Jump to content

Librex Computer Systems

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by DigitalIceAge (talk | contribs) at 05:25, 11 October 2022. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Librex Computer Systems Inc. was a short-lived American subsidiary of the Nippon Steel Corporation that manufactured notebook computers from 1990 to 1992.[1][2]

History

Librex Computer Systems was incorporated in San Jose, California, in June 1990;[3] Nippon Steel formally introduced it in August 1990.[4][5] Librex was the first venture in the United States for Nippon Steel's Electronics and Information Systems Division (EISD), which had sold software and hardware only in Japan.[3] Librex was forerun by the existence of NS Computer Systems, Inc., a company set up by Nippon Steel in Santa Ana, California, to research the American computer marketplace.[6]

The incorporation of Librex came at a time when Nippon Steel, at the time the largest steelmaking company in the world in terms of sales, was increasingly diversifying its operations. Although computer companies investing in Japanese steel companies and vice versa was somewhat commonplace in the turn of the 1990s technology industry—EISD had ties to several American computer companies—Nippon Steel set out Librex to operate independently, which was described as a rarity. Said Susan MacKnight of the Washington-based Japan Economic Institute, no other steel company had "set up a wholly owned subsidiary [in] anything outside the steel business in this country" up to that point.[4] Along with Librex in the United States, Nippon Steel set up Nippon Steel Computer PLC in Langley, Berkshire.[5]

Nippon Steel EISD, which only operated domestically, influenced the foundation of Librex, as executives within Nippon Steel expressed the desire for the company to have its own name-brand commodity computer.[2] Starting in 1986, EISD had formed joint ventures with the American companies IBM, Concurrent Computer Corporation, Supertek Computers, Sun Microsystems, CalComp, and 3M and Japan companies Hitachi and Itochu to help develop EISD's hardware and software products.[3][7][8] Discussions within Nippon Steel to form an international computer company began in 1987 with the commissioning of EISD to research the manufacture of workstations and laptops. A slate of notebook computers were developed by EISD in partnership with the EISS laboratories of Tokyo and Kanagawa, Japan. On Librex's incorporation in June 1990, the general manager of EISD, Toshiji Tanaka, was named president and CFO of Librex and moved to San Jose. The subsidiary employed only 12 in August 1990, with 28 additional positions planned for creation by December; Librex projected 80 jobs in late 1991.[3]

Librex contracted the mass manufacturing of the company's initial product lineup, a duo of notebook computers, to an unnamed American firm.[9] The Librex office in San Jose mostly handled sales and marketing and other operational duties, although the office did posses limited manufacturing facilities.[8] The Librex 386SX and Librex 286—two notebook computers based on Intel's 80386SX and 80286 processors respectively—were unveiled at COMDEX/Fall in November 1990. The former was released on time in December 1990; the Librex 386SX was released in limited quantities that month,[10][11] shipping en masse in March 1991.[12]: 114  The Librex 386SX was mostly positively received in InfoWorld, ABA Journal, and PC Magazine.[13][14][15]: 156 

References

  1. ^ Quinlan, Tom (November 4, 1991). "Librex moves to desktop with batch of portables". InfoWorld. 13 (44). IDG Publications: 32 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Rockman, Simon (June 1996). "Retro Computing". Personal Computer World. 19 (6). Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen: 202, 232 – via the Internet Archive.
  3. ^ a b c d Staff writer (August 27, 1990). "Nippon Steel U.S. Subsidiary Plans CPU Market Entry in '91". Electronic News. 36 (1824). Sage Publications: 7 – via the Internet Archive.
  4. ^ a b Richards, Evelyn (August 23, 1990). "Nippon Steel to Open Computer Subsidiary in California". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company: C1.
  5. ^ a b Associated Press (August 29, 1992). "Nippon Steel Quitting Personal Computer Business". The New York Times. The New York Times Company: 1.35. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015.
  6. ^ Furukawa, Tsukasa (August 31, 1990). "Nippon Plans US Release of Computers". American Metal Market. 98 (171): 4 – via Gale.
  7. ^ Schmitz, Tom (September 9, 1990). "Nippon Steel Will Build Laptops in Silicon Valley". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing: 11E.
  8. ^ a b Staff writer (August 23, 1990). "Nippon Steel Forms Librex to Make, Market Laptops in the US". Computer Business Review. New Statesman Media Group. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022.
  9. ^ Sexton, Tara (August 27, 1990). "New Nippon Steel Division to Launch Line of Computers". PC Week. 7 (34). Ziff-Davis: 24 – via Gale.
  10. ^ Krohn, Nico (November 12, 1990). "Japanese Steel Maker Tries U.S. Notebook Market". InfoWorld. 12 (46). IDG Publications: 27 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Skillings, Jonathan (November 12, 1990). "386SX chip dominates scene in new laptop releases". PC Week. 7 (45). Ziff-Davis: 17 – via Gale.
  12. ^ O'Brien, Bill (March 12, 1991). "Battery-Powered 386SXs and 386DXs". PC Magazine. 10 (5). Ziff-Davis: 111–187 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ Garza, Victor R. (October 7, 1991). "Librex wades into the 386SX". InfoWorld. XXVI (13). IDG Publications: 40 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ Mass, Debra Cassens, ed. (November 1991). "Of First Impressions: New Products for Attorneys". ABA Journal. 77. American Bar Association: 95–97 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ Howard, Bill (April 14, 1992). "High-End Notebook PCs". PC Magazine. 11 (7). Ziff-Davis: 113–181 – via Google Books.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Librex_Computer_Systems&oldid=1115381131"