The IBM Personal Computer is released.
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, was introduced on August 12, 1981, and became one of the most influential computers in the history of personal computing. Officially designated the IBM Model 5150, it was developed by a small IBM team in Boca Raton, Florida, led by Don Estridge. IBM had previously been best known for large mainframe computers used by corporations and governments, but the rapid growth of personal computers from companies such as Apple, Commodore, and Tandy persuaded IBM to enter the expanding market. To speed development, IBM departed from its traditional practice of designing most components internally and instead assembled the PC largely from readily available parts supplied by outside manufacturers.
The original IBM PC was built around the Intel 8088 microprocessor, operating at 4.77 MHz. Basic models could be purchased with as little as 16 KB of RAM, although the system could be expanded considerably. Customers could choose configurations that included floppy-disk drives, a keyboard, monitor, printers, and other peripherals. One of the most important decisions involved the operating system. IBM turned to the relatively small software company Microsoft, which supplied PC DOS, an IBM-branded version of Microsoft’s MS-DOS. This arrangement would prove enormously important, helping Microsoft become one of the dominant companies of the computer industry.
Although the IBM PC itself was commercially successful, its greatest impact came from the architecture surrounding it. Because IBM used widely available components and published detailed technical information about the machine, other manufacturers were eventually able to produce computers that were compatible with IBM PC software and hardware. These machines became known as IBM-compatible PCs or “PC clones.” Companies such as Compaq demonstrated that they could legally reproduce the functionality of the IBM PC while developing their own compatible BIOS software. Competition among clone manufacturers drove prices downward, encouraged rapid technological improvements, and established the IBM-compatible architecture as the dominant standard for business and home computing.
The IBM PC’s legacy extends far beyond the original Model 5150. IBM followed it with machines including the IBM PC XT in 1983 and the more powerful IBM PC AT in 1984, but over time the wider PC industry became less dependent on IBM itself. Microsoft and Intel gained particularly powerful positions because their software and processors became central to successive generations of compatible computers. IBM eventually lost control of the standard it had helped create and sold its personal-computer business to Lenovo in 2005. Nevertheless, the basic technological lineage established by the 1981 IBM PC continues in modern Windows-based desktop and laptop computers, making its introduction a major turning point in the development of personal computing.