Background
Estridge was born in Jacksonville, Florida. His father was a professional photographer.
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Philip Donald Estridge
Edit ProfileEducation
He graduated from Bishop Kenny High School in 1955, and from the University of Florida in 1959. He completed a bachelor"s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Florida, and worked at the Army, designing a radar system using computers, International Business Machines Corporation and finally National Aeronautics and Space Administration"s Goddard Space Flight Center until he moved to Boca Raton, Florida in 1969.
Career
His decisions dramatically changed the computer industry, resulting in a vast increase in the number of personal computers sold and bought, thus creating an entire industry of hardware manufacturers of International Business Machines Corporation PCs. Before being the leader of the team to develop the International Business Machines Corporation Personal Computer he had been the lead manager for the development of the International Business Machines Corporation Series/1 mini-computer. After this project was unsuccessful, he was said to have fallen out of grace with International Business Machines Corporation and was reassigned to headquarters staff - a position that International Business Machines Corporation employees often considered a form of penalty.
His efforts to develop the International Business Machines Corporation Personal Computer began when he took control of the International Business Machines Corporation Entry Level Systems in 1980 (and was later named President of the newly formed International Business Machines Corporation Entry Systems Division (ESD) in August 1983), with the goal of developing a low-cost personal computer to compete against increasingly popular offerings from the likes of Apple Computer, Commodore International, and other perceived International Business Machines Corporation competitors.
To create a cost-effective alternative to those companies products, Estridge realized that it would be necessary to rely on third-party hardware and software. This was a marked departure from previous International Business Machines Corporation strategy, which centered on in-house vertical development of complicated mainframe systems and their requisite access terminals.
Estridge also published the specifications of the International Business Machines Corporation Personal Computer, allowing a booming third-party aftermarket hardware business to take advantage of the machine"s expansion card slots. The competitive cost and expandability options of the first model, International Business Machines Corporation Personal Computer model 5150, as well as International Business Machines Corporation"s reputation, led to strong sales to both enterprise and home customers.
Estridge was rapidly promoted, and by 1984 was International Business Machines Corporation Vice President, Manufacturing supervising all manufacturing worldwide.
Steve Jobs offered Estridge a multimillion-dollar job as president of Apple Computer, which he turned down. He was 48 years old. At the time of his death, International Business Machines Corporation ESD (which included the development and manufacturing of the International Business Machines Corporation Personal Computer, Personal Computer DOS, Personal Computer Local Area Network and TopView) had nearly 10,000 employees and had sold over a million PCs.
Estridge has been honored many times. In 1999, he was identified in Chief Information Officer magazine as one of the people who "invented the enterprise".
The Don Estridge High-Technical Middle School—formerly International Business Machines Corporation Facility Building 051—in Boca Raton, Florida, is named after him, and on the occasion of its dedication received from Don Estridge"s family his own personal International Business Machines Corporation 5150 computer.
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Born
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Died
August 2, 1985 (aged 48) -
Nationality
United States