The first mass personal computer. History of a personal computer

The computer has become an integral part of many people's lives. But once the PC was exotic or a device that was completely inaccessible because of the high cost or secrecy of technology. However, over time, there were founders of the transformation of a personal computer into a mass device. Thanks to whom the PC became available to a wide range of fans of digital technology, as well as ordinary citizens, those who seem to be able to do without it? What computers are considered to be the first among such solutions?

Criteria for the first place

Active discussions about who exactly launched the first mass personal computer, do not cease until now. Arguments in favor of a particular brand, which manufactured the product, which has become a widely replicated PC, are various.

Experts consider the key criterion that is able to clarify the issue, historical facts that reflect the specific time of the withdrawal of a product to the mass market. That is, what kind of computer was sold before others (later becoming mass) - this one should, according to this methodology, be considered the first. Therefore, our main task is to investigate the relevant historical data.

First PCs

When there were, actually, the first PCs - it does not matter, mass or single? Concerning this issue, the discussions are almost more fierce than in the case of the definition of those computers that have acquired the unconditional status of widely replicable ones. There are different versions reflecting who the first PC was released, and even in what state it appeared. So, there is information that in 1968 an engineer from Omsk, Arseniy Anatolievich Gorokhov, patented a computing device, in structure very similar to modern PCs. It included a monitor, a system unit with a data carrier, as well as electronic components, according to the functions of the corresponding motherboard, RAM and video card. However, the invention did not go into production.

The first PC from Apple

It is widely believed that the first full-fledged PC was invented yet in the US, namely, the efforts of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who offered the world an innovative concept for a PC under the Apple brand in 1976.

The first Apple computers required significant hardware additions - the case, monitor, keyboard. But in fact they could function fully. However, in 1977, the Apple II computer was brought to the market, it was fully equipped. These devices, according to many IT professionals and enthusiasts of computer history, were consistent with the status of the mass. What does it mean? The fact that the Apple PC of the 1976 model is, perhaps, the first mass personal computer. He soon acquired the status of an Apple II computer available to a wide range of users.

The first PC from IBM

But with respect to the point of view under consideration, a wide variety of counter-arguments are actively presented. Among them, we can single out those that are aimed at challenging the status of the championship of Apple in the aspect of bringing to the market as such a PC, fully staffed. So, it is known that in 1975 - before the devices from Apple appeared, IBM managed to release a computer model 5100. It was characterized by the presence of a separate monitor, data carrier, and keyboard, and therefore fully corresponded, as the enthusiasts of computer history believe, to the status Personal. At the same time, its price - more than 20 thousand dollars apiece - several dozen US salaries probably did not help it to be the first mass personal computer.

IBM PC and the criteria of "mass character"

In 1981, IBM released on the market incommensurably more affordable than the 5100, but at the same time functional, and most importantly, a completely competitive concept called IBM PC. The incredible success of the device allowed many specialists and electronics lovers to characterize it as the first mass personal computer. What kind of arguments do supporters of such an assessment lead?

First of all, they urge to rethink as such the criterion of "mass character". Undoubtedly, the device from Apple historically outperformed many competitive solutions in terms of the concept of an affordable PC offered to the market. However, IBM PC computers became especially popular due to their openness: the user, having bought a PC, could modify it in the aspect of replacing the most different components - processor, memory, hard drives. The supplier of monitors and additional devices could be any brand. Apple's computers, in turn, were a closed platform. Similarly, things were in the program aspect. The operating system of a personal computer in the IBM PC concept could be any. In turn, the Apple OS was supposed to be installed in the general case.

Two concepts

Thus, the criterion of "mass character" applied to the market of computer equipment can be understood in many ways. Computers from Apple correspond to it, because with the release of the first devices from the brand PC became available at a price to a wide range of users. Speaking about the US market - any resident with an average salary. IBM offered the US, and later the world market, devices that, apart from price availability, could be freely modified, copied at the concept level. The software of a personal computer that conforms to the architecture of IBM could also be created by any willing and able person.

