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Book

IBM PS/2: A Business Perspective

1990

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Synopsis

IBM PS/2: A Business Perspective by Jim Hoskins serves as a comprehensive guide designed to help business professionals understand and implement the IBM Personal System/2 family of computers. Written by a former IBM staff engineer who was part of the original PS/2 development team, the book moves beyond technical specifications to explain the strategic and practical value of the hardware. It focuses on how the then-new features of the PS/2—such as the Micro Channel Architecture (MCA), Video Graphics Array (VGA), and OS/2 operating system—could be leveraged to solve real-world business problems and increase office productivity.

The narrative is structured to assist decision-makers in choosing the right models and configurations for their specific organizational needs. Hoskins provides detailed overviews of the various system units, peripherals, and software options available at the time, while also offering guidance on cost justification and system integration. By using hypothetical case studies of small, medium, and large businesses, the book illustrates how the PS/2 line was intended to create a more standardized and efficient computing environment compared to the original IBM PC clones.

Ultimately, the book acts as both a technical primer and a marketing bridge, explaining IBM's shift toward a more proprietary and sophisticated hardware architecture. It emphasizes the long-term business benefits of the PS/2’s improved reliability, graphics, and multitasking capabilities. For the contemporary reader, the text provides a historical look at a pivotal moment in computing history when IBM attempted to regain control of the PC market through advanced engineering and integrated business solutions.

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