| On June 21, 1988, IBM introduced the Application
System/400 (AS/400), a new family of easy-to-use computers designed for
small and intermediate-sized companies. As part of the worldwide
introduction, IBM and IBM Business Partners worldwide rolled out more
than 1,000 software packages in the biggest simultaneous applications
announcement in computer history. Seen here are
the AS/400 B-series models (IBM 9404 and IBM 9406), which illustrate the
varying sizes and configurations available in the initial offering.
The AS/400 quickly became one of the world's most
popular business computing systems. By 1997, IBM had shipped nearly a
half-million AS/400s. The 400,000th AS/400 was presented on October 9,
1996, in Rochester, Minn., to Greg LeMond, the three-time winner of the
Tour de France bicycle race and a small business entrepreneur.
The AS/400 family was succeeded in 2000 by the IBM
eServer iSeries -- high-performance, integrated business servers for
mid-market companies. |
