Some personal computers are considered to be revolutionary and influential devices in history due to their commercial success and high popularity or special features. In this article, we want to introduce the most important and influential computers in history.
Forty years have passed since the launch of IBM’s first personal computer, and the launch of this product marked the beginning of a new type of computer, the personal computer. A few years later, personal computers entered the homes of Americans and people around the world and changed people’s lives, and most people in the world today have access to them. Here are some of the most important personal computers in history.
10. Surface Studio
It is safe to say that Surface Studio is one of our most controversial choices and, of course, the newest computer on our list. Surface Studio was introduced and released in late 2016, and its next model, Surface Studio 2, was released two years later. Surface Studio, like Apple’s iMac, has a minimalist design and is an all-in-one computer; Of course, unlike Apple’s iMac, it could not achieve very high sales; So why is it on our list?
Today, the line between personal computers and similar devices has blurred, and in 2021 this is even more noticeable. These days, most computer enthusiasts mount their components and rarely go to All in One, although processors still play a major role. Of course, these chips have given us a lot of power in smaller devices, and today we do a lot of the old things we could do with computers with phones or tablets.
Surface Studio aims to meet all expectations from a modern and advanced personal computer that includes a touch screen and an optimized user interface for touch screens, a quality display and the ability to perform all tasks that can be done with all common PCs. Given today’s achievements, the development of personal computers in the future will not be limited. It can be said that Surface Studio is a futuristic product and a symbol of the future of personal computers.
9. Lisa
Lisa is the strangest computer on our list, because although it paved the way for the development of personal computers in the future, it became a completely broken product in its time. Lisa PC was introduced in collaboration with Apple and Xerox PARC with Apple-specific user interface elements of windows, icons, and mouse cursors designed by Apple and developed by Cupertino residents; Of course, using its user interface on Lisa’s computer was the first time it had introduced it to the public.
Lisa was released in 1983 for $ 9995 (equivalent to $ 27,000 today); So the general public, or at least the majority of people, could not afford such an expensive computer; But fortunately, Lisa paved the way for the release of the Macintosh the following year, and the new product was advertised in an excellent and influential TV commercial featuring Kevin Costner.
8. IMac G3
The iMac G3 translucent and colorful computer is the most memorable computer of 1998. Steve Jobs says the following about this computer:
“It looks like this computer came from another planet, and it’s a better planet with better designers.”
Like many Apple devices, this device was designed by Jonathan Ive, the mastermind of the Apple designer who designed the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and countless other devices during his two decades at Apple.
The iMac G3 was designed to keep pace with the times, and the floppy disk was removed. Apple designed the computer to be as simple as possible and to have capabilities that can be used immediately after purchasing a computer without the need to install or add any software or hardware; So the best design approach that Apple was known for was seen in the iMac G3. This unique computer returned to the production line with power after several years of poor condition.
7. The beige box
You may be wondering how computers called box boxes can be one of the most important personal computers in history? Built in the 1990s, these computers are a major milestone in the development of personal computers; At that time, in addition to Apple, a few other companies began making their own computers, but instead of the systems being fully ready to go on the market, they were assembled using common second-hand components to lower their prices and make their way to the market. Grow personal computers.
But were these computers boring? It cannot be said that such an idea is quite true of beige boxes. These devices may seem ordinary and somewhat low-level; But we must not forget that these computers, in turn, have paved the way for the development of personal computers.
On the other hand, due to having a modular system, such computers could be customized and prepared according to the user’s order and according to his needs; Therefore, Peugeot boxes can not be removed from this list simply because they do not have a beautiful appearance and poor performance.
6. Xerox Star
Not all of the computers on this list are at the top in terms of sales and have not impressed the world, but some of them made it to the list simply because they were designed to look back, not because of their success in their own time. 40 years ago, Star Xerox introduced the most important elements of computers, namely digital display, graphical user interface, two-button mouse, Ethernet network, e-mail and many other things.
