Personal computer
In 1946, the ENIAC machine became operational and could be run by a single person. This mode of operation predated batch programming or time-sharing systems that connected multiple users to mainframe computers. Computers built for laboratory or engineering purposes allowed one person to interact with them directly. Examples include the Bendix G15 and LGP-30 from 1956. The Soviet Union developed the MIR series between 1965 and 1969 for similar interactive use.
Major advances in semiconductor technology made personal computing possible. Robert Noyce developed the silicon integrated circuit chip at Fairchild Semiconductor in 1959. Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng created the metal, oxide, semiconductor transistor at Bell Labs around the same period. RCA commercialized the MOS integrated circuit in 1964. Federico Faggin developed the silicon-gate MOS integrated circuit at Fairchild in 1968.
Faggin later used this technology to create the Intel 4004 microprocessor in 1971. Widespread availability of these chips from the mid-1970s onwards made computers affordable enough for small businesses and individuals. SRI researcher Douglas Engelbart demonstrated features like email, hypertext, word processing, video conferencing, and the mouse during a famous presentation in 1968. That demonstration required technical staff and expensive mainframe time-sharing systems that were far too costly for individual business use at the time.
Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems introduced the Altair 8800 in 1974. This machine is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution. It was based on the 8-bit Intel 8080 Microprocessor. Wayne Green visited MITS in August 1975 and interviewed Ed Roberts about its design. The computer bus designed for the Altair became a de facto standard known as the S-100 bus. Microsoft's founding product was Altair BASIC, the first programming language for the machine.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak sold the Apple I circuit board in 1976. Paul Terrell, owner of the Byte Shop, gave them their first purchase order for 50 units. He required the computers to be assembled and tested rather than sold as kits. Commodore announced the PET computer in January 1977, making it the first successfully mass-marketed personal computer. The first 100 units shipped to waiting customers in mid-October 1977.
Three months later, the Apple II was announced with the first units shipping on the 10th of June 1977. Tandy Corporation released the TRS-80 in August 1977, selling over 100,000 units during its lifetime. These three machines formed what is called the 1977 trinity. Mass-market ready-assembled computers arrived, allowing wider use by people who focused more on software applications than hardware development.
IBM introduced its first PC, model 5150, on the 12th of August 1981. It operated with an Intel 8088 chip running at 5 megahertz or later 16 MHz. The system could use up to 1 megabyte of memory. Microsoft provided the operating system that became known as MS-DOS. The machine was priced at US$1,565 and came with VisiCalc spreadsheet client and EasyWriter word processor. Customers paid an additional $3,000 for a display, diskette drives, and printer.
The open architecture of the IBM 5150 set a mass market standard for PC design. IBM encouraged other companies to develop software and peripherals for the computer. By the early 1990s, Microsoft operating systems combined with Intel x86 processors dominated the personal computer market. This combination became collectively known as Wintel. Today the term PC normally refers to this ubiquitous platform or Windows PCs in general.
Alternatives to Windows occupy a minority share of the market. Apple's Mac platform runs macOS operating system. Free and open-source Unix-like systems include Linux and ChromeOS. Other notable platforms until the 1990s were the Amiga from Commodore, the Atari ST, and the PC-98 from NEC.
Alan Kay described the Dynabook concept in 1972, but no hardware was developed at that time. The Xerox NoteTaker appeared in a very small experimental batch around 1978. The IBM 5100 could fit into a transport case in 1975 but weighed about 50 pounds. Journalists termed such early portable computers luggables due to their heft.
Before the introduction of the IBM PC, suitcase-style portable computers included the Osborne 1 and Kaypro models. These machines had AC power requirements and small CRT display screens. They were intended for carry-on baggage on airplanes though high power demand prevented use during flight. Later models included hard drives for performance equivalent to contemporary desktop computers.
Thin plasma displays and LCD screens permitted smaller form factors called lunchbox computers. Laptops emerged with clamshell designs where keyboard and components sit on one panel. A hinged second panel contains a flat display screen. Closing the laptop protects both screen and keyboard during transportation. Notebook computers like the TRS-80 Model 100 and Epson HX-20 had dimensions similar to a sheet of typing paper.
Early personal computers used operating systems supporting command line interaction. Users had to remember large ranges of commands to open files or move text. Starting in the early 1960s, advantages of graphical user interfaces began to be explored. Widespread adoption required lower-cost graphical display equipment. By 1984, mass-market computer systems using graphical user interfaces became available.
Apple launched the Macintosh in 1984 with an advertisement during the Super Bowl. It was the first successful mass-market mouse-driven computer with a graphical user interface. The system included 128 KB of RAM initially, later adding a 512 KB model. Applications included MacPaint bit-mapped graphics program and MacWrite word processor demonstrating WYSIWYG capabilities.
By the turn of the 21st century, text-mode operating systems were no longer significant fractions of the market. Common contemporary desktop operating systems include Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD. Software applications range from word processors to spreadsheets and media players. Multiple applications bundled together form application suites like Microsoft Office and LibreOffice.
In 1977, only 48,000 personal computers were shipped globally. By 2001, that number reached 125 million units. More than 500 million personal computers were in use by 2002. One billion personal computers had been sold worldwide from the mid-1970s up to 2002. About 81.5% of shipped PCs were desktop computers while 16.4% were laptops.
Global PC shipments hit 350.9 million units in 2010 according to Gartner research. In 2013, worldwide sales began falling as consumers moved toward tablets and smartphones. The fourth quarter of 2012 saw a 4.9% decline from the previous year. Global PC sales fell sharply in the first quarter of 2013 with a 14% year-over-year drop marking the largest on record since tracking began in 1994.
By late 2022, the market stabilized after demand cooled down. Worldwide shipments of desktop and laptop computers fell by 19.5% in the third quarter of 2022 compared with the prior year period. This marked the steepest decline documented by Gartner in more than two decades of tracking. Global PC shipments during the fourth quarter of 2024 grew 1.8% year-over-year reaching 68.9 million units.
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Common questions
When did the ENIAC machine become operational and who could run it?
The ENIAC machine became operational in 1946 and could be run by a single person. This mode of operation predated batch programming or time-sharing systems that connected multiple users to mainframe computers.
What year was the Intel 4004 microprocessor developed and by whom?
Federico Faggin created the Intel 4004 microprocessor in 1971 using silicon-gate MOS integrated circuit technology he developed at Fairchild Semiconductor. Widespread availability of these chips from the mid-1970s onwards made computers affordable enough for small businesses and individuals.
Which computer is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution?
Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems introduced the Altair 8800 in 1974 which is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution. It was based on the 8-bit Intel 8080 Microprocessor and Microsoft's founding product was Altair BASIC.
When did Commodore announce the PET computer and when were the first units shipped?
Commodore announced the PET computer in January 1977 making it the first successfully mass-marketed personal computer. The first 100 units shipped to waiting customers in mid-October 1977.
On what date did IBM introduce its first PC model 5150 and what processor did it use?
IBM introduced its first PC model 5150 on the 12th of August 1981 operating with an Intel 8088 chip running at 5 megahertz or later 16 MHz. The system could use up to 1 megabyte of memory and came with VisiCalc spreadsheet client and EasyWriter word processor.
How many personal computers had been sold worldwide from the mid-1970s up to 2002?
One billion personal computers had been sold worldwide from the mid-1970s up to 2002. By late 2022 the market stabilized after demand cooled down with global PC shipments during the fourth quarter of 2024 growing 1.8% year-over-year reaching 68.9 million units.