How IBM's Project Chess Launched the Personal Computer Revolution

The IBM PC, Part 1: Arrival

In the early 1980s, the personal computer market was a chaotic bazaar of incompatible systems. IBM, a colossus in mainframes, struggled to enter this space until CEO Frank Cary authorized Project Chess. Led by Don Estridge, this initiative broke corporate norms by sourcing third-party parts and selling through external retailers, ultimately creating the IBM PC and reshaping the industry.