home computer
Sign in to saveclass of microcomputers of the 1980s, designed for private use at home; first type of computer ever which gained broad popularity amongst consumers, was replaced in the 1990s by personal computers with MS-DOS and later Microsoft Windows
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Children playing Paperboy on an Amstrad CPC 464 in 1988 The often sprawling nature of a well-outfitted home computer is evident with this Tandy Color Computer 3, released in 1986. The three computers Byte magazine retrospectively called the "1977 Trinity" (L-R): Commodore PET 2001-8, Apple II, TRS-80 Model I.
Home computers were a class of microcomputers that entered the market in 1977 and became common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single, non-technical user. These computers were a distinct market segment that typically cost much less than business, scientific, or engineering-oriented computers of the time, such as those running CP/M or the IBM PC, and were generally less powerful in terms of memory and expandability. However, a home computer often had better graphics and sound than contemporary business computers. Their most common uses were word processing, playing video games, and programming.