Before production of IBM began, Watson visited with 20 companies and reported 18 orders when describing the market acceptance of the IBM 701 computer.
Before production began, Watson visited with 20 companies that were potential customers. This is what he said at the stockholders' meeting, "as a result of our trip, on which we expected to get orders for five machines, we came home with orders for 18". was describing the market acceptance of the IBM 701 computer. Thomas Watson Jr. 
