The Osborne Odyssey

Osborne Computer Corporation was founded by Adam Osborne, Lee Felsenstein, and Jack Melchor in 1981. Armed with Osborne's ideas inspired by Alan Kay's Notetaker at Xerox PARC, the engineering prowess of Felsenstein, the software contributions of Frank, and financial backing from Melchor, OCC introduced the first commercially-successful portable personal computer in January 1981, with little or no competition until the following year. The size of a small suitcase, the self-contained Osborne-1 was the first computer to be sold with bundled software packages, and cost about ,200 less than a fully-loaded Apple II. The company rapidly grew from zero to a 0-million enterprise -- yet less than three years after its incorporation and its rocket ship climb to fame and fortune, OCC declared bankruptcy in September 1983. In the years that have followed, Osborne's meteoric rise and abrupt collapse have become an archetype of Silicon Valley start-ups. Please join Lee Felsenstein, Jack Melchor, and Richard Frank, together with guest host and moderator John Markoff, as we explore the fascinating stories behind the start-up days in the back room through the rise and fall of Osborne Computer.