IBM PC turns 25 – but dont let them tell you it was the first PC!

Computer firm IBM entered the PC age on 12 August 1981 with the announcement of a personal computer – the IBM 5150. Not long before that, executives of this mainframe computer company had hypothesised that 13 computers would be enough to serve the whole world!

Costing $1,565, the 5150 had just 16K of memory – scarcely more than a couple of modest e-mails worth. It originally used the CPM operating system but, via a deal with a young software writer called Bill Gates, soon came to use the DOS operating system.

IBM was not the first personal computer. Many preceded it, and you can read about some of them here.

Meanwhile, if you want to see a great collection of old TV ads for personal computers, try this.