Personal computers (PC) have become an integral part of everyday life. The US company IBM laid the foundation for this 40 years ago. On August 12, 1981, the IBM 5150 appeared – which not only ushered in a new era in technology history, but also made Microsoft founder Bill Gates rich.
The start of the first commercial PC was bumpy. Because Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, the founders of Apple, had already developed a PC in 1976: the Apple I. While the IBM group, which at that time specialized in mainframes, still smiled at this invention of the competition, it was completely different with the follow-up project Apple II. IBM’s then CEO Frank Carey commissioned developers to design a PC in the early 1980s.
Instead of redesigning the computer from scratch, IBM bought the know-how of smaller service providers. Microsoft founder Bill Gates played a decisive role in this: he obtained a commitment from IBM to supply the operating system for the PC – and later became a billionaire.
When it was presented, however, the IBM 5150 initially caused long faces: Microsoft’s software was criticized as being weak, the graphics as not being powerful enough. “It was backward. In terms of hardware, not a milestone, in terms of software, not a milestone. But it came at the right time,” said experts. In a press release, IBM touted the flat typewriter-sized box as “a computer for anyone who has always wanted a personal computer in the office, on the university campus or at home”. The PC stood out, especially with word processing and spreadsheets, and thereby displaced competing models from offices.
Competition passed IBM
To this day, all PC developers have orientated themselves to the technical standards of this model. For IBM, the development was both a blessing and a curse. Because the group decided to allow other companies such as Compaq, Dell or Nixdorf to replicate the PC. While the competition caught up with cheaper models, IBM lost ground. In 1994 Compaq ousted IBM from the top. In 2005, IBM sold its PC division including trademark rights to the Chinese company Lenovo, which is now the world market leader.
The industry itself has experienced ups and downs in recent years: while 350 million PCs were sold worldwide in 2011, it was around 260 million in 2018 because other technical devices overtook the PC. Corona, homeschooling and home office, however, brought about another turnaround: In the previous year, sales rose to more than 300 million units – laptops included. (Rome)
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