Well, we can answer the main question of the article in two ways. If to talk about when and by whom the first mass personal computer was developed in principle, then it is possible to call Apple company and the device of the same name of 1976 pioneers of the market. But we know that there are other criteria of mass character, somehow openness for any developer of hardware components or software. They, in turn, correspond to the product of IBM. Thus, answering the question of when and by whom the first mass personal computer was developed, we will say that the main role here was played by IBM and its IBM PC product of 1981.

Interpretation of the term "personal computer"

There are differences in the interpretation of the term "personal computer" and the accompanying difference in versions reflecting the primacy of a brand in terms of bringing a PC to the market. What are the experts' points of view on this matter?

Some of the specialists pay attention to the fact that the term "personal computer" in itself existed long before the appeared devices from Apple and IBM appeared. According to some sources, for the first time it was used for the device Programma 101, released by the Italian company Olivetti - again, to the question of the country of origin of the first PC. Based on this fact, the primacy of any of the American brands - Apple or IBM to give incorrectly.

However, there are discussions about the factors that influenced the mass character of the term "personal computer". Here, the versions diverge in fact in sync with the distribution of opinions about the IBM and Apple leadership in the aspect of bringing devices to the market that are available to a wide range of users. To compare their legitimacy, probably, also will not be correct.

The first massive computers from Apple: specifications

However, back to the history of the PC. We determined that one of the interpretations of the term "mass" by the supplier of the first PCs can be considered the company Apple. It is interesting to study the characteristics of the devices that the American corporation brought to the market in 1976 and 1977. The first Apple computer was equipped with a MOS 6502 processor, which operated at a frequency of 1 MHz. The PC was installed 4 KB of RAM, which with the help of additional cards could be increased to 48 KB. Virtually the same characteristics were in Apple II.

The first Apple PCs: features

What could be done on the first PC from Apple? It may seem that the processors of personal computers of the appropriate type have a very modest rate indicator.

However, the marked performance was enough for the development of programs, as well as for games - in fact, the first commercial applications of the appropriate type were, as some historians and specialists note, written specifically for Apple II. Computer games, thanks to Apple's PC, have become available, therefore, to a wide range of users.

IBM PC: Features

The characteristics of the IBM PC, released in 1981, are as follows. The PC was equipped with an Intel 8088 processor running at 4.77 MHz. You could install up to 640 KB of RAM on the computer. Managed PC operating system IBM BASIC or PC-DOS.

It can be noted that as a resource for data storage in the IBM PC used mainly diskettes with a diameter of 5.25 inches. Later on the sale appeared PC with cassettes. However, IBM PC soon decided the issue of connecting a hard drive to the computer, releasing a separate module for it, through which it could be fed. So users were able to connect to PC disks with a volume of about 10 MB.

The IBM PC model was so successful that the concept proposed by the American company was actively copied - both by amateurs and large businesses. Appropriate solutions were called "IBM PC Compatible", that is, compatible with the original platform. This term has retained its relevance to this day.

On the basis of the IBM concept, a variety of classes of personal computers appeared - desktops, monoblocks, laptops. Many experts believe that the architecture of mobile devices, in general, corresponds to this platform, because they contain processors, memory, video processing and data storage modules.

Of course, both brands - Apple and IBM, have made a major contribution to the development of the computer industry. At least, in the world PC market, any competing concepts did not manifest themselves. The fundamental nature of both platforms predetermined their influence, which can be traced to this day - practically in all major segments of computer technology and digital devices.

Continuity of concepts

Both concepts - open and closed, proposed by IBM and Apple, thus retain their relevance. At the same time, according to experts, IBM's platform is characterized by greater massiveness, because of the above openness.

In the modern market of computer technology there is the term "IBM PC-compatible computer". This does not mean that IBM necessarily produces it. However, it fully corresponds to the concept, which she proposed in 1981. Undoubtedly, the most diverse types of personal computers appeared on the market, but from the point of view of belonging to the platform, they can be somehow classified as corresponding concepts from IBM PC.

The platform from Apple keeps the status of closed. The situation is similar with other segments of the market where the brand is present - in particular, in the sphere of mobile gadgets. Smartphones and tablets from Apple - iPhone, iPad are characterized by a closed platform.

It can be noted that their main competitor is an open concept based on the use of the Android operating system from Google. Thus, the confrontation between the open and closed platforms actually moved from the PC market to the mobile electronics segment as well.