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The Beige Years

IBM Said the 68000 Was Better, Then Picked Intel Anyway

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The Motorola 68000 was the better chip on IBM's own comparison, and it still lost the deal.

Here is how one refused job cost it the IBM PC, then sent it into the Mac, the Amiga and the Genesis.

Subject
The Motorola 68000, 1979
Chapters
8
Sources
8
Credits
59
Corrections
0

Sources

8
  • Interview5
  • Article2
  • Book1

The sources the story leans on most, primary sources first. Read dates are when the page was consulted; the live page may have changed since.

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
  3. [3]
  4. [4]
  5. [5]
    Article Folklore.org Andy Hertzfeld

    Nybbles

    folklore.org/Nybbles.html ↗
  6. [6]
  7. [7]
  8. [8]

Image & music credits

59
  • License unknown36
  • CC BY-SA 4.07
  • CC BY-SA 3.06
  • CC BY 2.03
  • CC BY 4.03
  • CC BY-SA 2.01

55 photos, 1 music track, from the hosts linked below. Each file name links to the file's page, which carries the full license terms.

#UseFileAuthorLicense
1 Photo Intel 8088 chip, top.jpg Jud McCranie CC BY-SA 4.0
2 Photo Ic-photo-Intel--P8088--(8088-CPU)-v2.png Myself User:ZyMOS CC BY-SA 4.0
3 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/IBM PC Motherboard (1981).jpg Wikimedia Commons, IBM PC Motherboard (1981) License unknown
4 Photo https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/068BA0TQZQnWCvXVS7udPmH-2.jpg William C. Lowe at PC Forum, Naples, Florida; via PCMag, 'Project Chess: The Story Behind the Original IBM PC' License unknown
5 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/KL Motorola MC68000 CLCC.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Konstantin Lanzet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 License unknown
6 Photo XC68000.agr.jpg en:User:ArnoldReinhold CC BY-SA 3.0
7 Photo IBM Personal Computer (1981).jpg Federigo Federighi CC BY-SA 4.0
8 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Motorola 68000 die.JPG?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Pauli Rautakorpi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 License unknown
9 Photo Apple II motherboard (53171103722).jpg Steve Jurvetson CC BY 2.0
10 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Motorola MC6800 microprocessor ad August 1976.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Motorola advertisement, August 1976, Wikimedia Commons License unknown
11 Photo electronics 1979-10-11 p118 68000 die.jpg Electronics, October 11, 1979, p. 118, fig. 1, World Radio History scan License unknown
12 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/User Registermodell 68000-page-001.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Wikimedia Commons License unknown
13 Photo Apple II at Musée Bolo.jpg Rama & Musée Bolo CC BY-SA 2.0
14 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/XC68000.agr.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Arnold Reinhold, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 License unknown
15 Photo PDP-11-70 Minicomputer from Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), exhibited at Living Computer Museum in Seattle, USA (edited image without background).jpg Joe Mabel CC BY-SA 3.0
16 Photo https://archive.org/details/bitsavers decBooksDikMicroprocessorLogicDesignTheFlowchartMe 21738355/page/n0 Nick Tredennick, Microprocessor Logic Design (Digital Press, 1987), bitsavers via archive.org License unknown
17 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Pink Pearl eraser.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Wikimedia Commons License unknown
18 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Motorola MC68000P8 01.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Wikimedia Commons License unknown
19 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Package top - Motorola MC68000P8 - John McMaster.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original John McMaster, Wikimedia Commons License unknown
20 Photo electronics 1979-10-11 cover top.jpg Electronics, October 11, 1979, cover, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
21 Photo electronics 1979-10-11 p118 motorola 68000.jpg Electronics, October 11, 1979, p. 118, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
22 Photo electronics 1979-12-06 motorola logo.jpg Electronics, December 6, 1979, p. 64 (Motorola advertisement), World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
23 Photo electronics 1979-12-06 motorola eprom ad.jpg Electronics, December 6, 1979, p. 64, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
24 Photo electronics 1979-10-11 p124 68000 future of support.jpg Electronics, October 11, 1979, p. 124, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
