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First Osborne Group (FOG) Records http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8611668 No online items First Osborne Group (FOG) records Finding aid prepared by Jack Doran and Sara Chabino Lott Processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from the National Archives’ National Historical Publications & Records Commission: Access to Historical Records grant. Computer History Museum 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, CA, 94043 (650) 810-1010 [email protected] August, 2019 First Osborne Group (FOG) X4071.2007 1 records Title: First Osborne Group (FOG) records Identifier/Call Number: X4071.2007 Contributing Institution: Computer History Museum Language of Material: English Physical Description: 26.57 Linear feet, 3 record cartons, 5 manuscript boxes, 2 periodical boxes, 18 software boxes Date (bulk): Bulk, 1981-1993 Date (inclusive): 1979-1997 Abstract: The First Osborne Group (FOG) records contain software and documentation created primarily between 1981 and 1993. This material was created or authored by FOG members for other members using hardware compatible with CP/M and later MS and PC-DOS software. The majority of the collection consists of software written by FOG members to be shared through the library. Also collected are textual materials held by the library, some internal correspondence, and an incomplete collection of the FOG newsletters. creator: First Osborne Group. Processing Information Collection surveyed by Sydney Gulbronson Olson, 2017. Collection processed by Jack Doran, 2019. Access Restrictions The collection is open for research. Publication Rights The Computer History Museum (CHM) can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claims of the copyright holder. Requests for copying and permission to publish, quote, or reproduce any portion of the Computer History Museum’s collection must be obtained jointly from both the copyright holder (if applicable) and the Computer History Museum as owner of the material. Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements The collection contains media that has not been read by CHM staff. Contact the CHM archives staff for more information. Preferred Citation [Identification of Item], [Date], First Osborne Group (FOG) records, X4071.2007, Box [#], Folder [#], Catalog [#], Computer History Museum. Immediate Source of Acquisition Gift of Gale Rhoades, 2007. Biographical/Historical Note The First Osborne Group (FOG) was a users’ group and membership organization originally made up of users of the Osborne 1 portable computer. Founded in 1981 by patrons of the Digital Deli in Mountain View, California, the group’s mission and intended purpose was to share information about the workings and capabilities of the Osborne-1 with anyone who was interested in learning, whether or not they owned a computer. Initial meetings were held at the Dysan Auditorium in Santa Clara, California and attendees were given presentations of software recently written by FOG members for the Osborne-1 on a large screen projector. Membership had grown to nearly 300 by 1982, and in February of that year, FOG was offered a booth at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco. A significant increase in membership as a result of FOG’s presence at the WCCF led to the establishment of FOG chapters outside of the South Bay Area, and as many new members owned portable computers other than the Osborne 1 that ran on CP/M (ie Kayprows, Morrows, Commodores), the organization changed its name to the FOG International Computer Users Group. Membership numbers and the geographical reach of FOG increased further as military bases across the world began incorporating microprocessor technology. This growth led to the establishment of the FOG software library, which operated as a shareware program. The library’s primary purpose was to collect software and instructional material written and submitted by FOG users, verify that the software functioned as it was purported to and, if so, make duplicates to be sent to each FOG chapter. Also collected were manuals, books, and technical notes provided by Osborne Computer Corporation and other organizations. 