Personal Computers: A History of the Hardware That Changed the World

On this day in 1981, IBM launched the “Personal Computer.” Revealed at a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, the 21-pound PC cost $1,565, boasted 16K of memory, and had the ability to connect to a TV set, play games and word process. While IBM wasn’t the first or only company with a personal computer on the market (the Apple II was launched in 1977), it kick-started the home computing revolution. A year later, the personal computer was selected as Time Magazine‘s “Man (or rather, Machine) of the Year.”
Personal Computers: A History of the Hardware That Changed the World