- Mach 20 tried to bridge the gap between PC generations, but was forgotten
- Only 11 units of OS/2 for Mach 20 were delivered to customers
- Eight users who bought OS/2 for the Mach 20 immediately returned it disappointed.
In Microsoft’s success story, from Windows to its extensive suite of Office programs, there is an almost forgotten mistake that can serve as a lesson in technological times.
The “best-selling Microsoft product of all time” is not an obscure game or unused app, but rather a specialized version of an operating system designed for hardware that very few people own.
Known as the “OS/2 for Mach 20”, only eleven units were sold, eight of which were to be returned.
The vision behind Mach 20
In the mid-1980s, hardware evolved rapidly, with faster processors and more powerful graphics changing the capabilities of computers for professional users.
For businesses still adapting to the digital age, replacing entire systems was expensive, and Microsoft’s Mach 10 and later Mach 20 expansion cards were designed as a solution to this problem.
They promised to breathe new life into old computers by adding faster processors and extra memory via a plug-in upgrade rather than a full replacement.
The Mach 20 seemed like an interesting compromise between cost and performance, with its 80286 processor and expandable memory options.
Despite this promise, it was limited by an older and more expensive bus architecture to implement.
Even then, the market moved towards newer machines that did not require such an alternative solution.
Businesses that were previously reluctant to invest in new computers are now more willing to buy new hardware rather than resort to complex upgrades.
Microsoft’s decision to release a special version of OS/2 for Mach 20 exacerbated the problem.
OS/2 itself, developed in collaboration with IBM, was intended to replace DOS and compete with Windows as the future of computers.
But the Mach 20 edition required specialized hardware to run, reducing the potential user base to a handful of enthusiasts.
As expected, sales were disappointing. Only a few copies reached customers, making it one of the more obscure releases in Microsoft’s long catalog.
The Mach 20 and its OS/2 variant have been forgotten, but its story remains relevant because its failure shows how even a technology giant can misjudge the balance between innovation and usability.