Personal computer
A computer designed for direct use by an individual.
A personal computer (PC) is a machine built for individual use, meant to be operated directly by the person using it rather than by a specialist, administrator, or company. Common tasks include word processing, web browsing, email, file management, spreadsheets, and video calling. Unlike large, costly minicomputers and mainframes, personal computers do not rely on time-sharing, where many people use the same system simultaneously. The term "home computer" was also popular, especially in the late 1970s and 1980s. The rise of personal computers, along with the Digital Revolution, has had a major impact on everyday life.
In the 1960s, corporate or institutional computer owners had to write their own programs to get any useful work done. Today, personal computer users can still create their own applications, but most rely on commercial or free software. This software often comes as closed-source (proprietary) code, or as free and open-source software where the source code is available. End-user software is usually provided in ready-to-run binary form, and it is typically developed and distributed independently from the hardware or operating system maker. Practically all personal computer users no longer need to write programs to use their machines, though end-user programming is still possible. This is different from mobile systems, where software often comes only through a manufacturer-approved channel, and the manufacturer may not support user-created programs.
Since the early 1990s, Microsoft operating systems (starting with MS-DOS, then Windows) and Intel’s x86-based CPUs—together known as Wintel—have dominated the personal computer market. Today, the term "PC" usually refers to this Wintel platform, or to Windows PCs in general (including those with ARM chips), to the point that software for Windows is often labeled "for PC." Alternatives to Windows hold a smaller share of the market, including Apple’s Mac platform (running macOS) and free, open-source, Unix-like systems such as Linux (including ChromeOS, which is derived from Linux). Other notable platforms from before the 1990s include the Amiga, Atari ST, and the PC-98 line.
**Terminology**
The term "PC" is short for "personal computer." Although the IBM Personal Computer used the word in its model name, the term originally referred to any brand of personal computer. In some contexts, "PC" is used to distinguish from Mac computers. None of Apple’s products were mainframes or time-sharing systems, so they are all personal computers, but not "PC" brand computers. In 1995, a CBS segment on the growing popularity of PCs reported that for many newcomers, "PC stands for Pain and Confusion."
**History**
The "brain" [computer] may one day come down to our level [of the common people] and help with our income-tax and book-keeping calculations. But this is speculation and there is no sign of it so far.
**Origins**
In the history of computing, early experimental machines could be operated by a single person. For example, ENIAC, which became operational in 1946, could be run by one highly trained individual. This mode came before batch programming or time-sharing, where multiple users connected through terminals to mainframes. Computers built for laboratory, instrumentation, or engineering purposes could be used interactively by one person. Examples include the Bendix G15 and LGP-30 from 1956, and the Soviet MIR series from 1965 to 1969. By the early 1970s, people in academic or research settings could have single-person, interactive use of a computer for long periods, though these systems were still too expensive for one person to own.
**1960s**
The personal computer became possible thanks to major advances in semiconductor technology. In 1959, the silicon integrated circuit (IC) chip was developed by Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor, and the metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) transistor was developed by Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng at Bell Labs. RCA commercialized the MOS integrated circuit in 1964, and Federico Faggin at Fairchild developed the silicon-gate MOS integrated circuit in 1968. Faggin later used silicon-gate MOS technology to create the first single-chip microprocessor, the Intel 4004, in 1971. The first microcomputers, based on microprocessors, appeared in the early 1970s. Widespread commercial availability of microprocessors from the mid-1970s made computers cheap enough for small businesses and individuals to own. In what became known as the Mother of All Demos, SRI researcher Douglas Engelbart in 1968 previewed features that would later become staples of personal computers: e-mail, hypertext, word processing, video conferencing, and the mouse. The demonstration required technical support and a mainframe time-sharing computer that were far too costly for individual business use at the time.
**1970s**
Early personal computers—often called microcomputers—were frequently sold as kits in limited numbers, appealing mainly to hobbyists and technicians. Minimal programming was done using toggle switches to enter instructions, and output came from front panel lamps. Practical use required adding peripherals like keyboards, computer displays, disk drives, and printers. The Micral N was the earliest commercial, non-kit microcomputer based on a microprocessor, the Intel 8008. It was built starting in 1972, and a few hundred units were sold. This was preceded by the Datapoint 2200 in 1970.
- field
- Computing
- known_for
- Personal computing, Wintel dominance, end-user software
- dominant_platform_since_1990s
- Wintel (Microsoft Windows on Intel x86)
Lore & Background
Early personal computers, often called microcomputers, were typically sold as kits and appealed mainly to hobbyists and technicians. Basic programming involved using toggle switches to enter instructions, with output shown on front panel lamps. To be practically useful, users had to add peripherals like keyboards, displays, disk drives, and printers. These machines were designed for direct operation by an end user rather than a computer expert or administrator, and unlike large minicomputers or mainframes, they did not use time-sharing for multiple simultaneous users. The term "home computer" was also common in the late 1970s and 1980s. A personal computer is typically used for tasks such as word processing, web browsing, email, file management, spreadsheets, and video calling. While early users often had to write their own programs, modern personal computers most frequently run commercial or free software, often with closed-source code, or free and open-source software. Software is generally provided in ready-to-run binary form and is developed independently from the hardware or operating system maker. Since the early 1990s, the market has been dominated by Microsoft operating systems (MS-DOS and later Windows) combined with Intel's x86 architecture, collectively known as Wintel. Today, "PC" often refers specifically to this platform, including Windows machines with ARM chips, though alternatives like Apple's macOS and Unix-like systems such as Linux and ChromeOS hold a minority share. Other notable platforms from earlier decades include the Amiga, Atari ST, and PC-98 line.
