IBM and Computing
Language: English
Published by William C. Shaffer, 2026
- Hardcover
- New

Seller: PBShop.store UK, Fairford, GLOS, United KingdomPBShop.store UK
AbeBooks seller since June 11, 1999
Condition: New
£ 29.96
Quantity: Over 20 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Seller Inventory # L2-9781735807836
- Title
- IBM and Computing
- Author
- William C Shaffer
- Publisher
- William C. Shaffer
- Publication year
- 2026
- Condition
- New
- Binding
- HRD
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1735807834
- ISBN 13
- 9781735807836
- Item weight
- 1,352 grams
Computing's early focus on speed for scientific calculations gave way to commercial applications, playing to the strengths of the small company that would become IBM. With a focus on technology, marketing, and perhaps a dash of monopoly, IBM climbed to market dominance and widespread admiration. Spurred by ambitions to grow even larger, IBM's fortunes faltered. Lou Gerstner, the former "Cookie Man" of RJR Nabisco, pulled the company back from catastrophe. Unfortunately, his successors embraced financial schemes, ignoring the fundamental imperative of innovation. The pace of technology is unforgiving, and even an IBM would discover this.
The author provides deft storytelling with well-drawn portraits of the people and ideas that propelled computing forward. He deciphers the inner workings and import of each technology transformation. The book is a compelling story of how IBM and computing transformed the world, and how a company so iconic in the 20th Century became so troubled in the 21st. Today, a decidedly smaller IBM struggles to regain relevance, let alone its former dominance. With AI and quantum computers poised to dramatically reshape the computing world, will IBM be part of the continuing story?
The book differs from the many existing books on IBM:
- It tells the extraordinary story of IBM but within the context of the relentless forward march of computing technology beginning thousands of years ago with the abacus.
- The reader will come away with a greater understanding of the technologies and strategies that were critical to the company's success.
- It is an insider's account, with academic quality research and rigor, and the cooperation of IBM.
- Where most IBM books treat the company as big mainframe computers and little else, the author reveals the lesser-known story of the smaller IBM, an upstart division with personal and midrange computers that grew into a $14 billion business.
- Most importantly, the story pulls no punches. The author chronicles the failed financial strategies and missed technology waves that were the company's undoing.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
PBShop.store UK
Fairford, GLOS, United Kingdom
AbeBooks seller since June 11, 1999
Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
| Item | 10 to 20 business days | 10 to 20 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 7.63 | £ 7.63 |
Payment methods
Store description
Specialty
Hardbacks, PaperbacksSeller's business information
Pbshop.co.uk
Unit 22 Horcott Industrial Estate, Horcott Road
Fairford, United Kingdom GL7 4BX
Terms of sale
Returns Policy
We ask all customers to contact us for authorisation should they wish to return their order. Orders returned without authorisation may not be credited.
If you wish to return, please contact us within 14 days of receiving your order to obtain authorisation.
Returns requested beyond this time will not be authorised.
Our team will provide full instructions on how to return your order and once received our returns department will process your refund.
Please note the cost to return any unwanted order to us is borne by the buyer.
Should your order arrive damaged, not as advertised or faulty, we must be advised of this within 14 days of delivery. Please contact us so we can find the best solution for you.
Our Customer Care Team can be contacted by emailing alborders@paperbackshop.co.uk, or by calling our UK Office on +441285 712 917. We are available 9:00am till 5:30pm GMT Monday to Friday.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to PBShop.store UK, Fairford, United Kingdom, +44 1285 712917, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Orders are shipped from our UK warehouse. Delivery thereafter is between 4 and 14 business days. Please contact us if you have any queries about our services or products.