*"It was better than PC compatible. It supported 16 color graphics while the PC was still only 4 color."* 

CGA could do 16 colors in '81 though apparently the RGBi monitors needed didn't become widely available until '83. The first computer I really used was a TRS-80 Model with TRSDOS. 

"sniffles over his lost Spectrum 48k "

I think I posted a pic of the 2068 (U.S. model Spectrum) emulator before. Here's the Spectrum emu. Unfortunately, I'll never probably get the PC keyboard equivalents figured out. No matter, I do have a real 2068 - the one relic I have saved. Spent way too many hours mastering 'Fighter Pilot.' Sir Clive had a good thing going for a while there. You'll have to Bing the emulator link.

I remember that Sanyo, Victor (adding machines) and who knows else had CP/M machines - incompatible disk formats etc. Then Gary (CP/M) Kildall refused to answer IBM's phone call, Bill Gates didn't and the rest as they say is history.

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken