The Osborne Executive is one of the earliest portable computers and the one that, due to excessive pre-release information, contributed to the demise of Osborne Computer Corporation.
It’s not usual to look at a vintage computer system that defines business terminology. The Osborne Effect describes a circumstance where a company releases too much information, too soon, on a new product. This pre-release can lead to the cannibalization of current sales and put the company out of business, as happened to Osborne Computer Corporation (OCC) in 1985.
“The Osborne Effect describes a circumstance where a company releases too much information, too soon, on a new product”
The Osborne Executive is an amazing vintage computer and it is truly a shame that it contributed to the failure of OCC. The Executive came with a large library of productivity software and a stellar feature set for its time. It was a worthy replacement for the original Osbourne One!
Features and Specifications
Base Specifications
- Zilog Z80A processor at 4 MHz
- 124 Kb RAM (128K but 4K was reserved for paging)
- 8K ROM
- 7 Inch Amber CRT (80-Character x 24-lines)
- 2x 5 1/4″ Floppy Drives (Half Height, 160 Kb)
Ports
- IEEE 488 Parallel Port
- 2x RS-232C Serial Ports
- Composite Monitor Out
Included Software
- CP/M+ – Operating System
- Wordstar 3.3 – Word Processor
- SuperCalc 1.12 – Spreadsheet
- Mailmerge (The snail mail kind)
- CBASIC 2 – Programming Language
- MBASIC – Microsoft BASIC Programming Language
- Personal Pearl – File Manager
- Tools Disk
Other Features
- The Keyboard attaches to case and allows for portability
- Switchable 110/220 volt power for travel flexibility
- Weight: 28 Pounds / 13 Kg
- Size 20.5 x 9 x 13 Inches (WHD)
