Editing ARCNET (section)

=== Market ===
ARCNET remained proprietary until the early-to-mid 1980s. This did not cause concern at the time, as most network architectures were proprietary. The move to non-proprietary, open systems began as a response to the dominance of [[International Business Machines]] (IBM) and its [[Systems Network Architecture]] (SNA). In 1979, the Open Systems Interconnection Reference Model ([[OSI model]]) was published. Then, in 1980, Digital, Intel and Xerox (the DIX consortium) published an open standard for [[Ethernet]] that was soon adopted as the basis of standardization by the IEEE and the ISO. IBM responded by proposing [[Token Ring]] as an alternative to Ethernet but kept such tight control over standardization that competitors were wary of using it. ARCNET was less expensive than either of these, was more reliable, more flexible and, by the late 1980s, had a market share about equal to that of Ethernet. {{Citation Needed|date=April 2020}} [[RadioShack|Tandy/Radio Shack]] offered ARCNET as an application and file sharing medium for their [[TRS-80 Model II]], [[TRS-80 Model 12|Model 12]], [[TRS-80 Model 16|Model 16]], [[Tandy 6000]], [[Tandy 2000]], [[Tandy 1000]] and Tandy 1200 computer models. There were also hooks in the [[TRS-80 Model 4|Model 4P]]'s ROM to boot from an ARCNET network.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arcnet Board Parts List |url=http://support.radioshack.com/support_accessories/doc22/22520.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030122050501/http://support.radioshack.com/support_accessories/doc22/22520.htm|archive-date=2003-01-22 |publisher=RadioShack}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Reed |first=Matthew |title=Tandy Picks ARCNET |url=http://www.trs-80.org/arcnet/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331111152/http://www.trs-80.org/arcnet/ |archive-date=2022-03-31 |access-date=2022-10-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Reed |first=Matthew |title=The TRS‑80 Model 4P |url=http://www.trs-80.org/model-4p/ |access-date=2022-10-13}}</ref>

Ethernet became much more attractive when it moved from co-axial cable to [[Ethernet over twisted pair|twisted pair]] and an "interconnected stars" cabling topology based on active [[Ethernet hub|hub]]s. Easier cabling, combined with the greater raw speed of Ethernet ({{nowrap|10 Mbit/s}} versus {{nowrap|2.5 Mbit/s}} for ARCnet) helped to increase Ethernet's demand. As more companies entered the market, the price of Ethernet started to fall while ARCNET and Token Ring volumes tapered off.