The evolution of
personal computing
From the launch of the first microprocessor, to the
operating system that brings touch controls to devices
for the first time, we identify the 20 greatest landmarks
in the history of personal computing.
’70s
Intel 4004
The first ever ‘microprocessor,’ the
Intel 4004 heralded the dawn of the
personal computing age. The Intel
4004 had an initial clock speed of
108KHz and 2,300 individual transistors
compared to 3.9GHz and 1.4 billion
transistors on the latest chips.
1971
Xerox Alto
1973
The Xerox Alto was the first computer
with a graphical user interface (GUI) –
complete with desktop, folders and
icons – and was the first to be controlled
by a mouse. It was never sold to the
public, though.
1975
CPU
MHz
1977
Altair 8800
Widely regarded as the first personal
computer, the Altair 8800 was ground
breaking. It was sold in kit form,
containing four separate circuit boards
and many different parts. Microsoft
was founded to supply a BASIC
interpreter for the Altair.
1
RAM
KB
4
Apple II
Arguably, the first commercially
successful PC, the Apple II launched
with an integrated QWERTY keyboard,
colour graphics and a cassette tape
deck for loading programs. The first
model sported a 1MHz processor and
4KB of RAM.
’80s
CPU
The birth of MS-DOS
In July 1980, IBM approached Microsoft to
provide an operating system for a forthcoming personal computer, codenamed
‘Chess’ Microsoft acquired the rights to
86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products
and adapted it to IBM’s needs. The
Microsoft Disk Operating System was born.
4.77
1980
1981
RAM
MHz
64
KB
The IBM PC
‘Chess’ was eventually unveiled as the
IBM 5150 PC in August 1981. It used an
Intel 8088 CPU running at 4.77MHz and
up to 64KB of RAM. Its impact was such
that, in 1982, Time declared the home
computer as its Person of the Year.
1982
GRiD Compass
Debate rages over what was the first
‘laptop’, but we’re giving the honour to
the GRiD Compass, the first vaguely
mainstream device to use the familiar
clamshell design. It cost up to $10,000,
and was used by NASA.
Attack of the clones
1983
Using a combination of Intel processors
and MS-DOS, several manufacturers
created IBM PC-compatible computers.
Companies such as Compaq and HP
created so-called ‘clones’ that could run
the same software as IBM’s machines,
but were often much cheaper.
1984
The Macintosh
Despite the Xerox Alto introducing
such concepts more than a decade
earlier, the Mac became the first
mass-market computer to ship with a
graphical user interface and a mouse.
1985
The micro machines
Although not IBM compatibles, so-called
‘micro machines’ such as the ZX
Spectrum, Commodore 64 and BBC
Micro became the first personal
computer in many British homes.
Microsoft Word
Initially released for MS-DOS back in
1983, Microsoft Word has become
one of the most used applications of
all time. It, of course, formed part of
the first Office suite, alongside Excel
and PowerPoint in 1990.
Windows 1.0
The forefather of the operating system
used on the vast majority of today’s
PCs, Windows 1.0 replaced MS-DOS’
typed commands with point-and-click
‘windows’, including drop-down
menus, scrollbars and more.
’90s
1990
Windows 3.x
The 1990 launch of Windows 3.0 and
subsequent 1992 arrival of Windows
3.1 coincided with a steep upswing in
PC ownership. Concepts such as the
Program Manager and File Manager
were introduced for the first time.
Mosaic (Netscape Navigator)
1993
Mosaic, later renamed Netscape
Navigator, was the first popular web
browser, and a major driver of the
home PC boom that was to follow. In
1994, it accounted for 90% of web
use, but by 2002, Internet Explorer
had 95% market share.
1995
Windows 95
The PC came of age with Windows 95,
which sold seven million copies in its
first five weeks. It introduced the Start
button and desktop that are still in
use today. It’s undoubtedly the most
influential operating system ever made.
The iMac
1998
Windows PCs dominated the 1990s,
but Apple introduced the most iconic
computer of the decade, the
all-in-one iMac. The iMac, launched a
year after Steve Jobs returned to
Apple and saved the company from
financial ruin.
’00s
2001
Windows XP
Windows XP – the operating system
that made Windows so stable that
Microsoft is still having to convince
companies to part with it today, 13
years after its initial release.
Windows 7
2009
Released five years ago, Windows 7
is by far and away the most used
computer operating system in the
world today. It markedly improved
on Windows XP’s reliability and
performance.
’10s
2010
Apple iPad
Windows 7 offered touch controls, but
touchscreen tablets really took off with
the launch of Apple’s iPad. The iPad
transformed mobile computing and
paved the way for tablets running a
variety of operating systems.
2012
Windows 8
The first version of Windows to have
touch controls baked-in, Windows 8
has given birth to dozens of new
laptop, hybrid and desktop designs.
Windows 8.1, released in 2013, has
made several key refinements to the
operating system.
Find out more
about Windows devices
© 2014