EXPLORE: EXHIBITS, COLLECTIONS, RESEARCH
Do you know that
On August 12, 1981, IBM entered the personal computer market with its announcement of the Personal Computer (PC). Much to IBM's surprise, the business community, traditionally hesitant to adopt microcomputers, responded with overwhelming enthusiasm. By the close of 1981, IBM had sold tens of thousands of its PCs. The success of the IBM PC in the marketplace, coupled with its informal adoption as the de facto industry standard for business desktop computers, opened up the market for PC-compatible hardware and software.
Possibly the earliest IBM PC-compatible computers were manufactured by Compaq Computer Corp. in the U.S. (the Compaq Portable) and Dynalogic Info-Tech. in Canada (the Hyperion). These two companies were soon followed by a fast growing group of other manufacturers who were cloning not only the IBM PC hardware but also its case and documentation. J.L.S. Computers founded by Joe Loren Sutherland in 1983 was one such company. His best-known IBM PC clone--the J.L.S. OBM-100--was functionally identical to the IBM PC, could be interfaced with PC-compatible peripherals and run all of the software developed for the IBM computer. Sutherland's IBM PC-compatible motherboards, packed in IBM-look-alike cases, began appearing not only in Ontario but also beyond, with diverse model and company name stickers affixed to the cases. Manufacturers such as Aftek and HAL Computer were among those which built their products around Sutherland's clones of the IBM PC motherboard. READ MORE...
New at YUCoM
The new exhibition Computing at York: the Beginning to open on March 12, 2026 in the Scott Library at York University.
The exhibition, co-organized by YUCoM and the York University Libraries, covers the first 15 years of computing activities at York, beginning in the mid-1960s with the establishment of the York University Computation Centre and the Department of Computer Science. It attempts to visually capture the spirit, curiosity, energy, and excitement that defined the early days of academic computing. It highlights the use of computer resources by York's artists, educators, librarians, researchers, and students, as they explored new frontiers in computer-supported research, education, and art. READ MORE...
Featured
This virtual tour is a brief presentation of some of the computing and calculating hardware designed and/or manufactured in Canada....
The exhibit is dedicated to a decade-long computer hobby movement in Canada and its role in bringing computing into the...
In April, 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, California, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor — the 8008. In just a few months, the prototypes of…
DATAR (Digital Automatic Tracking and Remoting) was a comprehensive digital electronic system developed at the Royal Canadian Navy between late 1940s…
Historical ContextThe Inter@ctive Pager (models 800 and 900) was the first hand-held communications device designed and built by Research In Motion…
Nortel Europa(description courtesy of Mobile Phone Museum)The Nortel One (also known as the Europa handset) was an early instance of what’s come to…
Recently Added Items
Catalog published by the York University Computer Museum on the occasion of the Computing at York: the Beginning exhibition opened on March 12, 2026…
Historical context(by Z. Stachniak)Since the late 1940s, several computer enthusiasts and dedicated educators have engaged in a variety of…
Historical context(by Z. Stachniak)In April 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, CA, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor, the 8008. Shortly after,…
Historical context(by Z. Stachniak)Cognos Incorporated, formerly known as Quasar Systems Ltd., was a pioneering Ottawa-based software company renowned…