# What was the first PC called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389 "2001-09-23T21:14:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/21 "2001-09-24T12:33:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > **I can’t recall that we ever called them “Personal Computers.” I think IBM might not have coined the term, but they were the first to apply it to a particular brand/model.** We sure did! And some were mightily POed then IBM came along and coopted the phrase as if it were their own! Until then, “PC” had been a generic term for all of the personal computers. [Here](http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/comphist/) is a good chronology, although it doesn’t mention the [Micral.](http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=352) You’ll notice that Kildall started writing CP/M before he really had anything to use it on. An EXCELLENT history is [_Fire in the Valley._](http://www.fireinthevalley.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/22 "2001-09-24T13:25:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by engineer\_comp\_geek \* > FYI Musicat - you couldn’t run XP on a 5150 because the processor is too limited. It can’t execute the 32 bit instructions like MOV EAX, \ because it doesn’t have an EAX (32 bit) register, only an AX (16 bit) register. I did however attempt to convert an old 5150 style case to a Pentium by swapping out the motherboard (just so I could say I had the world’s fastest XT) but unfortunately the cache module hit the metal bracket on the underside of the disk drive assembly. Oh well. True, true. When I started thinking about all the parts that would need changing, I felt overwhelmed, but continued as an academic exercise! I’m not even sure if recent Windows editions would run on a 386 – don’t they expect the 486 architecture as a minimum, or do they just test for the CPU speed? But hey – does anyone have a 386 → 8088 “down”-compiler? Let’s run XP thru it, then store the result on 4,903 floppies… 🙂 And **Dropzone** , you are probably right about the term “PC” being used before IBM grabbed it. I do recall some confusion about that time when I had several homebrew computers but not IBM-PC compatibles. If someone asked me if I had a PC, I had to qualify the answer, “Yes, I have a personal computer, but not a PC.” ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/23 "2001-09-24T15:08:52Z")
All win32 versions of windows (95 through XP) check for processor type, disk space, and memory. Windows 2000, ME, and XP check for processor speed as well. 95 does not check for processor speed. Not sure about 98. ---
**Author:** ![jonfromdenver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@jonfromdenver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonfromdenver)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/24 "2001-09-24T15:34:22Z")
[quote] _originally posted by Musicat_ But hey – does anyone have a 386 -\> 8088 “down”-compiler? Let’s run XP thru it, then store the result on 4,903 floppies… \* my first computer was an “088” (don’t ask me what that means, i hardly remember this i was so young) and the second was a 286. the 286 was way the hell better than the 088. they both had minimal hard drives and could both run wordperfect. so am i confused? if a 386 is an 8088, what was my first computer? ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/25 "2001-09-24T16:02:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jonfromdenver \* > \*\*my first computer was an “088” (don’t ask me what that means, i hardly remember this i was so young) and the second was a 286. the 286 was way the hell better than the 088. they both had minimal hard drives and could both run wordperfect. so am i confused? if a 386 is an 8088, what was my first computer? \*\* The **intel 8088** was essentially a low-cost version of the **8086** (IIRC using a multiplexed 8-bit bus). You could get them with a “turbo” mode, which would switch the CPU from the ubiquitious 4.77MHz to something much faster. Ofter 8, but sometimes 10MHz. Remember that this is only the CPU. There was also the bus issue. For example, you could get an **XT/286** which was a 80286 (of AT fame), but using the PC/XT architecture (keyboard, bus etc) [nitpick] > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **Musicat** _\*\* > The first IBM PC had a 4.77Mhz CPU, no hard disk, 12" monochrome (color optional with 4 colors and greatly reduced resolution) memory-mapped display (320x200 dots, I think), > \*\* There was another (non-documented) mode on the original CGA, where you could use **16** colours in 160x100! It was used in some of the very first **Sierra** adventures. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/26 "2001-09-24T16:39:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > **For some reason, I thought the first PC, or at least first popular PC was the Commodore Pet, in 1977…** I believe the first popular personal computer was the Apple II – its success was reportedly what prompted IBM to change its mind about restricting computers for business applications and to develop one for the home as well. ---
**Author:** ![Perderabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Perderabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perderabo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/27 "2001-09-24T16:59:11Z")
I’m dating myself here, but I used an [Olivetti Programma 101](http://www.science.uva.nl/faculteit/museum/Programma101.html) in the late sixties. No, it didn’t run microsoft software, but I think it’s crazy to reject computers on that criterion. Some people would call it a programmable calculator, but it was very powerful for a calculator. It could read and write magnetic cards and it did have a printer. I don’t believe that there are any earlier desktop systems. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/28 "2001-09-24T17:53:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chas.E \* > \*\*But as to the OP, the first use of the term Personal Computer I know of was the Apple 1. There were other companies that used this term, like the SWTPC, Southwest Technologies Personal Computer. I’m pretty sure these far predate the Altair’s usage. \*\* Apple II, I think you mean; the Apple I was never built in any sufficient quantities to warrant any sort of advertising or slogans. I remember an reading an ad for the Apple II, IIRC the slogan was written like this: Apple II: The **Personal** Computer Remember, the term Personal Computer, or even PC, was in use long before IBM got into the act. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/29 "2001-09-24T19:49:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > **Dropzone, you are probably …** Probably? Look, you guys can call into question just about anything I say, but THIS sort of crap, computing in the 80s, is the stuff I actually KNOW! YOUNG WHIPPERSNAPPERS! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/30 "2001-09-24T19:54:11Z")
As you didn’t define your term well to start with you got answers all over the place. The only trivia I can add is from my few years working as a tech for Kaypro dealer. Kapro started in the CP/M market with 8080/Z80 suitcase portables. They weren’t cool molded plastic like the first Compaqs and Osbornes but all sheet metal. We called it the Darth Vader lunchbox because of the gray/black color scheme and angular appearance. Kaypro eventually made Intel/DOS portables and desktops calle Kaypro _Professional_ Computers. Not much of a twist on “PC” but they made it their own. The Kaypro PC was modular with a passive backplane and what would normally be a motherboard on a single expansion card. Back in the day of 4.77MHz IBMs the Kaypro ran a NEC V20 CPU (a popular drop-in upgrade to 8088 PCs) at 8MHz and had zero wait state memory. I could run Norton sysinfo to demonstrate that it was a full 3.1 times faster than a genuine IBM and even had a toggle switch to slow it down for true compability. They came with 768k RAM from the factory, more than IBM. The extra 128k was “hidden” and could be used as a ramdisk to speed up Wordstar on a dual floppy disk system. When I finally added a Seagate 225 20 meg hard drive and a 8087 math co-processor I ran Autocad 2.52 quite nicely. The modular processor board would have been a boon to upgrades but Kaypro stumbled getting into the 286 market. By the time they made upgrade processor cards available they cost more than a bare bones 286 box, about $1k IIRC. The 286 boards had problems with the early SIMM slots flexing and causing serious problems. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389/31 "2001-09-25T12:50:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dropzone \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > > **Dropzone, you are probably …** > > Probably? Look, you guys can call into question just about anything I say, but THIS sort of crap, computing in the 80s, is the stuff I actually KNOW! > > YOUNG WHIPPERSNAPPERS! 😉 \*\* I imagine you are drawing much from memory, as I am. I know MY memory can be imperfect, how about yours? Now if you wanna talk paper tape, punch cards, hard-wired IBM proof or accounting machines…those were the days! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-pc-called/83389.md?page=1)