23 Oct 2023
9m

How IBM's gamble ushered in the computer age

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The Indicator from Planet Money

This podcast episode explores the journey of IBM in the world of electronic computing, led by Thomas Watson Jr. despite initial resistance from his father. Watson Jr. pushed the company to develop a universal computer, leading to the success of the System 360 and IBM's dominance in the computer industry. However, IBM's decline in the 1990s and its current status as a diminished version of its former self are also discussed.

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