IBM bends its rules to make a laptop; new process slashes development time

Article Abstract:

IBM has announced that the company has already received orders for 80 percent of the laptop computers it had intended to produce in 1991. The laptop, released in Mar 1991, finally filled a noticeable gap in the company's product line. Analysts are now pointing to the product, and the way it was conceived, as an indication of IBM's commitment to turn around its disappointing last quarter earnings. The company had to realign much of its product development process to even get the machine to market. IBM development has long been plagued by endless meetings and counter-decisions. The product's full-size keyboard is thought to an indication of the company's switch to consumer participation in the development process, as company surveys showed users wanted a normal keyboard on a laptop instead of the customary reduced-sized keyboard.

Office machines, not elsewhere classified, Design and construction, Laptop computers, Management Style, Strategic Planning

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IBM hits snag in upgrading mainframes that could leave it vulnerable in a year

Article Abstract:

IBM could be in trouble because the computer manufacturer does not intend to produce a mainframe upgrade until at least late 1991. Customers will have to go from late 1989, when IBM introduced the 3090 J model, to late 1991, when the company begins shipment of the Summit family of mainframes. Customers who regularly look to IBM for a 'boost' for their mainframes' performance may look elsewhere for new equipment. IBM, which has traditionally held a 90 percent market share on IBM-compatible mainframes, now holds about an 83 percent share, with potential for the figure to drop even lower. Possible solutions are an earlier introduction of Summit and software solutions to improve the disappointing performance of the 3090 series.

Market share, Marketing Strategy, Upgrading

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IBM is expected to state its new mainframes are faster than promised

Article Abstract:

IBM reveals that its new mainframe products, scheduled to ship in 1991, will operate 10 percent to 15 percent faster than had been expected. The machines' central processors will operate at 45 to 46 mips (millions of instructions per second), rather than at 40 to 41 mips, which was originally announced in fall 1990. This announcement could help IBM, which has been experiencing various difficulties, to achieve respectable numbers in the 4th qtr of 1991, in spite of a weak economic situation overall. Nevertheless, Dan Mandresh, an analyst with Merrill Lynch & Co, expects earnings of $4.85 a share for 1991, down from $10.51 1990.

Processor speeds, Outlook, Processor Speed

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