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Friday, August 12, 2011

Personal Computer in the Executive Suite

I saw this post about IBM's first personal computer, not the consumer PC, but the IBM 5150.   In 1981 we received a loaner from IBM.  One ended up in our Chairman's office where he and I programmed it in an early attempt to provide just in time data about sales performance and other Enterprise measures.  Surprising to me he was very interested in the details of a personal computer.  An Executive Information System.  His direct reports were nervous about the idea and the accuracy of the data.   We learned much about  the organizational dynamics of giving decision support at this level. This was the first time an executive in our company had a computer on their desk.  It was not until much later when the Web emerged did we see that happen again.

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