But unfortunately, the extraordinarily high price of $ 16,500 (the current equivalent of $ 48,000) made the majority of people unable to afford it, so it was not very well received; Of course, we should not forget that if the effective actions of Xerox PARC, the manufacturer of Star Xerox in the field of computer manufacturing, had not been done, today’s computers would have been completely different.
5. Altair 8800 (MITS Altair 8800)
The Altair 8800 was built in 1975 and is the world’s first personal computer. This computer was created when the personal computer had almost no meaning. Altier’s image appeared on the cover of Popular Electronics magazine in 1976, thus beginning a revolution in the field of personal computers.
The Altair 8800 was much smaller than computers that occupied a full room, or at least the size of a refrigerator, and were used in companies and universities at the time, and because it was built based on the kit, users could easily place it on Put the table.
Of course, the power of this computer was not at all equal to the size of commercial computers at that time; But it was undoubtedly a major breakthrough in the field of personal computers, making it possible for ordinary users to use computers at home for the first time; The main processor of this computer was the 8080 processor, which was one of the new Intel processors at that time. Bill Gates and Paul Allen, two regular students at the time, used Altier 8800 to design the Basic Interpreter, which is used for the BASIC programming language and was Microsoft’s first software product.
4. Apple 2
Although the Apple II was not Apple’s first computer, it introduced the company to the world. One of the advantages of the Apple 2 over personal computers of its time was that it had a color display; The computer was originally designed by Steve Wozniak, and its iconic industrial design, which made it look more like a home appliance than a tech-savvy device, was also handled by Jerry Manock.
Apple continued to produce various models of this computer until the 1990s, and for this reason, this computer has been on the market for a long time; Therefore, it can be said that the production and release of Apple 2 was not only a great achievement for Apple; It also paved the way for the mass production and widespread use of personal computers.
3. Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, or CMB 64 for short, which began production in 1982 and ceased in 1994, was an 8-bit personal computer that is also the best-selling personal computer in the history of personal computers. According to estimates provided by independent sources, between 12.5 and 17 million units of this computer have been produced.
Commodore 64 is one of the first computers imported to Iran. 2 million units of this computer were sold annually, and according to a Commodore employee, 400,000 units of this computer will be produced monthly for storage and sale in the coming years. The Commodore had great graphics in its time and a programmable audio chip. Other notable features of this computer include a 1 MHz CPU and 64 KB of RAM.
The Commodore was a huge success at the time, and users could connect it to a TV like a game console. The computer became so popular that it was even sold in stores other than computer stores. The Commodore 64 may not be as revolutionary as the other computers on this list; But its popularity cannot be ignored.
2. Macintosh (Macintosh 128K)
The first generation of Macintosh computer was introduced in 1984 with a very impressive TV commercial; But he did not have the power to show off at all. It also failed to meet Apple’s expected sales at all; Nevertheless, it was still a revolutionary computer, and its production and supply for 40 years was a very important turning point in the history of computers and the design approach.
After launching several models of its Mac computers, Apple has just achieved the success it promised in launching the 128K Mac; Therefore, the release and production of this computer is one of the greatest historical achievements of Apple.
1. IBM Computer
If you were to ask a few people with moderate knowledge of the history of the computer industry to name a computer company in the 1981s, almost all of them, without exception, would mention IBM; But you should know that the first IBM computers were the size of a room and were used only by large and well-known companies; But in 1981, the company introduced its first small home computer, the IBM Model 5150, also known as the IBM Computer.
The computer used an 8088 processor and Microsoft DOS MS operating system. With the advent of IBM computers, personal computers have become an essential commodity in homes and businesses.
A few months after the launch of this computer, various software and peripherals were released for it. The launch of this computer encouraged other brands active in the field of computers to produce their own computers; Of course, IBM’s lead in the PC industry, unlike companies like Apple, did not last long; But the impact of the IBM computer can not be underestimated. The long-term impact of this computer and its commercial success at the time of its launch has made the successful IBM computer topped our list.
What do you think about the computers on this list? Do you know another influential personal computer? Share your opinion with us and other users.