Reader's Guide
Since the early 1990s, Microsoft operating systems (first with MS-DOS and then with Windows) and CPUs based on Intel's x86 architecture—collectively called Wintel—have dominated the personal computer market. Today the term PC normally refers to the ubiquitous Wintel platform, or to Windows PCs in general, to the point where software for Windows is marketed as 'for PC'. Alternatives to Windows occupy a minority share, including the Mac platform from Apple (running macOS) and free and open-source Unix-like operating systems such as Linux (including ChromeOS). Other notable platforms until the 1990s were the Amiga, Atari ST, and the PC-98 line. Personal computers are meant to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert, administrator, company or technician. Unlike large, costly minicomputers and mainframes, time-sharing by many people at the same time is not used with personal computers. The term 'home computer' was used primarily in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Did You Know?
- The term 'PC' originally described personal computers of any brand, not just IBM-compatible machines.
From Silicon to Single-User Machines
The personal computer's story begins not in a garage but in semiconductor laboratories. These advances transformed computing from a realm of massive, expensive mainframes into something a single person could operate. By the early 1970s, academic and research settings offered single-person interactive access, though ownership by an individual remained financially out of reach.
The Hobbyist Decade and the Mother of All Demos
The 1970s marked the era when computers first became tangible objects for ordinary people, though the experience was far from polished. Early microcomputers were frequently sold as kits in small quantities, appealing primarily to hobbyists and technicians. Programming meant flipping toggle switches to enter instructions, and results appeared as patterns of glowing front-panel lamps. Making these machines genuinely useful required bolting on peripherals—keyboards, displays, disk drives, printers. The irony was that his demonstration depended on a mainframe time-sharing system and support staff, far beyond any individual's budget.
Wintel, Mac, and the Platform Wars
Since the early 1990s, the personal computer market has been overwhelmingly defined by a single pairing: Microsoft operating systems, beginning with MS-DOS and evolving into Windows, running on Intel x86-based processors. This combination, colloquially dubbed Wintel, became so dominant that the word "PC" in common usage now almost exclusively refers to a Windows-based machine, even when the underlying chip is ARM rather than x86. Software publishers routinely label their products "for PC," cementing the association. Apple's Mac platform, running macOS, and free open-source Unix-like systems such as Linux and its derivative ChromeOS hold minority market shares. Before the 1990s, the competitive landscape was broader, with the Amiga, Atari ST, and Japan's PC-98 line all carving out meaningful audiences. The terminology itself has caused confusion: while "PC" originally described any personal computer regardless of brand, the IBM Personal Computer's use of the name in its model designation led many to treat it as a brand.
Software Freedom and the End-User Revolution
In the 1960s, institutional and corporate computer owners were essentially forced to write their own programs to accomplish any useful task. The personal computer shattered that constraint. Today, the vast majority of end users simply install commercial applications or free-of-charge freeware—often built on closed, proprietary codebases—or they turn to free and open-source software whose source code is publicly available. Software is delivered in ready-to-run binary form, and it is typically developed and distributed by companies entirely independent of the hardware or operating system manufacturer. This independence stands in sharp contrast to mobile systems, where software is often restricted to a manufacturer-supported channel and end-user program development may be actively discouraged. While practically no personal computer user needs to write code to get work done, the ability to develop one's own applications remains fully feasible. The shift from a world where computing meant writing programs by hand to one where word processing, web browsing, e-mail, spreadsheets, file management, and video calling are off-the-shelf activities represents one of the most profound changes in how people interact with technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a personal computer?
A personal computer is a machine built for an individual end user to operate directly, without relying on a dedicated IT specialist. It handles everyday tasks like writing documents, browsing the web, managing files, and making video calls.
What is a personal computer typically used for?
Common uses include word processing, spreadsheet work, email, web browsing, file management, and video conferencing. It serves as a general-purpose tool that lets one person handle a wide range of digital tasks independently.
What platform has dominated personal computing since the 1990s?
The Wintel combination—Microsoft Windows running on Intel x86 architecture—has been the dominant PC platform since the 1990s. This pairing shaped the look, feel, and software ecosystem of most desktop and laptop computers for decades.
Why is the personal computer considered so important?
The rise of personal computers drove the broader Digital Revolution, fundamentally reshaping how people work, communicate, and access information. It shifted computing power from centralized mainframes into the hands of everyday individuals.
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