Development of the Personal Computer in the 1970s Personal Computers (PCs) are everywhere. I am sitting at my desk right now writing this report on my PC. It seems like these days we take computers for granted. Almost everyone has one. Teachers assign projects that almost completely require the use of a computer. Where did this explosion of PCs come from, though? Just a few short years ago you were lucky to have a computer. About 25 years ago people would have called you crazy if you said you had a personal computer. Thats because before 1975 there were no personal computers that were available, or affordable, to the general population. In fact, it wasnt until much later that there really was a personal computer that anyone could use. The 1970s served as a launching pad for the personal computer industry to blast off into the future. In the early 1970s computer hobbyists were starting to show frustration at the current situation involving computers. At the time the only way anyone could use a computer was to access a mainframe through a terminal on a time-sharing basis. What the hobbyists wanted was to be able to access their files any time they wanted, even if they were on a business trip. They wanted to be able to play games without someone yelling at them to get back to work. They wanted their own personal computer (Campbell-Kelley and Aspray 237-238; Triumph). Some people were already experimenting with building computers. In 1971 Steve Wozniak and Bill Fernandez built a simple computer out of parts that were rejected by local companies. This computer, which they called the "cream soda computer," worked with lights and switches and is considered by many to be the first personal computer (Polsson). This wasnt really satisfying, though. What hobbyists wanted was a real computer that they could call their very own. This frustration was being voiced in the major electronics magazines at the time, the main two being Popular Electronics...
