Theory in Action Page 199
Emerge at the end of the 1970s, most of the major computer manufacturers considered it no more than a peculiar product for a hobbyist market. The idea that individuals would want personal computers on their desks seemed ludicrous. However, as total U.S. personal computer sales reached $1 billion, IBM began to worry that the personal computer market could actually turn out to be a significant computer market in which IBM had no share. To bring a personal computer to market quickly, IBM decided to use many off-the-shelf components from other vendors, including Intel’s 8088 microprocessor and Microsoft’s software. However, IBM was not worried about imitators because IBM’s proprietary basic input/output system (BIOS), the computer code that linked the computer’s hardware to its software, was protected by copyright. While other firms could copy the BIOS code, doing so would violate IBM’s copyright and incur the legendary wrath of IBM’s legal team. However, getting around IBM’s copyright turned out not to be difficult. Copyright protected the written lines of code, but not the functions those codes produced. Compaq was able to reverse-engineer the BIOS in a matter of months without violating IBM’s copyright. First, a team of Compaq programmers documented every function the IBM computer would perform in response to a given command, without recording the code that performed the function. This list of functions was then given to another team of “virgin” programmers (programmers who were able to prove that they had never been exposed to IBM’s BIOS code).a These programmers went through the list of functions and wrote code to create identical functions. The result was a new BIOS that acted just like an IBM BIOS but did not violate its copyright. Compaq sold a record-breaking 47,000 IBM-compatible computers in its first year, and other clones were quick to follow. a R. Cringely, Accidental Empires (New York: HarperCollins, 1992).
Introducing our Online Essay Writing Services Agency, where you can confidently place orders for a wide range of academic assignments. Our reputable homework writing company specializes in crafting essays, term papers, research papers, capstone projects, movie reviews, presentations, annotated bibliographies, reaction papers, research proposals, discussions, and various other assignments. Rest assured, our content is guaranteed to be 100% original, as every piece is meticulously written from scratch. Say goodbye to concerns about plagiarism and trust us to deliver authentic and high-quality work.
WRITE THIS ESSAY FOR ME
Tell us about your assignment and we will find the best writer for your paper.
Get Help Now!WRITE MY ESSAY NOW
