It was created to show the difference between computers that were owned by companies (at one point they were so large and so expensive that only big groups could afford and store them), and the era when computers became small enough for individuals to be able to fit them in their own homes, and also afford them. The era of the Personal Computer (PC) was a huge changing point in history because it brought a lot of power and connectivity into people's homes that hadn't been available before.
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The history of the personal computer as a mass-market consumer electronic device began with the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s. A personal computer is one intended for interactive individual use, as opposed to a mainframe computer where the end user's requests are filtered through operating staff or a time-sharing system in which one large processor is shared by many individuals. After the development of the microprocessor, individual personal computers were low enough in cost that they eventually became affordable consumer goods. Early personal computers – generally called microcomputers – were sold often in electronic kit form and in limited numbers, and were of interest mostly to hobbyists and technicians.
Morse Brown.