More than half of the IBM PS/2 personal computers installed in the finance division at the Internal Revenue Service have failed, according to Government Computer News, which says that seven out of 13 Model 30s had hard disk or video failures: IBM blames the contractor who sold the machines to the tax collectors, but although they were all fixed or replaced, the finance division’s confidence was so shaken that it dumped the machines off onto another group of revenue men and bought AT-alikes from AST Research Inc instead; not surprising really, though, is it? With the Pentagon’s penchant for $2,000 lavatory seats, $100 ashtrays and $600 spanners, IBM doesn’t enjoy paying its taxes any more than anybody else does.
