
The Strangest Bedfellow of All
67
In the late 1970s, Apple was the standout in the crowded personal computer
eld. The Apple II sold briskly into the home and education markets and
had even made headway into business ofces, thanks to the popularity of
VisiCalc. The entire personal computer industry was enjoying phenomenal
growth, and Apple was leading the pack. But Apple knew it was only a matter
of time before it faced the most formidable competitor of all, International
Business Machines (www.ibm.com) of Armonk, New York. The day of
reckoning arrived on August 12, 1981, when IBM introduced its $1,565
personal computer with a single