1982 also saw FOG’s establishment as a non-profit organization and the creation of the Foghorn newsletter, which published member-submitted articles concerning the CP/M operating system. Foghorn continued to be available to members using CP/M until 1989, but in 1985, the prevelance of 16 and 32-bit technology for both PC and MS-DOS led to the creation of the FOG+ (later Foglight) newsletter to support members using these newer systems. FOG’s software library also reflects the popularity of these systems from the time they were introduced. First Osborne Group (FOG) X4071.2007 2 records By 1988, many of FOG’s founding members had left to pursue other interests, and a series of financial and organizational disagreements between existing staff and new board members resulted in the resignations of volunteers and paid staff. Turnover and lack of personnel had predictably deleterious effects on both the library operations and the newsletter, and with the resultant decline in membership dues and financial holdings, FOG was shut down in 1992. Scope and Content of the Collection The First Osborne Group (FOG) collection consists mainly of hand labeled 5 ¼, 8, and 3 ½ inch floppy disks from the FOG software library. The disk labels have been transcribed in the disks’ catalog records. The Documentation series consists of two boxes of textual materials. The library’s manual, book, and technical notes holdings can be found here. The series also includes internal documentation related to the library’s operations some correspondence and technical materials that were found in the disk library, and an incomplete run of FOG’s newsletters. Arrangement The collection is arranged into 3 series: Series 1, Documentation, ca. 1980-1990, bulk 1980-1985 Series 2, Software, 1979-1997, bulk 1981-1991 Series 3, Audiovisual, 1982-1987 Separated Material Physical objects and ephemera were separated from the main collection. To view catalog records for separated material search the CHM catalog at https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search/ . Subjects and Indexing Terms CP/M First Osborne Group Osborne Computer Corporation Documentation, Series 1, Bulk, 1980-1985 circa 1980-1990 Series Scope and Content This series is made up of the manuals, technical notes, and books collected for the FOG library, as well as an incomplete collection of the FOG+, Foglight, and Foghorn newsletters. There is also some Disk Librarian correspondence concerning the functionality of several submissions and the Disk Librarian job description. Also collected here are publications by other affiliated groups such as the British Osborne Owners Group (BOOG) and the KAYPRO User’s Group of New Orleans. Finally, item level records have been given to documentation found in the disk library which does not appear to be related to any of the Software series’ holdings. The container list for the documentation is arranged alphabetically. 102722606 Checks & Balances undated 102742750 Computer HELP : for users in the real world 1989-1990 102722594 CP/M 2.2 Operating System user reference manual ca. 1982 102722598 CP/M Plus programmers guide ca. 1981 102722597 CP/M Plus programmer's utilities guide ca. 1982 102722596 CP/M Plus symbolic instruction degugger ca. 1981 102722599 CP/M Plus system guide ca. 1982 102722600 CP/M Plus user's guide ca. 1982 102722620 CP/M summary guide 1985 102722608 Documate/Plus user manual 1981 102722619 Flashprint Software user guide 1985 102722621 FOG International Computer User Group 1987-1990 102722490 FOG+ ca. 1985 102722489 Foghorn : the official newsletter of the First Osborne Group ca. 1986 102722488 Foglight : the monthly 16/32 bit publication of FOG ca. 1986 102722611 Footnote 1981 102722618 FPlanner user's guide undated 102794063 Frederic Rentsch letter to FOG 1990 102722614 Freedom(tm) 100 user's manual undated First Osborne Group (FOG) X4071.2007 3 records Documentation, Series 1,Bulk, 1980-1985 circa 1980-1990 102722610 Grammatik 1981 102722615 Guide to using LOTUS 123 undated 102722616 KAYPRO users group of New Orleans 1988-1990 102722602 Logicalc user reference manual ca. 1982 102722612 Math* 1982 102722593 Micro Decision user's guide ca. 1983 102722587 Micro Mike's Bazic beginner's guide & operator's manual ca. 1983 102722617 Micropro Wordstar CP/M Edition ca. 1981 102722595 Micropro Wordstar with Correct-It user reference manual ca. 1981 102722590 Microsoft Basic 80 user's guide and reference manual ca. 1981 102722613 Mt 70 user's guide ca. 1984 102794065 Osborne 1 configuration sheet 1984 102794061 Osborne Computer Corporation limited warranty undated 102742751 Osborne users' groups reassure nervous owners 1983 102797095 PC-Write and friends 1989-09 102722603 Personal Pearl user's guide ca. 1982 102722588 Pilot user's guide ca. 1983 102722589 Quest Bookkeeper user manual ca. 1983 102722592 Sams CP/M primer ca. 1983 102722586 Softquest Smart Checkbook user's guide ca. 1983 102722609 Spellguard 1980 102722591 SuperCalc user's guide ca. 1983 102794062 Untitled disk directory undated 102722605 WordStar made easy 1982 102794064 ZBasic-PC - SZBasic-PC/386 release 4.6 information sheet undated Software, Series 2, Bulk, 1981-1991 1979-1997 Series Scope and Content This series is made up of software collected by the FOG software library. The bulk of the disks are hand labeled 5 ¼ inch floppy disks, but there is also an assortment of 3 ½ inch and 8 inch
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