The IBM Personal Computer, known as the 5150, was launched in August 1981, several years after Apple had brought its first computer to market.
Mr Lowe was instrumental in driving IBM's PC project from conception to manufacture within the space of a year.Until then, IBM had been primarily known for large, mainframe computers.
The operating system, MS-DOS 1.0, was provided by a little-known technology company called Microsoft, while the 8088 microprocessor came from Intel.
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| IBM's first PC sold 250,000 units in the first year of production |
Mr Lowe studied physics at Lafayette College, Pennsylvania, and joined IBM in 1962 as a product test engineer.In 1975, he became director of development and manufacturing operations for the company's General Systems Division.
IBM's first PC sold 250,000 units in the first year of production.Three years later, as laboratory director of the division's Boca Raton site in Florida, he hatched the idea of IBM selling an own-branded computer targeted at small businesses and consumers.
Mr Lowe originally suggested using Atari to help IBM gain quick entry to the market, but this idea was rejected.Instead, management gave the go-ahead for him to develop a prototype made from off-the-shelf components.He assembled a team of 12 engineers to work on the Acorn Project (not to be confused with the UK's Acorn Computers) under the direction of Don Estridge.Part of the testing involved the computer's ability to run the Pac-Man game.
"We didn't just design a computer; we created an industry," said Patty McHugh, Acorn project team member responsible for designing the PC's motherboard.
The rest, as they say, is history.More than 250,000 IBM PCs were sold in the first year after its launch.
As a reward for his efforts, Bill Lowe was promoted to vice president of the Information Systems Division and general manager of IBM's facility in Rochester,Minnesota.
Mr Lowe died on 19 October 2013 from a heart attack.
IBM's first PC sold 250,000 units in the first year of production.Three years later, as laboratory director of the division's Boca Raton site in Florida, he hatched the idea of IBM selling an own-branded computer targeted at small businesses and consumers.
Mr Lowe originally suggested using Atari to help IBM gain quick entry to the market, but this idea was rejected.Instead, management gave the go-ahead for him to develop a prototype made from off-the-shelf components.He assembled a team of 12 engineers to work on the Acorn Project (not to be confused with the UK's Acorn Computers) under the direction of Don Estridge.Part of the testing involved the computer's ability to run the Pac-Man game.
"We didn't just design a computer; we created an industry," said Patty McHugh, Acorn project team member responsible for designing the PC's motherboard.
The rest, as they say, is history.More than 250,000 IBM PCs were sold in the first year after its launch.
As a reward for his efforts, Bill Lowe was promoted to vice president of the Information Systems Division and general manager of IBM's facility in Rochester,Minnesota.
Mr Lowe died on 19 October 2013 from a heart attack.
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