The Personal Computer Revolution: Crash Course Computer Science #25

Today we're going to talk about the birth of personal computing. Up until the early 1970s components were just too expensive, or underpowered, for making a useful computer for an individual, but this would begin to change with the introduction of the Altair 8800 in 1975. In the years that follow, we'll see the founding of Microsoft and Apple and the creation of the 1977 Trinity: The Apple II, Tandy TRS-80, and Commodore PET 2001. These new consumer oriented computers would become a huge hit, but arguably the biggest success of the era came with the release of the IBM PC in 1981. IBM completely changed the industry as its "IBM compatible" open architecture consolidated most of the industry except for, notably, Apple. Apple chose a closed architecture forming the basis of the Mac Vs PC debate that rages today. But in 1984, when Apple was losing marketshare fast it looked for a way to offer a new user experience like none other - which we'll discuss next week.

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[tessat]

My college roommate had an Apple Jr. in our dorm room. My grades were directly linked to my access to that computer. I could type and would trade typing her papers for computer time so I didn't have to hike all the way across campus to the computer lab and take my chances getting on one of the limited computers. Thus began a life-long tradition of working at the computer in my pajamas.

My friend Jay, who went to John's Hopkins University, had first an Apple 2E then was the first person I knew who got the new Apple McIntosh.

[AceNallawar]

Software for Microcomputer = Microsoft
Now you know

[DuluthTW]

You just made me relive my teens and early 20s in less than 10 minutes. I used the VisiCalc manual in college. When my former employer was cleaning out a computer lab, I salvaged the case and binder to use as a monitor stand. I still have them today.

[realcygnus]

the evolution of technology is almost as interesting as the technology itself

[Pfhorrest]

There's a very important inaccuracy here. IBM didn't set out to create an open platform and allow competition with themselves. They just made a platform that was easy enough for Compaq to reverse-engineer, and failed to secure an exclusivity deal with Microsoft, leading to the explosion of IBM-compatibles *against IBM's will*. Also, rolling Dell in with the era of Compaq is way anachronistic; Dell was much later in the game, barely a name in the consumer world until the late 90s.

[fellipec]

I wish to have a teacher like Carrie Ann back in the day when I was in college. She is very nice and explains very well.

[Kisuke]

"If you are good at something, never do it for free." - Some clown
Thank you, CrashCourse :)

[bee]

LOL at the price tag of the Apple 1 computer 😂😂😂

[KlausWulfenbach]

Some people are complaining about the lack of Commodore love and too much attention on Apple. But I think it was a pretty good summary. No mention of the bestselling single computer model of all time (C64), nor of the fascinating history of British, European, and Japanese personal computers, but a proper comprehensive coverage of early personal computer history really requires something more like ten hours, not ten minutes. So I say it's not bad for a less than 10 minute video for people who don't know all of this already.

[NLS]

Missing in the video was the reason why Apple won and the others lost: Apple II costed $1000 and the others $500, but the Apple’s floppy drive costed $500 each and the others costed $1000 (more than the computer), the floppy drive was pure Wozniak genius work, so it costed so little. So for the same price you would get a much better computer, with card expansibility and color graphics. If you wanted 2 floppy drives (common, at the time), it was a no brainer!

[geistlos]

The macintosh was so solid that i still found one running, in a production environment at Briggs & Stratton in 1998

[microbuilder]

First computer was like the Tandy TRS-80 (yay DOS!), in school we had the super fancy Apple IIe (yay Oregon Trail!). They all used the 5 1/4" floppy, but I also remember the 8" floppy disks too. Those were fun times...sort of...

[jeanahollings]

Thank you for doing this! It has been so helpful! I really struggle with trusting abstraction on any level. This has a) helped me trust more and b) taught me that if I'm not careful my trust issues could lead to programming in hex. Thanks again!!

[MichaelRicksAherne]

*LOVE* this series. Can't wait for the next one.

[TokyoTraveller]

I wanted her to keep going, and I was surprised when she ended the video.

[claygroves]

hello Carrie Anne
I am a newbe
(yes... take your best shot)
I am stuck in Galveston tx. waiting out the storm "Harvey"
I bing watched your series to pass the time
Loved it! I work in ROV (underwater remote operated vehicles)
Been watching "Crash course" episodes for years
Thought I handle on computer science in general
Boy was I wrong!
Thank your, thank your, thank you!
Best regards
Clay

[ondrejpaska]

Carrie Anne, amazing work as always, thank you!

[robertfletcher]

Carrie Anne, You have omitted the most important group of microcomputers running at that time, Digital Research’s CP/M. VisiCalc that you mentioned as well as Wordstar and dBase were all originally written for CP/M. In fact it took a long time for businesses to give up their Kaypro's et al running CP/M. The IBM was not that well received and neither was MS-DOS. The multi user version M/PM allowing multi-users over a network. It would take Microsoft years to catch up with that. To leave out CP/M is to take out a massive chunk of computer history. It’s like leaving out of history 1066 and the Norman invasion to school kids. [“A:” the CP/M prompt that was adopted by MS-Dos]

[johnplaid]

Carrie Ann thank you and the writers of these crash courses. You have to pay attention! I watch them as many as 10 times to absorb the facts.

[DavidWoods_ca]

You kinda missed the fact that the IBM pc wasn't intended to be an open design. It had a proprietary BIOS that prevented IBM software from being run on a PC without an IBM BIOS. It wasn't until Compaq created a clone of the IBM bios that the IBM eco system opened up. You made it sound like IBM was creating this open eco system out of the goodness of their own hearts where in reality that wasn't their intent.