Editing IBM PCjr (section)

=== Issues ===
One of the most significant complaints about the PCjr was its chiclet keyboard,{{r|pollack19831102}}{{r|sanger19840422}} which was described as unsuitable for serious typing{{r|pollack19831102}} and "nearly useless."<ref name="nyt19840821">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/21/science/personal-computer-keyboard-is-a-stroke-of-genius.html | title=Keyboard is a Stroke of Genius | work=The New York Times | date=August 21, 1984 | access-date=July 31, 2014 | author=Sandberg-Diment, Erik}}</ref> The lack of direct function keys was a pain point for word processing.{{r|dickinsondw19840918}}

==== Cost ====
The PCjr's cost was its biggest disadvantage, even more so than the keyboard.<ref name="time19840402" /> The price point was perceived as too high for a home computer, but not powerful enough for a business machine.{{r|marcom19840222}} IBM's lack of clear messaging on their target market (home, schools, or executives working at home) made it difficult for software developers, consumers,<ref name="wierzbicki19831219">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5C8EAAAAMBAJ | title=Developers embrace PCjr despite drawbacks | access-date=February 25, 2011 | author=Wierzbicki, Barbara | date=December 19, 1983 | work=InfoWorld}}</ref>{{r|ap19850321}} and dealers{{r|mcmullen19840221}} to prepare for the product. The price point was perceived as targeting a market that did not exist.{{r|sanger19840517}} IBM was surprised to learn that many of the initial customers for the PCjr were not home users as they assumed, but instead businesses who wanted a cheaper PC that took less space on a desk.

IBM failed to recognize that many consumers wanted a computer more sophisticated than those that cost less than {{US$|long=no|500}}, but did not want to spend more than {{US$|long=no|1000}}.{{r|ap19850321}} The PCjr offered no compelling reason to spend that much.<ref name="rosenberg19840228">{{Cite news |title=Doubts Raised About PCjr |last=Rosenberg |first=Ronald |date=February 28, 1984 |work=The Boston Globe}}</ref> The PCjr cost more than twice as much as the C64 and the [[Atari 8-bit computers]], while inferior to both for videogames.{{r|pollack19831102}}{{r|lima19841203}} Spinnaker, a game developer, stated that they discontinued development for the PCjr when they learned of the actual price.<ref name="ap19850321">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31243737/poughkeepsie_journal/ |title=The runner stumbles: IBM pulls back from troubled PCjr |date=1985-03-21 |work=Poughkeepsie Journal |access-date=2019-05-05 |agency=Associated Press |page=7 |language=en}}</ref>

Consumers were reportedly much more excited about the also-new [[Macintosh 128K]], which was more sophisticated but only cost {{US$|300}} more, with accessories and software.{{r|time19840402}}<ref name="marcom19840222">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3360489// | title=IBM's PCjr receives a cool reception | work=Santa Cruz Sentinel | date=February 22, 1984 | agency=Wall Street Journal | access-date=October 6, 2015 | author=Marcom, John Jr. | pages=B-5}}</ref> The Macintosh reportedly outsold the IBM product during their first two months on the market.<ref name="richter19840328">{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/31276226/the_cincinnati_enquirer/ |title=Macintosh Takes Lead In Sales Race |last=Richter |first=Paul |date=1984-03-28 |work=The Cincinnati Enquirer |access-date=2019-05-05 |agency=Los Angeles Times |pages=B-1, B-2 |language=en}}</ref> The PCjr's price was close to that of the Coleco Adam, but the Adam also included a [[tape drive]], a printer, and software.{{r|time19831107}} A realistic cost including peripherals was {{US$|long=no|2000}}<ref name="esd19831227">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/27/science/personal-computers-the-little-ibm-finally-arrives-for-a-test.html |title=Personal Computers: The Little I.B.M. Finally Arrives for a Test |last=Sandberg-Diment |first=Erik |date=December 27, 1983 |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 2, 2017 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>{{r|levy198501}} and other configurations cost $3,000 or more.<ref name="ruby198402">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nQAAAAAAMBAJ&q=peanut+ibm+pcjr&pg=PA68 | title=IBM's PCjr&mdash;was it worth the wait? | access-date=February 24, 2011 | author=Ruby, Daniel | date=February 1984 | work=Popular Science | pages=68–71}}</ref><ref name="manes19850528">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DDlmJxSURq8C | title=Junior and Edsel: Two of A Kind Together At Last! | work=PC Magazine | date=1985-05-28 | access-date=28 October 2013 | author=Manes, Stephen | pages=67}}</ref>{{r|levy198501}}

