Jan 13, 2015 06:00:00

What is the world's first PC among the "Apple II" and "IBM 5100" machines?

We aim to keep PCs that appeared in a long historyBlinkenlights Archaeological Institute(BAI) has investigated which kind of model is the world's first among PCs that have mainly appeared on personal use in the market and published the results.

Personal Computer Milestones
http://www.blinkenlights.com/pc.shtml

Blinkenlights Archaeological Institute,
·Analog computerBeing a "digital" calculator rather than a
· Most part is automatic type
· It must be programmable even for general users
· Easy to obtain because it can be obtained as a consumer product or a kit has been released
· It must be as small as a general person can carry
· That it is not expensive
· Be simple to use, even if you do not receive special training
"Personal computer (PC)" that meets the seven requirements was defined and investigated.

◆ 01:IBM PC(IBM)

ByMike Licht

The first candidate for BAI was "IBM PC". The official name is "IBM Personal Computer 5150", which was released in 1981. Although it was the first PC released by IBM who was running the top IT company for a long time, it is not "the world's first PC".

◆ 02:Apple II(Apple)

ByLuc Legay

Apple IIPC was released by Apple in 1977. It is the first PC in the world to be mass-produced and mass-sold as a finished product for individuals, but PCs defined by BAI have a lot more to appear before Apple II.

◆ 03:IBM 5100(IBM)


The IBM 5100 was released in 1975, six years before the IBM PC. It was IBM's first desktop portable computer with 100 KB of ROM and 64 KB of RAM installed but it was said that it was not popular at the general level with expensive price setting to call PC, It does not apply to.

◆ 04:Altair 8800(MITS)

ByEd Uthman

Altair 8800 was a computer released by MITS in the United States for consumers in 1974, it was possible to launch Microsoft's software for the first time in the world. According to BAI, Altair 8800 may be mentioned as the first PC in the world, but it is a mistake that Microsoft enthusiasts are liable to commit.

◆ 05:Mark-8(Radio Electroonics)


Next, BAI cited Mark-8 which appeared in 1974 as the world's first computer using the 8-bit microprocessor Intel 8008. Sometimes the user was introduced to the magazine as a computer that can be freely assembled, called a big topic among enthusiasts.

◆ 06:HP-65(HP)

ByDaniel Sancho

In 1973 HP released HP-65 as the world's first mobile programmable calculator. Despite having a calculator, we loaded a magnetic card that can store programs and played games. Although it is getting closer to the world's first PC dating back to the release time gradually, there are many PCs released before the time of HP-65.

◆ 07:Alto(Xerox)

ByMichael Hicks

Alto is a prototype of a computer developed at the Palo Alto Research Center in Xerox in 1973. A computer that was created for the purpose of personal use at the time when many computers for special purpose use were developed is. It is a name machine that leaves a name in the latter by affecting Steve Jobs and becoming a trigger to develop Lisa and Macintosh, but it is not the world's first PC.

◆ 08:Micral(Micral)

ByBrian Hicks

Micral, which appeared as the world's first commercial PC, was launched in France in 1973. However, the price of 1,750 dollars (about 520,000 yen) is a bottleneck, it does not circulate at the general level, it is out of the definition of BAI.

◆ 09:SIM 4 - 01(Intel)


Although Intel's SIM 4-01 was launched in 1971 as the world's first microcomputer using a microprocessor for the CPU, it is not the world's first PC.

◆ 10:9830A(HP)


9830 A has built-in basic language in ROM and appeared in 1972 as the first desktop all-in-one computer. However, HP sells 9830 A preferentially to engineers and scientists, so it seems that it is not well known among enthusiasts.

◆ 11:Kenbak-1(Kenbak)

ByKathryn Greenhill

Kenbak's Kenbak-1 is introduced as the world's first PC at the computer history museum in the United States. Kenbak-1 that appeared in 1971 was not too expensive and compact in size, but the sales volume is only 40 units, and as of the writing of articles it is said that 10 units are present.

◆ 12:Kitchen Computer DDP-516 base(Honeywell)

ByScott Beale

Although Kitchen Computer, which appeared in 1969 under the name of a housewife to preserve the recipe of a dish and read it at any time, is Kitchen Computer which cost about $ 10,000 (about 6.5 million yen) and weighs 45 kilograms It was not a substitute that a housewife's housewife can master.

◆ 13:PDP-8(DEC)

ByCarlo Nardone

PDP - 8, the world 's first commercially successful 12 - bit minicomputer, appeared in 1965. There was as much refrigerator as the size is small, and the price was not enough for enthusiasts to purchase.

◆ 14:Minivac 601(Scientific Development Corporation)

ByAlessandro Grussu

Minivac 601 was launched by Scientific Development Corporation for education in 1961. Although it is a PC that appeared early in the computer market, it is not the first in the world.

◆ 15: Simon (Berkeley Enterprises)


Among many candidates crocating the release date, the world's first PC defined by BAI was Simon, which Berkeley Enterprises launched in 1950. Invented Sketchpad, a pioneer of GUI, pioneers of computer graphics and virtual realityEyban SutherlandIt is also known for what he used.