The history of the personal computer as a mass-market consumer electronic device began with the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s. A See more

The history of the personal computer as mass-market consumer electronic devices effectively began in 1977 with the introduction of … See more

The "brain" [computer] may one day come down to our level [of the common people] and help with our income-tax and book-keeping calculations. But this is speculation and there is no sign of it so far.— British newspaper The Star in a June 1949 news … See more

Byte in January 1980 announced in an editorial that "the era of off-the-shelf personal computers has arrived". The magazine stated that … See more

There are several competing claims as to the origins of the term "personal computer". Yale Law School librarian Fred Shapiro notes an … See more

By 1976, there were several firms racing to introduce the first truly successful commercial personal computers. Three machines, the Apple II, PET 2001 and TRS-80 were … See more

Through the 1970s, personal computers had proven popular with electronics enthusiasts and hobbyists, however it was unclear why the general public might want to own one. This perception changed in 1979 with the release of VisiCalc from VisiCorp See more