Compaq
The Compaq Computer Corporation from 1982 until the acquisition in 2002 by Hewlett -Packard U.S. manufacturer of computers. In the U.S., the Compaq brand is used to this day for notebooks and desktop computers.
Since 2008, again in Germany, computer, mostly laptops, available under the brand Compaq.
History
Foundation
Compaq was founded in February 1982 by Rod Canion, Jim Harris and Bill Murto - founded - three senior managers of the semiconductor manufacturer Texas Instruments. Any amount invested for U.S. $ 1,000. The name is an abbreviation for Compaq Compatibility and Quality.
The first products
The first product from Compaq was a portable version of an IBM PC, which came in March 1983 at a price of 3,590 U.S. dollars on the market. Although it was not about the first portable computer, it was the first portable IBM-compatible PC. Moreover, even the first legal IBM compatible PC at all. The instrument was equipped with a 9-inch monochrome screen and two 5 1/4-Zoll-Diskettenlaufwerken. It weighed about 45 pounds ( 20.5 kg ) and enjoyed great popularity. In the first year it managed to Compaq to sell 53,000 units, and sat in the first three years of company history standards for the American computer industry.
Compaq's efforts were legal because Microsoft had the right to license MS- DOS other computer manufacturers. Compaq put a team of 15 programmers to a to recreate the IBM PC BIOS reverse-engineered for a million dollars. Many other companies have followed suit later.
Compaq introduced in 1986 with the 386 DeskPro the first IBM - compatible PC out, was based on the 80386 microprocessor from Intel, the first 32 -bit processor of the x86 series. The use of these CPU against which IBM had decided Compaq encouraged her to leave the role of the PC Nachbauers. In 1987, when IBM brought out its on Microchannel architecture -based IBM PS/2-Reihe, Compaq was one of the biggest supporters of EISA, an industry standard, the IBM architecture had to face.
Entry into the consumer market
In the 1990s, the company joined with its Presario series in the mass market and was one of the first manufacturers in the mid- 90s experimented with PCs for consumers who were in the price at just under $ 1,000. In order to keep prices to Compaq decided the first company to use the processors of the manufacturer AMD and Cyrix. The price war that resulted from this action, resulted in the displacement of some competitors, notably IBM and Packard Bell, from the market.
1997 Compaq bought Tandem Computers, known for their " NonStop " server line.
In 1998, the Compaq Digital Equipment Corporation - the company that invented the minicomputer.
The integration of the acquired companies designed due to the different technologies and corporate cultures to be difficult. As a result, Compaq fell back over its competitors Dell and Hewlett -Packard.
Merger with Hewlett -Packard
In 2002, Compaq was acquired by Hewlett- Packard competitors in a highly controversial merger. Some of the large HP shareholders, including Walter Hewlett, son of William Hewlett, spoke out publicly against the purchase. A little later Compaq CEO Michael Capellas left the company, leaving HP CEO Carly Fiorina in control of the merged company. Many Compaq products the HP range of products have been added, while the Compaq brand continues to exist in other product lines, such as in the field of business laptops ever since.
Two stadiums are named after the company, the Houston Compaq Center in Houston and the San Jose Compaq Center in San Jose (California ), which was later renamed to HP Pavilion.
Reintroduction of the brand in Germany
End of December 2007 has announced that the Compaq brand to appear back on the market in Germany Hewlett -Packard. Compaq is intended to be located in the lower price segment, while under the name HP higher-priced products to be offered. From the end of February 2008, the first models were available.
Other products
To Compaq's other products include, for example, the server Proliant series. For remote administration in these servers today ILO ( Integrated Lights- Out) integrated into older servers as an option also available RILO (Remote Insight Lights Out). Smart Array Controller - Compaq self-produced "smart" RAID controller.