The IIe was the PCjr's most direct competition.{{r|richter19840328}}{{r|zientara19840409}}<ref name="ryan198407">{{Cite magazine |last=Ryan |first=Bob |date=July 1984 |title=The newest member of the family goes head to head with the PCjr. |url=https://archive.org/stream/inCider_84-07#page/n59/mode/2up |magazine=InCider |pages=60–63}}</ref> Although the PC outsold it{{r|maceiie19840409}} Apple sold almost 110,000 units in December 1983, in part to customers who had waited until details of the PCjr became available.<ref name="pollack19840116">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/16/business/apple-expands-product-line.html |title=Apple Expands Product Line |last=Pollack |first=Andrew |date=January 16, 1984 |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 2, 2017 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Apple estimated that 80% of its dealers sold IBM and Apple computers, and many visitors who were disappointed by the PCjr, or curious about the Macintosh, reportedly left with a IIe instead. The latter was so popular that a shortage occurred in early 1984.<ref name="maceiie19840409">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54 | title=Apple IIe Sales Surge as IIc is Readied | work=InfoWorld | date=April 9, 1984 | access-date=February 4, 2015 | author=Mace, Scott | pages=54–55}}</ref>

The {{US$|669}} PCjr model compared favorably to a {{US$|long=no|1400}} IIe also with {{val|64|u=kB}} and no floppy drive,<ref name="pollack19831102" />{{r|wierzbicki19831219}} but Apple lowered their computer's price<ref name="time19840402" /> as part of a "Starter System" package, with monitor and floppy drive, to a price as low as {{US$|long=no|1300}},{{r|maceiie19840409}} plus a 30% discount for the important education market.<ref name="infoworld19831121">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uy8EAAAAMBAJ&q=ibm+peanut&pg=PA21 | title=Industry reacts to PCjr | access-date=February 25, 2011 |author1=Mace, Scott |author2=Paul Freiberger | date=November 21, 1983 | pages=21–22 | work=InfoWorld}}</ref> In April 1984 Apple introduced the [[Apple IIc]], a portable version with a more compact form factor, {{val|128|u=kB}} of RAM, and a floppy drive. Although the PCjr's CPU was superior, the IIc—which Apple did not describe as a home computer, to avoid the "game machine" connotation—had an excellent keyboard and was compatible with the Apple II's enormous software library.<ref name="winter19840424">{{cite news | url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1984/04/24/page/37/article/apple-aiming-to-take-bite-out-of-ibm | title=Apple aiming to take bite out of IBM | work=Chicago Tribune | date=April 24, 1984 | access-date=April 29, 2015 | author=Winter, Christine | pages=Section 3, Page 1}}</ref>{{r|sanger19840517}}<ref name="miller198407">{{cite news | url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n7/116_Apple_announces_the_IIc.php | title=Apple announces the IIc | access-date=March 17, 2011 | author=Miller, George A. | date=July 1984 | work=Creative Computing | pages=116}}</ref><ref name="ah08">{{cite web | url=http://apple2history.org/history/ah08/ | title=The Apple IIc | access-date=February 25, 2011 | work=Apple II History| date=June 23, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="hayes19840424">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/24/business/apple-is-banking-on-new-portable-the-iic-computer.html | title=Apple is Banking on New Portable: The IIc Computer | work=The New York Times | date=April 24, 1984 | access-date=January 5, 2015 | author=Hayes, Thomas C.}}</ref>

====Compatibility====
By early 1984, PC compatibility was vital for any new, non-Apple computer's success.<ref name="clapp19840227">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gy4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 | title=PC compatibility | work=InfoWorld | date=February 27, 1984 | access-date=January 18, 2015 | author=Clapp, Doug | pages=22}}</ref> IBM had expected that most customers in the market would be new to computers, but 75% of the market were familiar with computers and wanted to run business software on the PCjr.<ref name="sanger19850707">{{Cite news |last=Sanger |first=David E. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/07/magazine/the-changing-image-of-ibm.html |title=The Changing Image of I.B.M. |date=1985-07-07 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2020-03-11 |page=Section 6, Page 13 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> An important market was executives who took data home to work on applications such as [[Lotus 1-2-3]] and Peanut had been rumored to be fully PC compatible,{{r|greenwald19830711}} so many customers visited stores believing that the PCjr could run most PC software.{{r|marcom19840222}}{{r|time19840402}}{{r|sanger19840517}}{{r|nyt19831102}}<ref name="gantz19831128">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sy8EAAAAMBAJ | title=Heard on Tech Street | work=InfoWorld | date=November 28, 1983 | access-date=January 13, 2015 | author=Gantz, John | pages=186}}</ref>

IBM's intent was for the PCjr to be perceived as a unique platform, like most other home computers, and their documentation stated it was "a different computer than the PC", but with "a high level of programming compatibility."<ref name="ibm198311">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/IbmPcjrTechnicalReference#page/n317/mode/2up|title=IBM Personal Computer PCjr Hardware Reference Library / Technical Reference|publisher=IBM|year=1983|pages=4–1 to 4–11}}</ref> Nonetheless, potential customers perceived it as a variant of the PC, not a unique platform.<ref name="sanger19850118">{{cite news|author=Sanger, David E.|date=January 18, 1985|title=Computer Giant Finds Problems in Success|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/18/business/computer-giant-finds-problems-in-success.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref> While many PC applications would run, specific compatibility issues existed with software that used more than 128K of RAM or required more than one floppy disk drive.<ref name="pcnortonpcjrport">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kSzKzjWHeVEC&pg=PA144 | title=Developing PCjr Software | work=PC Magazine | date=January 24, 1984 | access-date=October 23, 2013 | author=Norton, Peter | pages=144}}</ref>

