Editing IBM PCjr (section)

=== Release and reception ===
[[File:PCjr chiclet.gif|thumb|right|300px|The PCjr's chiclet keyboard was unpopular.<ref name="sandler19840221">{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UCIvSU6Y2GAC |title=A Secret Inside The ROM |work=PC Magazine |date=February 21, 1984 |access-date=October 24, 2013 |author=Sandler, Corey |pages=323}}</ref>]]

The PCjr was released in March 1984, missing the 1983 Christmas sales season due to production delays.<ref name="nyt19831102">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/02/business/ibm-s-speedy-redirection.html |title=I.B.M.'S Speedy Redirection |access-date=February 25, 2011 |date=November 2, 1983 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>{{r|marcom19840222}}{{r|time19840402}}{{r|time19850401}}

Even prior to release, anticipation of the machine was mixed. [[Ziff Davis]], publisher of the successful ''PC Magazine'', printed the first issue of ''PCjr Magazine'' before the first units shipped, and competing [[computer magazine]]s included ''Peanut'', ''PCjr World'',<ref name="nyt19831109">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/09/business/boom-in-computer-magazines.html |title=Boom in Computer Magazines |access-date=February 25, 2011 |date=November 9, 1983 |work=The New York Times }}</ref> ''jr'', and ''[[Compute!]] for the PC and PCjr''.<ref name="bartimo19841210">{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=si4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35 |title=Magazines Woo Users |access-date=March 14, 2011 |author=Bartimo, Jim |date=December 10, 1984 |pages=35–36 |work=InfoWorld}}</ref> However, as new information became available about the machine, retailers became deeply concerned about its marketability.<ref name="dvorak19831128">{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sy8EAAAAMBAJ |title=Inside Track |work=InfoWorld |date=November 28, 1983 |access-date=March 23, 2016 |author=Dvorak, John C. |pages=188}}</ref>

When the PCjr became widely available in March 1984<ref name="freiberger19840109_16">{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ey4EAAAAMBAJ |title=IBM indicates March as likely PCjr delivery date |work=InfoWorld |date=January 9–16, 1984 |access-date=February 4, 2015 |author=Freiberger, Paul |pages=20}}</ref> sales were below expectations. Consumer interest was reportedly high until demonstration machines were available, at which point interest dropped steeply.{{r|marcom19840222}} Dealers reported that consumers disliked the price, keyboard, and limited memory,{{r|nyt19840420}} and retailers that sold primarily to business customers did not know how to market it.<ref name="mcmullen19840221">{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UCIvSU6Y2GAC&pg=PA120 |title=Apple Charts The Course For IBM |work=PC Magazine |date=1984-02-21 |access-date=24 October 2013 |author=McMullen, Barbara E. and John F. |page=122}}</ref>

The press soon reported that the PCjr could embarrass IBM, with executives reportedly worrying about demand. Stores began discounts while vendors slowed plans to release products.{{r|richter19840328}}<ref name="zientara19840409" /><ref name="sanger19840517">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/17/business/ibm-s-problems-with-junior.html?pagewanted=all |title=I.B.M.'s Problems with Junior |access-date=February 25, 2011 |author=Sanger, David E. |date=May 17, 1984 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> IBM admitted that demand for the PCjr was not growing as rapidly as expected.<ref name="nyt19840420">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/20/business/pcjr-sales-less-than-expected.html |title=PCjr Sales Less Than Expected |date=1984-04-20 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2020-03-11 |page=D3 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> By May 1984 it had only sold 10,000 units, while other companies were reported to be slow in developing software for the system.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=IBM's Peanut getting lukewarm response |magazine=MicroTimes |publisher=BAM Publications Inc. |volume=1 |issue=1 |date=May 1984 |page=5}}</ref>

In response to the surprising lack of interest, IBM began early discounts of up to {{US$|370}}<ref name="winter19850324">{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1985/03/24/page/79/article/behind-the-short-unhappy-life-of-ibms-junior |title=Behind the short, unhappy life of IBM's Junior |work=Chicago Tribune |date=March 24, 1985 |access-date=April 29, 2015 |author=Winter, Christine |pages=Section 7, Page 3}}</ref> in June, lowering the two models' prices to {{US$|long=no|599}} and {{US$|long=no|999}},<ref name="bulman19841105">{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/31277231/fort_lauderdale_news/ |title=Big time: IBM skillfully revives lackluster sales of PCjr |last=Bulman |first=Philip |date=1984-11-05 |work=Fort Lauderdale News |access-date=2019-05-05 |page=47 |language=en}}</ref> but many of its dealers could not sell their initial shipments of 25 computers each.{{r|marcom19840222}}{{r|bulman19841105}} IBM allowed them to postpone paying for inventory for 180 days,<ref name="pollack19850120">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/20/business/the-daunting-power-of-ibm.html |title=The Daunting Power of I.B.M. |last=Pollack |first=Andrew |date=January 20, 1985 |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 3, 2017 |page=A1 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> but inventory continued to pile up.<ref name="time19840402">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954205-2,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609012541/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C954205%2C00.html |archive-date=June 9, 2008 |title=The Peanut Meets the Mac |access-date=February 23, 2011 |author1=McCarroll, Thomas |author2=Michael Moritz |author3=Philip Elmer-DeWitt |date=April 2, 1984 |magazine=Time |url-status=dead }}</ref> By August the PCjr was being described as a flop.<ref name="mace19840813">{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA38pg |title=PCjr: Back to Basics |work=InfoWorld |date=August 13, 1984 |access-date=January 13, 2015 |author=Mace, Scott |pages=38}}</ref><ref name="mccarroll19841224" />

In 2006 [[PCWorld]] ranked the IBM PCjr as 13th "worst tech products of all time".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/535838/worst_products_ever.html |title=The 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time |first=Dan |last=Tynan |publisher=[[PCWorld]] |accessdate=2025-03-16 |date=2006-05-26}}</ref>