Difference between revisions of "Digital Equipment Corporation"
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| − | '''Digital Equipment Corporation''', or DEC, was a company | + | '''Digital Equipment Corporation''', or '''DEC''', was a large computer company (at one time, the second-largest in the world after [[IBM]]). They made [[minicomputer]]s, their signature product (and the one that led to their success), for a period, the most popular kind of computers in the world. Their product range eventually extended from small [[mainframe]]s to [[personal computer]]s. |
| − | + | It was started in 1957, in an old wool mill in Maynard, Massachusetts. The original product line was modules, [[System Module]]s. Once those were established, they started producing computers using them. | |
| − | [[ | ||
| − | [[ | + | They reached the peak of their success in the 1980s, with their [[VAX]] line. However, they were unable to successfully adapt to the rise of personal computers, which turned computers into commodities, and were bought by [[Compaq]] in 1998. |
| − | [[:Category:DEC Operating Systems|DEC operating systems]] | + | ==See also== |
| + | |||
| + | * [[:Category:DEC Hardware|DEC hardware]] | ||
| + | * [[:Category:DEC Software|DEC software]] | ||
| + | * [[:Category:DEC Operating Systems|DEC operating systems]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Further reading== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Glenn Rifkin, George Harrar, ''The Ultimate Entrepreneur: The Story of Ken Olsen and Digital Equipment Corporatio'', Contemporary, Chicago, 1988 - The best general history of DEC, but stops at 1987 | ||
| + | * Edgar H. Schein, ''DEC is Dead, Long Live DEC'', Berett-Koehler, San Francisco, 2003 | ||
| + | * Clayton M. Christensen, ''The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail'', Harvard Business School, Boston, 1997 - Briefly discusses DEC's inability to adapt to the world with personal computers | ||
| + | * Jamie Parker Pearson,''Digital at Work: Snapshots from the First Thirty-Five Years'', Digital, Burlington, 1992 | ||
| + | * Alan R. Earls, ''Digital Equipment Corporation (Images of America)'', Arcadia, Charleston, 2004 - Mostly covers the early years | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==External links== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [http://www.avanthar.com/healyzh/decemulation/decemu.html The DEC Emulation Website] | ||
[[Category:Computer Manufacturers]] | [[Category:Computer Manufacturers]] | ||
Revision as of 23:32, 24 October 2017
Digital Equipment Corporation, or DEC, was a large computer company (at one time, the second-largest in the world after IBM). They made minicomputers, their signature product (and the one that led to their success), for a period, the most popular kind of computers in the world. Their product range eventually extended from small mainframes to personal computers.
It was started in 1957, in an old wool mill in Maynard, Massachusetts. The original product line was modules, System Modules. Once those were established, they started producing computers using them.
They reached the peak of their success in the 1980s, with their VAX line. However, they were unable to successfully adapt to the rise of personal computers, which turned computers into commodities, and were bought by Compaq in 1998.
See also
Further reading
- Glenn Rifkin, George Harrar, The Ultimate Entrepreneur: The Story of Ken Olsen and Digital Equipment Corporatio, Contemporary, Chicago, 1988 - The best general history of DEC, but stops at 1987
- Edgar H. Schein, DEC is Dead, Long Live DEC, Berett-Koehler, San Francisco, 2003
- Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail, Harvard Business School, Boston, 1997 - Briefly discusses DEC's inability to adapt to the world with personal computers
- Jamie Parker Pearson,Digital at Work: Snapshots from the First Thirty-Five Years, Digital, Burlington, 1992
- Alan R. Earls, Digital Equipment Corporation (Images of America), Arcadia, Charleston, 2004 - Mostly covers the early years
