Remove ads
Proprietary hardware is computer hardware whose interface is controlled by the proprietor, often under patent or trade-secret protection.[1]
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2023) |
Historically, most early computer hardware was designed as proprietary until the 1980s, when IBM PC changed this paradigm. Earlier, in the 1970s, many vendors tried to challenge IBM's monopoly in the mainframe computer market by reverse engineering and producing hardware components electrically compatible with expensive equipment and (usually) able to run the same software. Those vendors were nicknamed plug compatible manufacturers (PCMs).
Remove ads
- Micro Channel architecture, a commonly cited historical example of proprietary hardware
- Vendor lock-in
- Proprietary device drivers
- Proprietary firmware
- Proprietary software
Remove ads
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
Remove ads