The microcomputers of today

The microcomputer revolution was started with the MITS Altair 8800, the IMSAI 8080, and smaller computers such as the COSMAC ELF. They were machines made for tinkerers, less polished than the Apple II or Radio Shack TRS-80. They included the bare elements needed for a computer, often omitting the case and power supply. (Tinkerers were expected to supply their own cases and power supplies.)

While less polished, they showed that there was a market for microcomputers, and inspired Apple and Radio Shack (and lots of other vendors) to made and sold microcomputers.

Today sees a resurgence of small, "unpolished" computers that are designed for tinkerers. They include the Arduino, the Raspberry Pi, the Beaglebone, and Intel's Minnowboard system. Like the early, pre-Apple microcomputers, these small systems are the bare essentials. (Including omitting the power supply and case.)

And like the earlier microcomputer craze, they are popular.

What's interesting is that there are no major players in this space. There are no big software vendors supplying software for these new microcomputers.

There were no major software vendors in the early microcomputer space. These systems were offered for sale with minimal (or perhaps zero) software. The CP/M operating system was adopted by users and adapted to their systems. CP/M's appeal was that it could be (relatively, for tinkerers) easily modified for specific systems.

The second generation of microcomputers, the Apple II and TRS-80 and their contemporaries, had a number of differences from the first generation. They were polished: they were complete systems with cases, power supplies, and software.

The second generation of microcomputers had a significant market for software. There were lots of vendors, the largest being Digital Research and Microsoft. Microsoft made its fortune by supplying its BASIC interpreter to just about every hardware vendor.

That market did not include the major players from the mainframe or minicomputer markets. Perhaps they thought that the market dynamics was not profitable -- they had been selling software for thousands of dollars (or tens of thousands) and packages in the microcomputer market sold for hundreds (or sometimes tens).

It strikes me that Microsoft is not supplying software to these new microcomputers.

Perhaps they think that the market dynamics are not profitable.

But these are the first generation of new microcomputers, the "unpolished" systems, made for tinkerers. Perhaps Microsoft will make another fortune in the second generation, as they did with the first microcomputer revolution.

Or perhaps another vendor will.