I thought it was "personal computers". IBM had already sold many computers by the time that he made that stupid remark.

@FrayedBear 1943?

@BD66 It was repeated in the 70's. Though I suspect to divert attention from what they were doing.
You have to also ask why did they continue to research, develop & produce computers through the period to the 80's when the desktop came out?
Watson by the way was appointed general manager in 1914 & guided IBM through immense growth & development to become the greatest producers of business machines & inventors of electronic computers.
[thoughtco.com]

@FrayedBear IBM completely dominated the Personal computer space in the early 1980's, but other companies started coming out with "IBM-compatible" personal computers. Bill Gates was smart enough to see that the hardware on personal computers would become like a commodity, and the real opportunity for product differentiation (and market dominance) was in the personal computer software. That's why IBM is no longer making personal computers, and Bill Gates is worth $100,000,000,000.

@BD66 I suggest Gates wasn't "smart" just opportunistic & recognising that worldwide was dealing with very stupid people who believed the hype of his spruiking.
If you want to admire someone I suggest that you compare Linus Torvalds to Gates - it is like comparing Everest to a festering pimple on your backside.

I remember installing a 6 station system running on a 40 Mb AT using a variant of UNIX, Chinese clone machines & proprietory software for approximately US$10K. At the same time another business installed IBM & Microsoft to do the same job & it cost US$60K.

Gates conned governments around the world that his system & inferior programmes were the eay to go - they weren't & now many are adopting Linux based systems.

There will always be fools who believe that money talks bullshit walks but don't understand genius nor educate themselves or properly employ educated people.

I'm continuously amused at American rage against Chinese theft of American know how. America has been doing it for a very long time not only through industrial espionage but through draing other countries of their brain power. The tide however has long turned.