IBM Reduces Cost For Some Attachments, Raises Capacity

Dow Jones News Service

May 17, 1982

BOCA RATON FLA -- THE DISKETTE STORAGE CAPACITY OF THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER HAS BEEN DOUBLED SEVERAL NEW PROGRAMMING AND APPLICATION PACKAGES HAVE BEEN ADDED AND PRICES FOR TWO ATTACHMENTS HAVE BEEN REDUCED INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP ANNOUNCED.

THE DOUBLING OF DISKETTE STORAGE BRINGS CAPACITY PER DRIVE TO MORE THAN 320 000 BYTES. THE NEW PROGRAMMING AIDS ARE AN ENHANCED VERSION OF THE DISK OPERATING SYSTEM -DOS- A BASIC LANGUAGE COMPILER AND NEW INVENTORY CONTROL AND ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE APPLICATIONS PROGRAMS.

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER PRINTER AND 160 000 BYTE DISKETTE DRIVE WILL SELL AT IBM PRODUCT CENTERS FOR $555 AND $450 RESPECTIVELY. PRICES AT THE OTHER AUTHORIZED IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER DEALERS MAY VARY.

IBM SAID THE NEW 320KB DISKETTE DRIVE ACCOMMODATES UP TO 327 680 CHARACTERS OF PROGRAMS AND DATA ON 5 1-4-INCH DISKETTES ENABLING USERS TO STORE AND UPDATE INFORMATION ON EITHER 320KB DOUBLE-SIDED OR 160KB SINGLE-SIDED DISKETTES.

THE GREATER STORAGE CAPACITY AND PROGRAMMING FLEXIBILITY OF THE NEW DISKETTE DRIVE MEANS THAT APPLICATIONS CURRENTLY RUNNING ON THE IBM PERSONNEL COMPUTER CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LARGER DATA FILES PROVIDING FOR FUTURE GROWTH THE COMPANY SAID.

THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER DISK OPERATING SYSTEM VERSION 1. 1 BY MICROSOFT CORP. SUPPORTS UP TO TWO 320KB OR 160KB DISKETTE DRIVES OR A COMBINATION OF EACH. VERSION 1.1 WITH DISK AND ADVANCED BASIC INCLUDES SEVERAL PERFORMANCE AND FUNCTIONAL ENHANCEMENTS THE COMPANY SAID.

THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER BASIC COMPILER BY MICROSOFT CORP. ENABLES USERS TO WRITE AND TEST PROGRAMS WITH THE BASIC INTERPRETER AND THEN COMPILE THE PROGRAMS INTO MACHINE-LEVEL CODE IBM SAID.

TWO APPLICATION PACKAGES WHICH CAN HELP COMPANIES MANAGE INVENTORY AND ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE WERE ALSO ANNOUNCED FOR THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER.

INVENTORY CONTROL BY BPI SYSTEMS INC. CAN HELP IMPROVE AND SIMPLIFY INVENTORY MANAGEMENT.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE BY BPI SYSTEMS INC. HELPS MANAGE A COMPANY'S CASH FLOW BY TRACKING CURRENT AND PAST-DUE RECEIVABLES.

THE NEW 320KB DISKETTE DRIVE DISK OPERATING SYSTEM 1.1 AND BUSINESS SERIES SOFTWARE ARE AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY AT AUTHORIZED IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER DEALERS AND IBM PRODUCT CENTERS. THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER BASIC COMPILER IS SCHEDULED TO BE AVAILABLE IN MID-JULY.

PRICES AT IBM PRODUCT CENTERS ARE 320KB DISKETTE DRIVE $650- BASIC COMPILER $300- INVENTORY CONTROL BY BPI SYSTEMS INC. $425- ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE BY BPI SYSTEMS INC. $425.