PC Open Architecture Developers' Group: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox company

'''The PC Open Architechture Developpers' Group''' or "OADG" is a cosortium of the major Japanese personal computer manufacturers, sponsored by IBM, that successfully guided during the 1990s Japan's [[personal computer]] world to change to the [[IBM PC]] architecture.

| name=PC Open Architecture Developers' Group

[[ja:| native_name=PCオープン・アーキテクチャー推進協議会]]

| logo=PC Open Architecture Developers' Group logo.svg

| founder=[[IBM]]

| founded={{start date and age|1991}} in Japan

| type=Consortium

| website={{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060511213417/http://www.oadg.org/html/main.html|title=oadg.org}}

}}

[[File:Logo of the PC Open Architecture Developers' Group.png|thumb|Other logo]]

'''PC Open Architecture Developers' Group''' ('''OADG''', Japanese: {{lang|ja|PCオープン・アーキテクチャー推進協議会}}) is a consortium of the major Japanese personal computer manufacturers. Sponsored by [[IBM]] during the 1990s, it successfully guided Japan's [[personal computer]] manufacturing companies at that time into standardising to an [[IBM PC]]-compatible and [[open architecture]].

==GeneralHistory==

Before the advent of the [[IBM PC]] in 1981 in U.S.the United States, there were many kindsdifferent varieties and designs of personal computers,computer. suchExamples asfrom that era include the Tandy R[[adioShackRadioShack]], and [[Commodore International|Commodore]] etc., thatThese machines were each based onupon a different kinds of computer architecture, and the software programs that ran on them were suppliedcompatible foronly eachwith kindthe ofmachine computer.they had been designed for. In Japan, thisexcept similarfor the [[MSX]], this situation continued well into the early 1990s, because eachthree of Japan's major electronicelectronics manufacturers supplied(NEC, itsSharp and Fujitsu) had also designed their own unique personal computer,computers; although [[NEC]] with its [[NEC 9801PC-98]] seemedwas toat bethat prevailingtime the most successful.<ref name="Boyd_1997"/>

The American computer manufacturer [[IBM]] itselfhad wasentered sellingthe Japanese market with its uniqueown [[IBM 5550]] computer. Japanese-language-capable computers at the time, becausehowever, Japanesehad langaugespecial capablerequirements computerin neededterms moreof powerfulprocessor engine,capability largerand screen, etc.size, and itsIBM's [[IBM JX|JX]] project, emphasizing compatibility with the IBM PC and [[PCjr]], did notenjoyed golimited anywheresuccess. The whole situation was felt by many asto be hindering athe healthy growth of the Japanese computer businessindustry, particularly bysince domestic and overseas software vendors who had to develop, test, sell and support many different software programs to run on the many different kinds of personal computers sold in Japan.

Before the advent of [[IBM PC]] in 1981 in U.S., there were many kinds of personal computers, such as Tandy R[[adioShack]], [[Commodore]] etc., that were based on different kinds of computer architecture, and software programs were supplied for each kind of computer. In Japan, this similar situation continued well into the early 1990s, because each of Japan's major electronic manufacturers supplied its own unique personal computer, although [[NEC]] with its [[NEC 9801]] seemed to be prevailing.

IBM developed the operating software [[DOS/V]] in Japan, and licensed it to other Japanese PC manufacturers. To promote the IBM PC architecture on which DOS/V worked, IBM sponsored a consortium which was named the PC Open Architecture Developers' Group (OADG) in 1991 and made public its internal architecture and interfaces.<ref name="Myers_1995"/> At the height of this enterprise, the consortium included amongst its members the major Japanese PC manufactures, such as [[Toshiba]] and [[Hitachi]], and overseas manufacturers such as [[Acer Inc.|Acer]] of [[Taiwan]] and [[Dell]] of the United States. Together, they not only strove to develop a unified architecture, but also produced a number of DOS/V-compatible application software programs and participated in the major computer shows. By the time [[Microsoft]]'s computer operating system [[Windows 95]] had arrived in 1995, the IBM PC architecture, using DOS/V, was already a predominant force in Japan.

