computing moved from large, specialized machines to affordable personal devices
early hobbyist computers of the late 1970s gave way to mainstream PCs in the 1980s and 1990s
Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Intel, and Dell turned personal computing into a global consumer and business standard
the IBM PC (1981), Macintosh (1984), Windows (1985+), and Wintel machines created a unified hardware–software ecosystem
by the 1990s, PCs powered office work, home computing, gaming, networking, and early internet use
the PC Revolution laid the foundation for the internet, mobile computing, software platforms, and cloud services

What Drove the Transformation

microprocessor breakthroughs enabled exponential gains in power at falling prices (Moore’s Law)
IBM’s open architecture and Microsoft’s DOS/Windows created a standard platform for hardware and software
graphical user interfaces (Mac, Windows) made computers intuitive for everyday users
productivity software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, databases) became essential for business operations
mass manufacturing, global supply chains, and competition drove down hardware costs
networking and early internet adoption multiplied the PC’s value through email, browsers, and online services

The Economic Lessons

general-purpose technologies transform economies when they become cheap, usable, and standardized
network effects matter: more users → more software → more utility → more adoption
open architectures and platform strategies (Wintel) can create enormous, durable industry ecosystems
transformational technologies diffuse slowly at first, then accelerate as usability and cost reach a tipping point
foundational platforms — like PCs then, or AI/cloud today — create multi-decade opportunities for those who understand scale, standards, and developer ecosystems

The PC Revolution (1980s–1990s)