Computers small and inexpensive enough to be purchased by individuals for use in their homes first became feasible in the 1970s, when large-scale integration made it possible to construct a sufficiently powerful microprocessor on a single semiconductor chip.A small firm named MITS made the first personal computer, the Altair. They sold for $750, that's about $5,000 today. Although the first personal computer is considered by many to be the KENBAK-1, which was first introduced for $750 in 1971. They had already made one dismal attempt to crack the market with their IBM 5100. It went on sale in 1979 and within 4 years it had sold 700,000 copies at $250 a time. (Image credit: IBM) 1981 : The first IBM personal computer, code-named "Acorn," is introduced. Personal computers began to have small and minor graphics on them, and a limited color range and the sales also began to rack up. In 1975, Ed Roberts coined the term "personal computer" when he introduced the Altair 8800. Both used the Intel 8080 CPU. The first personal computers, introduced in 1975, came as kits: The MITS Altair 8800, followed by the IMSAI 8080, an Altair clone. John Blankenbaker's Kenbak-1 computer has been called 'the world's first commercially available personal computer', and a rare 1971 example is now being auctioned. (Yes, cloning has been around that long!) At one point, IBM considered buying the fledgling game company Atari to commandeer Atari's early line of personal computers. By Newsweek Special Edition On 3/19/16 at 4:00 PM EDT. His program – called VisiCalc – was designed for the Apple II. You know, Babbages, the mall-based chain that eventually merged with Software Etc. Up to that time computers had been very large and expensive, operated mainly by big companies. The first modern computers were created in the 1950s and have a long theoretical and technical background. The personal computer moved into the world of business when Dan Bricklin created a spreadsheet program. But even the Kenbak-1 … The computer went on sale in 1971; just 50 machines were built. The term “personal computer”, or “PC”, has become a staple of our everyday life, but have you ever wondered where exactly that term came from? Then Commodore 64, which totaled 17 million units sold. And so to the 1970s. IBM had been observing the growing personal computer market for some time. The ZX Series by a UK Company introduced the ZX Spectrum, which sold 8 million units. I worked for a company named after the guy back in 1994. The Story of Steve Jobs, Xerox and Who Really Invented the Personal Computer. The first personal computer. But a much more popular personal computer came into the scene later that year. The story of the personal computer, including the rise of both Apple and Microsoft, is a fascinating tale. Some argue that he, not Turing or Zuse, is the true father of the modern computer. 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