PC Open Architecture Developers' Group: Difference between revisions

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'''The PC Open Architecture Developers' Group''' or "(OADG") is a consortium of the major Japanese personal computer manufacturers,. sponsoredSponsored by IBM during the 1990s, thatit successfully guided during the 1990s Japan's [[personal computer]] worldmanufacturing tocompanies changeat that time into standardising to thean [[IBM PC]]-compatible 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 [[RadioShack]], and [[Commodore International|Commodore]] etc., thatThese machines were each based onupon differenta kinds ofdifferent computer architecture, and the software programs that ran on them were suppliedcompatible foronly eachwith kindthe ofmachine computer.they had been designed for. In Japan, this similar situation continued well into the early 1990s, because each of Japan's major electronicelectronics manufacturers suppliedhad designed its own unique personal computer,; although [[NEC]] with its [[NEC 9801]] seemedwas toat bethat prevailingtime the most successful.{{Attribution needed}}

The American computer manufacturer [[IBM]] itselfhad wasentered sellingthe Japanese market with its uniqueown [[IBM 5550]] computer, because. Japanese -language -capable computercomputers neededat morethe powerfultime, enginehowever, largerhad special requirements in terms of processor capability and screen, etc.size, and itsIBM's [[IBM JX|JX]] project, emphasizing compatibility with the IBM PC and [[PCjr]], didenjoyed notlimited go 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.

InIBM thisdeveloped backgroundthe entersoperating IBMsoftware [[DOS/V]], developed by IBM 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 calledwhich was named the PC Open Architecture Developers' Group (usually called "OADG' in Japan) in 1991, and made public its internal architecture and interfaces. 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.

===Members===

At the height of their activities, 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.

In 2003, membership included the following companies:

By the time Microsoft [[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]]

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==External links==

* <!--[http://www.oadg.org PC Open Architecture Developers' Group] (official web) Dead Link when tested 4 September 2010 -->

* [http://www.linfo.org/free_standards_group.html Free Standards Group] OADG is a member of the Free Standards Group.

[[Category:Personal computers]]

[[Category:IBM PC compatibles]]