[[IBM]] itself was selling its unique [[IBM 5550]] computer, because Japanese langauge capable computer needed more powerful engine, larger screen, etc., and its [[JX]] project, emphasizing compatibility with IBM PC and [[PCjr]], did not go anywhere. The whole situation was felt by many as hindering a healthy growth of computer business, particularly by domestic and overseas software vendors who had to develop, test, sell and support different software programs on the many kinds of personal computers.

===Members===

In this background enters IBM [[DOS/V]], developped by IBM in Japan, and licensed to other Japanese PC manufacturers. To promote the IBM PC architecture on which DOS/V worked, IBM sponsored a consortium called the PC Open Architecture Developpers' Group (usually called "OADG' in Japan) in 1991, and made public its internal architecture and interfaces.

In 2003, membership included the following companies:

* [[Sharp Corporation]]

At the height of their actvities, the consortium included as its members the major Japanese PC manufactures, such as Toshiba and Hitachi, and the overseas manufacturers, such as [[Acer Inc.|Acer]] of [[Taiwan]] and [[Dell]] of U.S. Together they not only tried to keep a unified architecture, but also compiled a list of DOS/V-compatible application software programs and participated in the major computer shows.

By the time Misrosoft [[Windows 95]] arrived in 1995, the IBM PC architecture was already a predominant force in Japan's computer scene, using IBM or Microsoft DOS/V. The consortium also supported [[OS/2]], but its effort on this front was not successful.

===Members===

As of 2003:

* [[Sharp Corporation]]

*[[Sony Corporation]]

*[[Toshiba Corporation]]

*[[IBM|IBM Japan]] Japan, Ltd.

*[[Hitachi, Ltd.]]

*[[Fujitsu]], Ltd.

*[[Panasonic Corporation]]

==See also==

* [[AX consortium]]

* [[OS/2]]

* [[NEC 9801PC-98]]

* [[IBMFM PCTowns]]

* [[Toshiba J-3100]]

* [[DOS/VMSX]]

==References==

* [[IBM PC]]

{{reflist|refs=

* [[DOS/V]]

<ref name="Myers_1995">{{cite journal |author-first1=Steven |author-last1=Myers |author-first2=Greg |author-last2=Smith |title=DOS/V: The Soft(ware) Solution to Hard(ware) Problems |date=March 1995 |journal=Computing Japan Magazine |url=http://www.japaninc.com/cpj/magazine/issues/1995/mar95/03dosv.html |access-date=2017-01-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115192029/http://www.japaninc.com/cpj/magazine/issues/1995/mar95/03dosv.html |archive-date=2017-01-15}}</ref>

* [[OS/2]]

<ref name="Boyd_1997">{{cite journal |author-first=John |author-last=Boyd |title=From Chaos to Competition - Japan's PC industry in transformation |date=April 1997 |journal=Computing Japan Magazine |url=http://www.japaninc.com/cpj/magazine/issues/1997/apr97/chaos.html |access-date=2017-01-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116023428/http://www.japaninc.com/cpj/magazine/issues/1997/apr97/chaos.html |archive-date=2017-01-16}}</ref>

* [[NEC 9801]]

}}

==External links==

* {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060511213417/http://www.oadg.org/html/main.html|title=Official website}}

＊* [http{{DEFAULTSORT://www.oadg.org PCPc Open Architecture DeveloppersDevelopers' Group] (official web)}}

[[ja:PCオープン・アーキテクチャー推進協議会]]

[[Category:Organizations established in 1991]]

[[Category:1991 establishments in Japan]]

[[Category:Personal computers]]

[[Category:Organizations based in Japan]]

[[Category:IBM PC compatibles]]

[[Category:Technology consortia|OADG]]