In 1981, IBM had sold PC's at a rate far beyond its initial forecast of 250,000. At that time, IBM's least expensive printers sold for $5,000 and were designed for use in data processing centers. The low cost printer market was completely controlled by off-shore manufacturers centered in Japan. IBM had two options: continue to buy low-end printers from overseas, or design and manufacture their own printers. After a manufacturing analysis, it was evident that IBM could not build a competitive low cost prrinter.
Charley Rogers, product manager of the Proprinter team, talks about IBM deciding to build the printer in the United States instead of buying low-end printers
from overseas.
