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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.
Collection surveyed by Sydney Gulbronson Olson, 2017. Collection processed by Jack Doran, 2019.
The collection is open for research.
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.
[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.
The First Osborne Group (FOG) was a users’ group and membership organization originally made up of users of the Osborne 1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.
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.
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
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