Thousands of PC applications did require more than 128K of memory<ref name="diamond19840801">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/01/business/ibm-raises-dividend-offers-a-free-keyboard.html | title=I.B.M. Raises Dividend, Offers a Free Keyboard | work=The New York Times | date=1984-08-01 | access-date=4 February 2015 | author=Diamond, Stuart}}</ref> and two disk drives,{{r|esd19831227}}{{r|levy198501}} making the PCjr incompatible with about 60% of software by some measures, including the popular word-processing program [[WordStar]] and Lotus 1-2-3,<ref name="time19840402" /><ref name="mccarroll19841224" /> common applications used to test PC compatibility.<ref name="alsop19940131">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AzsEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22flight+simulator%22&pg=PT1 | title=A public Windows pane to make compatibility clearer | access-date=February 28, 2011 | author=Alsop, Stewart | date=January 31, 1994 | work=InfoWorld | pages=102}}</ref><ref name="shea19840312">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=li4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA37 | title=PCjr users wait for packages | access-date=February 24, 2011 | author=Shea, Tom | date=March 12, 1984 | work=InfoWorld | pages=37–39}}</ref><ref name="trivette198504">{{cite news | url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue59/review_lotus_123.php | title=Lotus 1-2-3 For IBM PCjr | work=Compute! | date=April 1985 | access-date=October 6, 2013 | author=Trivette, Donald B. | pages=63}}</ref> IBM's own DisplayWrite was released as a unique PCjr version.<ref name="dickinsondw19840918">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pq3POofPsBEC&pg=PA248 | title=IBM's Displaywriter Begets a Family of PC Software | work=PC | date=September 18, 1984 | access-date=January 29, 2015 | author=Dickinson, John | pages=238}}</ref> A four-line BASIC program that runs on the IBM PC can crash PCjr, mystifying even [[Peter Norton]].<ref name="norton1985">{{Cite book |last=Norton |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Norton |url=https://archive.org/details/The_Peter_Norton_Programmers_Guide_IBM-PC/page/37/mode/2up?view=theater |title=The Peter Norton Programmer's Guide for the IBM PC |publisher=Microsoft Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-914845-46-2 |page=37 |access-date=2025-04-12}}</ref> These compatibility limitations made the computer unsuitable for taking work home,{{r|levy198501}} although a PCjr variant of 1-2-3 was eventually released.{{r|trivette198504}}

Ultimately, the PCjr was perceived as not having a [[Killer application|killer app]] to make up for these limitations.{{r|levy198501}} Software incompatibility made it inadequate as a business machine,{{r|hayes19840424}} but poor performance with arcade-style games made it inadequate as a games machine.{{r|lima19841203}}

====Limited hardware expansion====
Computer dealers quickly identified the PCjr's limited hardware expansion capability as another major disadvantage.<ref name="zientara19840409">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 | title=PCjr sales below expectations, dealers say | access-date=April 3, 2011 | work=InfoWorld | author=Zientara, Marguerite | date=April 9, 1984 | publisher=IDG}}</ref>{{r|time19840402}} ROM cartridges had small storage capacity,{{r|cook19840306}} requiring, for instance, two cartridges and a floppy disk for the PCjr version of Lotus 1-2-3, which also had difficulty fitting complex spreadsheets into 128K of RAM.{{r|trivette198504}} IBM published technical details for the PCjr as it had done for the IBM PC to encourage third parties to develop accessories, but did not offer a second floppy drive, hard drive,{{r|wp19831106}}<ref name="ruby198402" /> or memory beyond 128&nbsp;KB.{{r|hoffmann198403}}{{r|halfhill198410}}

While multiple sidecar expansion units could be attached, they took up a lot of space, and the computer required additional power supplies to support a second floppy drive or more than one sidecar. IBM advised against adding more than four sidecars.<ref name="ruby198402" /><ref name="mccarroll19841224" />{{r|levy198501}} The PCjr also lacks a [[Direct memory access|DMA]] controller, so the 8088 CPU has to service floppy disk transfers directly, causing the system to momentarily freeze while accessing a disk. The PCjr also cannot use modems faster than 2400 baud.<ref name="hoffmann198403">{{cite web | url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n3/74_IBM_PCjr.php | title=IBM PCjr | access-date=February 25, 2011 | author=Hoffmann, Thomas V. | date=March 1984 | work=Creative Computing | pages=74}}</ref>{{r|levy198501}}{{r|manes19850528}}