When I started researching the invention of personal computers, I had no idea how fascinating the story would be. What I found was not just a tale of tech innovation, but one of risk, creativity, and a few unexpected twists along the way. At the center of it all was a man named Henry Edward Roberts. Roberts wasn’t just an engineer — he was also an entrepreneur and even a medical doctor at one point. Back in 1975, he built the first commercially successful personal computer, a moment that quietly set the stage for the digital world we know today. A few years earlier, in 1970, he had started a company called MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems). At first, they sold pocket calculator kits, but with bigger competitors driving prices down, Roberts found himself deep in debt. Instead of giving up, he decided to take a gamble. He shifted gears and started designing affordable computer kits for hobbyists. He called his creation "the ultimate gadget," and it turned out he was onto something big. One of these kits, the Altair 8800, didn’t even have a display screen, but it still caught the attention of two young programmers you’ve probably heard of: Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
Gates and Allen saw huge potential in Roberts' Altair. They developed software for it, a programming language called Microsoft BASIC, which became the very first product of what would grow into Microsoft. It’s wild to think about, but this little hobbyist computer was the spark that helped ignite the software giant we know today. Of course, the story didn’t stay smooth. Gates and Allen eventually clashed with Roberts when they started selling their software to MITS’ competitors. Not long after, in 1977, Roberts decided it was time to step away from the tech world. He sold MITS for $2 million and went back to Georgia to live a simpler life as a farmer. Who would have thought he would go from computers to farming?
Roberts' invention had already started something that couldn’t be undone. The personal computer has completely transformed our lives. It’s changed the way we work, learn, and connect with each other. PCs opened the door to email, social media, and online communities. They created millions of jobs and gave rise to entire industries like digital entertainment, gaming, and streaming. On the flip side, personal computers have also brought some challenges. Issues like screen-related health problems, online addiction, cybercrime, privacy concerns, and even social isolation are all part of the story too. Technology always comes with a balance of good and bad, and the PC is no exception.
Still, it’s amazing to think about how one person’s idea to build a simple, affordable computer could spark such a massive shift in the world. Henry Edward Roberts might have left the tech scene behind, but the impact of his invention is everywhere — from our classrooms and offices to the very devices we’re reading this on today. I found this research to be very interesting. Prior, I did not have any knowledge of the invention of the personal computer.
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