25 Photo electronics 1979-12-06 intel delivers logo.jpg Electronics, December 6, 1979, Intel 8088 advertisement, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
26 Photo Ic-photo-Intel--D8086--(8086-CPU).png Myself User:ZyMOS CC BY-SA 4.0
27 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Andy Grove Robert Noyce Gordon Moore 1978 edit.jpg Intel, 1978 (Andy Grove, Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore); Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 License unknown
28 Photo electronics 1979-10-11 intel ad.jpg Electronics, October 11, 1979, p. 78, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
29 Photo intel 1979 the future has arrived 8086 ad.jpg Intel, 1979; timeline.intel.com ('Operation Crush') License unknown
30 Photo KL Motorola MC68000 CDIP.jpg Konstantin Lanzet CC BY-SA 3.0
31 Photo electronics 1980-10-09 intel iapx88 ad.jpg Electronics, October 9, 1980, p. 21, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
32 Photo https://timeline.intel.com/cdn/images/ytpxmi3h6kca/1xkmkfGDMAUUQdqcJ4izoM/ff43ddc2eb520ed35ed7695fb778f2a5/1973 Wafer Boat Loading.jpg?fm=jpg&q=90 Intel, timeline.intel.com (1973, 'Fab room chic') License unknown
33 Photo electronics 1979-10-11 p118 68000 die.jpg Electronics, October 11, 1979, p. 118, fig. 1, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
34 Photo electronics 1979-10-11 intel delivers logo.jpg Electronics, October 11, 1979, p. 78 (Intel advertisement), World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
35 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Mid-Century Brutalist IBM Building Boca Raton 1970 Marcel Breuer.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Wikimedia Commons License unknown
36 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Canon Pocketronic.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Wikimedia Commons License unknown
37 Photo I8088.jpg unknown author CC BY-SA 3.0
38 Photo electronics 1979-12-06 intel 8088 twin reality ad.jpg Electronics, December 6, 1979, p. 31, World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
39 Photo electronics 1979-11-22 motorola logo.jpg Electronics, November 22, 1979, p. 94 (Motorola advertisement), World Radio History scan (worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics) License unknown
40 Photo Sinclair QL Top (cutout).png "Ewx" (Minor non-creditworthy tweaks by Ubcule) CC BY-SA 3.0
41 Photo Motorola MC68000P8 01.jpg Sebastian Koppehel CC BY 4.0
42 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Steve Jobs and Macintosh computer, January 1984, by Bernard Gotfryd - edited.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Bernard Gotfryd, Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons License unknown
43 Photo https://www.folklore.org/images/Macintosh/wirewrap83a.jpg Daniel Kottke, 'Macintosh Prototypes', folklore.org License unknown
44 Photo Macintosh wire wrap prototype 4 top.agr.jpg ArnoldReinhold CC BY 4.0
45 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Steve Jobs with Wendell Brown in January 1984, at the launch of Brown's Hippo-C software for Macintosh (cropped).jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Wikimedia Commons License unknown
46 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/KL Motorola MC68000 CDIP.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Konstantin Lanzet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 License unknown
47 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Package top - Motorola MC68000P8 - John McMaster.jpg John McMaster, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 License unknown
48 Photo Ic-photo-Motorola--MC68000L8-(68000-CPU).png Myself User:ZyMOS CC BY-SA 4.0
49 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/KL Motorola MC68000 PLCC.jpg?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Konstantin Lanzet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 License unknown
50 Photo Thomson 68000 (detail).jpg yellowcloud from Germany CC BY 2.0
51 Photo Sega Mega Drive (1988) 2.jpg Jzh2074 CC BY-SA 4.0
52 Photo Basic Measuring Instruments - Math Processor 83002190 - Zilog Z80-3916.jpg Raimond Spekking CC BY-SA 4.0
53 Photo 5A22-02 01.jpg Yaca2671 CC BY-SA 3.0
54 Photo PPC601FD (PowerPC 601) (8520137695).jpg Hiroshi Ishii CC BY 2.0
55 Photo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Ic-photo-Motorola--MC68000P8--(68000-CPU).JPG?utm source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm campaign=imageinfo&utm content=original Wikimedia Commons License unknown
56 Music The Solid Energy Crew - Imagine.wav "Imagine (1998)" by The Solid Energy Crew (Andreas Viklund) CC BY 4.0

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Corrections

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