Landmark Computer Labs began in 1979 as a consulting and training firm specializing in microcomputer related issues. That year Bud Stolker, Landmark's founder, began teaching several adult education classes on personal computers through Open University of Washington, DC. The ongoing series soon grew to six titles that ran in rotating sequence for several years. Bud wrote all the software in BASIC, first on Oric, his Vector Graphic Z80 system, which had speech output and speech recognition, then later on an Atari 800.
By the early 1980s Bud was developing and presenting national lecture tours for industry leaders and educators interested in the growth of the PC phenomenon. He traveled with an Atari 800 and lectured with joystick in hand. His custom-written interactive lecture software gave many audiences their first look at how a color computer could be used to illustrate and enhance a presentation.
Bud also prototyped concept computers, notably a kitchen computer for a major national appliance manufacturer. Featured in a "Kitchen of the Future" display, the Landmark Concept Computer offered customized meal menus, inventory control via a light pen reading product bar codes, and a simple but durable touch-screen interface.
Also in the early 1980s, Landmark was consulting with clients purchasing their first personal computers. At that time the choices were limited: the 6502-based Apple, Atari, and Commodore, or, for serious (read "black and white") computing, anything running CP/M.
Landmark Labs began selling personal computers and supporting PC users in 1981, when floppy disk drives were expensive options and laptop computers had 8K of memory. We consulted on business computers too, focusing first on CP/M computers and later on DOS-based systems.
We authored a revolutionary operating system concept in the mid 1980s for a major national publisher who seriously intended to dominate the PC software industry. Bud first prototyped the program on his Atari. The concept team then developed software samples on several different hardware platforms including Apple II, Commodore 64, and IBM. The intent was to capture market share by providing programs with a consistent look and feel that would run on any popular brand of computer with standard built-in graphics. The concept was similar to Microsoft's Windows, but more graphical, more object- oriented, and more intuitive. (After $4 million spent in development, the parent company dumped that project and two others focusing on electronic media. They could not see a clear winner in the hardware arena and were afraid to gamble any more company funds.)
By 1985 DOS and the IBM PC standard had become pervasive. Clients were asking us to provide hardware and software as well as training and support services. Landmark Labs built several XT clones for members of the local North Star Computer Users Group. Those computers were so well-received that we introduced our first IBM-compatible computer, a Turbo XT model with 20 Mb. hard disk. Landmark's "Smart Computer" was a low-cost, high-quality product with software, training, personalized user guide and open-ended technical support. It sold well. Several of our original systems are still in daily use. Most have been upgraded at least once or twice, but there are still a few originals out there.
Our PC systems grew with the times. As the world shifted to Turbo ATs, then to models based on the Intel 80386 chip, so did Landmark. Always our systems had some technical edge: higher speed, more memory or disk capacity. And always we offered free technical support and bundled software customized to each user's needs and interests.
For several years our PC sales were strong, but by the early 1990s the PC landscape had changed. Clone shops had proliferated to the point where there were hundreds in the Washington, DC area. Appliance and department stores had begun carrying computers, only to be challenged in turn by the superstores. First came Micro Center, then CompUSA and Computer City. (Now even the heavy hitters are under attack from electronics megastores like Incredible Universe and Best Buy.)
We continued to sell computers, even as our profits--and everyone's--were squeezed. We still sell them, but our focus is far different from that of the early years. Now we provide personal computers as part of a package of services--typically a network or a group of similar systems (school computer labs, for example) with support included. These systems differ from consumer-grade computers in the level of service and support we provide.
Of course we still sell individual systems on request, generally (but not exclusively) to clients who like our style and who appreciate the added value we furnish with each computer.
In April 1995 Landmark opened this, our first Internet Web site. It has grown from a simple one- page display to over a megabyte of text and graphics.
Last update: 1-12-96.