this is simply one of the most compelling business books I’ve ever read.
It’s also a wonderful window into a time long past, when computer standards were just being developed, when Apple was King of the Hill – until IBM entered the market and set the status quo on its head.
If you have any interest at all in the early days of home computing, this is one of your must-reads.
Then came video arcades, and we began reading articles about home brew computer clubs and the like. We would later hear about a young man who dropped out of Harvard and drove across country to write software for a company called MITS, whose “build it yourself” computer made the cover of Popular Electronics and sparked a whole generation of young people to get excited about computers.
In the middle of all this came a man named Bill Millard, a one-time IBM employee, who started a consulting company out of his home called IMS Associates. Recognizing the nascent home computer market, he turned his company into a computer manufacturer, making a competitor to the MITS Altair computer called the IMSAI, and they flew out the doors . . . for a while.
And here’s where Millard’s genius came to the forefront. Recognizing a new market when he saw one, he started a retail chain of stores called ComputerLand and began franchising them. Before you knew it, ComputerLands were everywhere, and Millard was a billionaire.
And that’s when things got interesting.
I found this book in the remainder bin a long time ago, and it is one of the most remarkable stories of genius and madness I’ve ever read. From the young IMSAI computer company enlisting friends and family to fill orders for their hot computer, to IBM executives showing up for a business meeting on Halloween and finding the CFO of ComputerLand dressed as a cowboy, complete with gun, and not shy about brandishing it as he and the IBM executives negotiated discounts; to Millard’s flirtation with the 70s, cult-like self-improvement program EST, forcing his employees to participate; to – mostly – court battles over a $250,000 loan that may (or may not) be convertible into hundreds of millions of dollars in ComputerLand stock, this is simply one of the most compelling business books I’ve ever read.
It’s also a wonderful window into a time long past, when computer standards were just being developed, when Apple was King of the Hill – until IBM entered the market and set the status quo on its head.
If you have any interest at all in the early days of home computing, this is one of your must-reads.
November 29, 2019
Pretty good book. Even though I'm interested in the computer industry, I had no knowledge about ComputerLand so it was interesting to learn about their role in the early days. The controversial story of the deals and character of Bill Millard was interesting as well although I did find it tough to understand the full scope of the arguments at times. It could have used some better explanations in layman's terms. But overall, it's a great book for anyone interested in computer history and/or business.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews